Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Tolstoy Park, the Unusual Home of Henry Stuart

Discover Tolstoy Park, the Unusual Home of Henry Stuart in Fairhope, Alabama: This small hut in the middle of a parking lot was once the wooded sanctuary of the 'Hermit of Montrose.'.

Awat’ovi Ruins

Discover Awat'ovi Ruins in Second Mesa, Arizona: More than 300 years ago, a revolt at this Hopi pueblo shaped the future of the American Southwest.

Enchanted Chairs

Discover Enchanted Chairs in Sheffield, England: A collection of throne-inspired sculptures dot the landscape of Wincobank.

Penis-Shaped Church

Discover Penis-Shaped Church in Dixon, Illinois: When viewed from above this church appears to resemble a giant phallus.

The Hurley Gardens

Discover The Hurley Gardens in Wheaton, Illinois: Tucked away amongst townhomes lies a restored, early 20th-century tea house and garden, the only remains of a historic estate.

Soldierstone

Discover Soldierstone in Saguache, Colorado: Hidden high on a remote mountain peak is a humbling and mysterious Vietnam War memorial.

Fontana delle Tette

Discover Fontana delle Tette in Treviso, Italy: Centuries ago, red and white wine poured from the statue's breasts whenever a new Venetian ruler was elected.

Women of Steel

Discover Women of Steel in Sheffield, England: A tribute to the women who quietly kept the local steelworks alive during both world wars.

Agia Dynami

Discover Agia Dynami in Athens, Greece: This small 16th-century church in Athens is almost entirely surrounded by a modern building.

The Gondolas of Medellín

Discover The Gondolas of Medellín in Medellín, Colombia: An unusual and beautiful form of mass transit serves the city's steepest neighborhoods.

D.C.’s Other Watergate

Discover Watergate Steps in Washington, D.C.: Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate.".

Mongolia’s Puzzle Museum

Discover International Intellectual and Puzzle Museum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: An institution dedicated to curiosity, logic, riddles, and Mongolia's long history of puzzles.

Museu da Tatuagem de São Paulo

Discover Museu da Tatuagem de São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil: Brazil's only museum dedicated to the art and evolution of tattoos.

Death Chairs of Poor Clares Cemetery

Discover Poor Clares Convent Cemetery in Ischia, Italy: Deceased nuns were placed on stone chairs to decompose, while the surviving nuns prayed near the lifeless bodies.

Bell Inn Caves

Discover Bell Inn Caves in Nottingham, England: There's a labyrinth of medieval chambers hidden deep below a 15th-century pub.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 474 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 499 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 633 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 135 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 167 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 96 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 166

PP ToS