Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Reunification Palace

Discover Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Meant to be a lavish presidential home, the palace became a symbol of the fall of South Vietnam.

The Grave of XYZ

Discover The Grave of XYZ in Deep River, Connecticut: The mysterious headstone of an unidentified bank robber was seen visited, every year, by a woman in black.

Villa Villekulla

Discover Villa Villekulla in Kneippen, Sweden: Visit the home of Sweden's beloved fictional character, Pippi Longstocking.

Sea Ranch Chapel

Discover Sea Ranch Chapel in Sea Ranch, California: This whimsical seashell-shaped place of worship was designed to blend into its surroundings.

Ruins of Bancroft Castle

Discover Bancroft Castle in Groton, Massachusetts: On top of Gibbet Hill lie the ruins of a lavish turn-of-the-century estate that never quite came to be.

Dochula Pass Meditation Caves

Discover Dochula Pass Meditation Caves in Dochula, Bhutan: The small sanctuaries lie just off the beaten path near one of Bhutan's most famous attractions.

Target Marathon

Discover Target Marathon in Alpine, Texas: This is probably not the Target you're looking for.

Zalud House

Discover Zalud House in Porterville, California: The Zalud family experienced a number of tragedies in one decade, giving rise to rumors that the 19th century house is haunted.

Galarie D’Art Park

Discover Galarie D'Art Park in Angoulême, France: A tiny, forgotten park of surrealist sculptures in Angouleme.

The First Air Force One

You can walk through the presidential plane that famously carried JFK's casket back from Dallas.

Catacombs of Saint Gaudiosus

Discover Catacombs of Saint Gaudiosus in Naples, Italy: The burial place of an obscure North African saint was turned into a macabre body preservation factory for the 17th-century Neapolitan elite.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 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. 480 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. 514 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. 642 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. 137 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. 172 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). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 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. 98 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. 168

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