Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Hyams Beach

Discover Hyams Beach in Hyams Beach, Australia: The sand is such a bright white that on sunny days you practically need sunglasses to look at the ground.

Lumière Villa

Discover Lumière Villa in Lyon, France: Antique cinematography artifacts fill this museum dedicated to the inventors of the moving picture.

Tin Mal Mosque

Discover Tin Mal Mosque in Al Haouz, Morocco: The remains of a magnificent medieval fortress that was the capital of a vast empire.

Benja Thermal Baths

Discover Benja Thermal Baths in Përmet District, Albania: A medieval bridge stretches over a sulfur-rich river that leads to year-round natural hot springs.

Taiwan’s Secret Bomb Shelter

Discover 100-Year Bomb Shelter in Ren’ai District, Taiwan: A secret passageway from World War II is now a quirky pedestrian shortcut.

Treehouse Paradise

Discover Treehouse Paradise in Cave Junction, Oregon: A chance to sleep among the firs and pines of the Oregon forest.

The Grave of Foone

Discover The Grave of Foone in Farmington, Connecticut: The final resting place of one member of the Amistad slave revolt who never made it back home.

Londa Burial Caves

Discover Londa Burial Caves in Rantepao, Indonesia: The unique funeral practices of the Toraja can be seen here with graves carved into caves and hung off cliffs.

Where The Wild Things Heal

New York City's only wildlife rehabilitation center treats more than 3,000 feathered and furry patients each year.

Pigs Aloft Museum

Discover Pigs Aloft Museum in Linn, Missouri: The only pig museum in the U.S. holds one of the world's largest collections of pig items.

Sculptures de Décure

Discover Sculptures de Décure in Paris, France: Exquisite wall sculptures carved in secret by an early quarryman in an obscure corner of the Paris Catacombs.

Neon Alley of Wroclaw

Discover Neon Side Gallery in Wrocław, Poland: A collection of old neon signs from all over Poland line a secluded courtyard.

Chinese Community Bulletin Board

Discover Chinese Community Bulletin Board in Seattle, Washington: In the absence of a Chinese-language newspaper, for years the community posted daily updates on this simple bulletin board.

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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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