Archives: Atlas Obscuras

St. John Around the Column

Discover St. John Around the Column in Athens, Greece: There are many Byzantine-era churches still standing in Athens, but this is the only one with a 2,500-year-old column rising through its roof.

Mussolini’s Balcony

Discover Mussolini's Balcony in Rome, Italy: The spot where the fascist dictator made some of his most famous speeches including declaring war on Britain and France.

Mafalda Monument

Discover Mafalda Monument in Buenos Aires, Argentina: These small sculptures pay homage to the lovable star of an iconic Argentine comic strip.

Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum

Discover Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum in Seattle, Washington: The largest police museum in the western United States displays the evolution of crime-fighting Seattle.

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.

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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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