Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Sarcophagus of Prince Yaroslav the Wise

Discover Sarcophagus of Prince Yaroslav the Wise in Kyiv, Ukraine: The medieval prince founded the first library in Ukraine at Saint Sophia's Cathedral where he was interred.

Wall of Alassio

Discover Wall of Alassio in Alassio, Italy: Ernest Hemingway was the first to sign this colorful wall covered in thousands of celebrity signatures.

Museum Obscurum

Discover Museum Obscurum in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark: This secret collection of the strange and occult was rediscovered in a forgotten room of an old house.

Bockaby Urban Warfare Facility

Discover Bockaby Urban Warfare Facility in Borås SV, Sweden: This abandoned urban warfare facility is a dream come true for airsoft and paintball enthusiasts.

The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City

Discover Mysterious Bookshop in New York, New York: The world’s oldest and biggest bookstore stocking only mystery, crime fiction, espionage, and thrillers.

Fantastic Pit

The perfectly named cave drop plunges 586 feet, almost as tall as Seattle’s Space Needle.

Fahan Beehive Huts

Discover Fahan Beehive Huts in Kerry, Ireland: Ireland's most remarkable collection of these curious cone-shaped houses is worth the buzz.

Argleton, Lancashire

Discover Argleton, Lancashire in Aughton, England: The town of Argleton has a postal code and appears on maps and even real estate listings, yet it does not exist.

Čačak Mausoleum of Struggle and Victory

Discover Čačak Mausoleum of Struggle and Victory in Čačak, Serbia: This symbol of Yugoslav liberation decorated with 620 carved heads of mythical creatures is now a forlorn relic of another time.

Kelso Ghost Town

Discover Kelso Ghost Town in San Bernardino County, California: The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

Isola San Giulio

Discover Isola San Giulio in Isola San Giulio, Italy: A fairytale island floats in the middle of Italy's little-known Lake Orta.

Fireworks Safety Zone on the National Mall

Discover Fireworks Safety Zone on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: On the Fourth of July this area will transform into a Pompeii-like storm of falling embers and ash.

Wine Press Garden in Tel Aviv

Discover Gan HaGat (Wine Press Garden) in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel: A 2,000-year-old wine press hidden in an overlooked park in Tel Aviv.

Manitou Mineral Springs

Discover Manitou Mineral Springs in Manitou Springs, Colorado: There are eight natural springs around town, each with a slightly different taste.

Museum of Divine Statues

Discover Museum of Divine Statues in Lakewood, Ohio: An old church full of restored Catholic statues is a makeup artist's labor of love.

Gas Works Park

Discover Gas Works Park in Seattle, Washington: This former coal gasification plant found a curious second life as a popular public park.

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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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