Archives: Atlas Obscuras

FDR’s Presidential Train

Discover Ferdinand Magellan Presidential Railcar in Miami, Florida: With nickel-steel armor and three-inch thick bullet resistant windows, FDR's train was a rolling fortress.

The Mysterious Shop

Iceland's only steampunk shop imagines a retro-futuristic world that never was.

City Hall Urinal

Discover City Hall Urinal in Amsterdam, Netherlands: A public urinal so pretty, it was declared a national monument.

The Lorenbahn

Discover The Lorenbahn in Nordstrand, Germany: A tiny island is connected to the mainland by a private railway that residents travel in their own personal wagons.

Japan’s Massive Deep Sea Aquarium

Discover Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu, Japan: One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai Buddhist Hell

Discover Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai Hell Garden in Tambon Sa Kamphaeng Yai, Thailand: Gruesome statues of people reborn in Buddhist hell stand among the ruins of an 11th-century sanctuary.

Dante’s Dagger

Discover Dante's Dagger in Florence, Italy: A medieval weapon rumored to have been used by the brilliant poet himself.

Mahila Baag Jhalra Stepwell

Discover Mahila Baag Jhalra in Jodhpur, India: Hidden in the shadow of a rocky fortress is one concubine’s long-forgotten legacy.

Delectable Mountain Cloth

Discover Delectable Mountain Cloth in Brattleboro, Vermont: A treasure trove of rare and fine fabrics from around the world.

Torcello

Discover Torcello in Venice, Italy: The small peaceful island off the Venice tourist circuit is where the city began more than 1,500 years ago.

Ugly Vancouver

Discover Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia: The collection of signage remembers the midcentury pushback against the new neon light.

Milan’s Secret Whispering Gallery

Discover Loggia dei Mercanti Whispering Gallery in Milan, Italy: The secret medieval communication system will whisk your words above the noise of the crowd.

Elephant Nature Park

Discover Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand: Thailand's distressed elephants find peace at this Chiang Mai sanctuary.

Mojave Lava Tube

Discover Mojave Lava Tube in San Bernardino County, California: A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

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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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