Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Hand of St. Etheldreda

Discover Hand of St. Etheldreda in London, England: One of the oldest remaining Catholic churches in England is home to the hand of a 7th-century saint.

Palais de l’Île

Discover Palais de l’Île in Annecy, France: Fortified palace in the shape of a ship on the Thiou River.

Huntsman & Sons

Discover Huntsman & Sons in London, England: The real clothing store that inspired a fictional spy organization's front.

Peter-Lenk-Brunnen

Discover Peter-Lenk-Brunnen in Konstanz, Germany: Visitors may notice something strange walking through this quaint German town.

Bob Gasoi Memorial Art Alley

Discover Bob Gasoi Memorial Art Alley in Provincetown, Massachusetts: Mural fragments and various sculptures honor the longtime artist.

Chateau Hutter

Discover Chateau Hutter in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin: Built by an accountant with a dream of running a grand resort, this estate has sat spent half a century vacant and crumbling.

Slate Islands

Discover Slate Islands in Terrace Bay, Ontario: This small archipelago in northern Lake Superior was formed by a massive meteorite impact 450 million years ago.

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

Discover Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado: The warmth and creative kitsch of a quilt engulf every patron who visits.

Boyne Castle

Discover Boyne Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland: The overgrown ruins of this once majestic castle sit forlornly in the Scottish countryside.

Curioporium

Discover Curioporium in Hartford, Connecticut: A journey through a curious collection of oddities and wonder.

Salsbury Spring

Discover Salsbury Spring in Vienna, Virginia: The last vestige of a once substantial orchard and farm in the suburbs of Northern Virginia.

Vishrambaug Wada

Discover Vishrambaug Wada in Pune, India: Spread across an area of 20,000 square feet, the grand mansion is a fine example of Peshwa architecture.

John Calvin’s Chair

Discover John Calvin's Chair in Geneva, Switzerland: A plain wooden seat that once belonged to one of the most prominent figures of the Protestant Reformation.

Gleeson Jail

Discover Gleeson Jail in Elfrida, Arizona: An early 20th-century jail not far from the infamous Tombstone, Arizona.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 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. 474 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. 499 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. 633 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. 135 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. 167 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). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 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. 96 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. 166

PP ToS