Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Bridgnorth Cliff Railway

Discover Bridgnorth Cliff Railway in Bridgnorth, England: This charming railway is one of the oldest and steepest funiculars in England.

Gordonsville Fried Chicken Festival

Discover Gordonsville Fried Chicken Festival in Gordonsville, Virginia: This Virginia town has been famous for its fried chicken since the 19th century.

Amber Fort

Discover Amber Fort in Amer, India: This opulent 16th-century Maharaja’s palace is a unique mix of Hindu and Muslim designs.

The Armsby Calorimeter

Discover The Armsby Calorimeter in College Township, Pennsylvania: This 19th century machine put animals (including humans) in boxes to study how they metabolized calories.

Neff Hall Chinese Stone Lions

Discover Neff Hall Chinese Stone Lions in Columbia, Missouri: Two Ming Dynasty lion statues guard the entrance to the journalism school.

Red Terror Martyrs’ Memorial Museum

Discover Red Terror Martyrs' Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A powerful tribute to the victims who suffered under Ethiopia's most devastating regime.

Fell’s Point Maritime Museum

Discover Fell's Point Maritime Museum in Baltimore, Maryland: A collection of artifacts from Maryland's maritime past.

Begijnhof Chapel

Discover Begijnhof Chapel in Amsterdam, Netherlands: A hidden church in a hidden courtyard tells the story of the Miracle of Amsterdam.

Great Train Story Diorama

Discover Great Train Story Diorama in Chicago, Illinois: This $3 million model train takes you through Chicago, Seattle, and the thousands of miles in between.

Kharānaq

Discover Kharānaq in Iran: The tower in this 1,000-year-old mud-brick village seems to vibrate for no apparent reason.

Werawsana Jade Pagoda

Discover Werawsana Jade Pagoda in Kyaukse, Myanmar (Burma): The tower claims to be the world's only pagoda made entirely from Myanmar's lucrative gemstone.

Menu

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

PP ToS