Archives: Atlas Obscuras

San Giovanni degli Eremiti

Discover San Giovanni degli Eremiti in Palermo, Italy: Behind medieval walls in a corner of bustling Palermo is a breathtaking former mosque once inhabited by a wolf-taming hermit.

Cape Spear Battery

Discover Cape Spear Battery in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: A World War II gun battery sits at the easternmost point of North America.

Village of Twins

Discover Village of Twins in Nannambra, India: A village in India with a mysteriously high number of twins.

The Inland Sea

Discover The Inland Sea in San Lawrenz, Malta: The fishing boats that moor in this small lagoon enter and leave through a tunnel to the sea.

Basilica of the Mummified Saint Ubaldo

Discover Basilica of the Mummified Saint Ubaldo in Gubbio, Italy: The venerated body of a 12th century saint is celebrated each year with the 'Race of the Candles.'.

Lost Lake

Discover Lost Lake in Sisters, Oregon: This lake in the Cascades lives up to its name, disappearing down a hole every spring.

The Devil’s Blast

Discover The Devil's Blast in Lota, Chile: The hellish conditions of this abandoned mine that snakes beneath the Pacific Ocean gave it its diabolic name.

Preston’s Pride

Discover Preston’s Pride in Tulare, California: A B-17 bomber stands as a memorial to the residents of Tulare County who served in World War II.

Animals in War Memorial

Discover Animals in War Memorial in London, England: A unique tribute to the millions of animals who served and died for the British military.

The Merry Maidens

Discover The Merry Maidens in Cornwall, England: Perhaps the only prehistoric monument with its very own public bus stop.

Toothbrush Fence

Discover Toothbrush Fence in Te Pahu, New Zealand: Hundreds of toothbrushes hang from a wire fence along a quiet New Zealand road.

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