Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Wellie Garden of St Monans

Discover Wellie Garden of St Monans in Saint Monans, Scotland: Some cheeky plantings brighten an old slipway on Scotland's Firth of Forth.

Village of Color

Discover Kampung Warna-Warni Jodipan (Village of Color) in Malang, Indonesia: This Indonesian village was revitalized by a vibrant rainbow paint job.

Audubon Mural Project

Discover Audubon Mural Project in New York, New York: Walking around West Harlem reveals a scavenger hunt of beautiful bird murals.

Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery

Discover Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery in Silver Spring, Maryland: Dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, frogs, and fish are laid to rest at the second-oldest pet cemetery in the U.S.

Disappointment Rock

Discover Disappointment Rock in Norseman, Australia: No one seems to know who suffered the disappointment at this particular place.

Dracula’s Castle

It's believed that Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula, was briefly imprisoned at this medieval Romanian castle.

A Sweet Labor Of Love

The house's confection-like decorations are the result of one man's painstaking work over decades.

Kallur Lighthouse

Discover Kallur Lighthouse in Trøllanes, Faroe Islands: This isolated structure beckons adventurers with sublime views of the Faroe Islands.

Vintage Radio Museum of Connecticut

Discover Vintage Radio and Communications Museum in Windsor, Connecticut: More than a century of radio history is told in these displays.

Daguerre Monument

Discover Daguerre Monument in Washington, D.C.: Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.

Oklahoma City Underground

Discover Oklahoma City Underground in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Travel through the hidden underbelly of the city in colorful tunnels filled with art and history exhibits.

Ichan Qa’la

Discover Walls of Itchan Kala in Xiva, Uzbekistan: Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.

George Washington’s Townhouse Lots

Discover George Washington's Townhouse Lots in Washington, D.C.: After his presidency, George Washington planned to live only a few blocks from the Capitol building.

Storkyrkobadet

Discover Storkyrkobadet in Stockholm, Sweden: A hidden bathhouse in one of Stockholm's oldest and busiest neighborhoods is open to anyone who can find it.

Alcázar de Colón

Discover Alcázar de Colón in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: After Christopher Columbus died, his son built a fancy house to rule from.

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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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