Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Forest of the Future Library

Discover Forest of the Future Library in Oslo, Norway: One thousand trees were planted in Norway to be used to print books a century from now.

South Dakota Tractor Museum

Discover South Dakota Tractor Museum in Kimball, South Dakota: An impressive collection of farm equipment and other artifacts from life on the prairie.

Hercules vs. the Dragon

Discover Lindwurmbrunnen in Klagenfurt, Austria: The medieval "dragon" on an Austrian city's coat-of-arms comes to life in a fountain.

Cobweb Bridge

Discover Cobweb Bridge in Sheffield, England: The whimsical steel spider lurking in the shadows of this suspension bridge shows that engineers can have a sense of humor.

Bob’s Java Jive

Discover Bob's Java Jive in Tacoma, Washington: Tacoma’s 25-foot coffee pot music spot has served up over 80 years of concrete kitsch.

Cemetery of Anchors

Discover Cemetery of Anchors in Santa Luzia, Portugal: Dead weights honor the dead of Portugal's fishing industry.

Saint Vartan Armenian Cathedral

Discover Saint Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York, New York: A replica of a 7th-century church hides in plain sight in the middle of the concrete jungle.

Ronald Ross Memorial

Discover Ronald Ross Memorial in Kolkata, India: A monument to the British doctor who connected mosquitoes to malaria.

Rye Water House

Discover Rye Water House in Rye, England: An ancient water supply dating back almost 500 years can still be found standing in East Sussex.

Kashgar Livestock Market

Discover Kashgar Livestock Market in Kashi Diqu, China: Be careful not to get trampled at this lively two thousand-year-old market.

Huston Cemetery

Discover Huston Cemetery in West Des Moines, Iowa: A small burial plot formerly stranded in the middle of a road.

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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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