Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Poundbury

Discover Poundbury in Poundbury, England: Before 1993, this historic-looking village—Prince Charles' pet project—didn’t exist at all.

reCARstruction

Discover reCARstruction in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: A giant ball made from pieces of an old Jeep.

SS Vina Shipwreck

Discover SS Vina Shipwreck in Norfolk, England: The wreckage of an old coastal trading vessel is only visible at low tide.

Johnston’s J-Bar-B Stables

Discover Johnston's J-Bar-B Stables in Las Vegas, Nevada: A private Las Vegas horse ranch adorned with whimsical artwork.

The Flodden Wall

Discover The Flodden Wall in Edinburgh, Scotland: Remnants of the 16th-century defensive wall still stand unassumingly within Edinburgh.

Walking Box Ranch

Discover Walking Box Ranch in Searchlight, Nevada: Formerly frequented by Hollywood stars and now open for tours.

Cathair Crobh Dearg

Discover Cathair Crobh Dearg in Kerry, Ireland: An important pilgrimage site for pagans and early Christians, named for a Celtic goddess-turned-saint.

Taman Festival

Discover Taman Festival in Denpasar Timur, Indonesia: A haunting theme park is slowly being swallowed by the jungle.

Robert E. Howard Museum

Discover Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas: The house where the pulp fiction writer and Conan the Barbarian creator lived.

Weirton

Discover Weirton in Weirton, West Virginia: In an odd geographic anomaly this city borders two different states on opposite sides of town.

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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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