Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Portrait Monument

Discover The Portrait Monument in Washington, D.C.: Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.

Grožnjan Town Loggia

Discover Grožnjan Town Loggia in Grožnjan, Croatia: The Renaissance-era courthouse is a relic from the fortified town's centuries of Venetian rule.

Hollensbury Spite House

Discover Hollensbury Spite House in Alexandria, Virginia: The narrowest house in America is seven feet of pure spite.

The Sinking Bell Tower

Discover The Sinking Bell Tower in Laoag City, Philippines: It is believed that the historic tower is sinking at a rate of an inch a year, though no one is completely sure why.

United Fruit Company Building

Discover United Fruit Company Building in New Orleans, Louisiana: The beautiful, fruit-covered facade hints at this building's former life.

Grave of Johnny Morehouse

Discover Grave of Johnny Morehouse in Dayton, Ohio: A headstone tells the sad story of a lost little boy and his pet dog.

The Church in the Sky

Reaching this Ethiopian church requires scaling the face of a sandstone pinnacle with a 650-foot drop.

Willie Keil’s Grave

Discover Willie Keil's Grave in Raymond, Washington: The founder of a utopian religious community based on the Golden Rule laid his son to rest on this grassy hill.

The Devil’s Stone

Discover The Devil's Stone in Lübeck, Germany: A statue honors the local legend that the devil helped build St. Mary's church after being tricked into thinking it was going to be a wine bar.

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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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