Archives: Atlas Obscuras

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.

Galeria Forty / Forty

Discover Galeria Forty / Forty in Warsaw, Poland: A hidden art gallery in an abandoned Warsaw fort.

Ministers Island

Discover Ministers Island in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick: A rare opportunity to drive across the ocean floor.

Riff Raff Statue

Discover Riff Raff Statue in Hamilton, New Zealand: The "Rocky Horror Picture Show" character has a hidden camera that broadcasts people doing the "Time Warp.".

Second Beach

Discover Second Beach in Forks, Washington: A surreal landscape where fanged rocks rise from the ground and the ocean feels like a great mystery.

Cavillon Cave at Grimaldi

Discover Cavillon Cave at Grimaldi in Grimaldi, Italy: A beautiful discovery site of prehistoric burials.

Dickie Bird Statue

Discover Dickie Bird Statue in Barnsley, England: This tribute to a beloved cricket umpire is a magnet for risqué pranksters.

The Zoohky Mural

Discover The Zoohky Mural in Winnipeg, Manitoba: A celebration of one of the West End’s most recognizable figures, who made helping others his life's work.

Life of a Palm Tree Sculptural Wall

Discover Sculptural Wall of Vida de las Palmeras in Castalla, Spain: This elaborately decorated wall is an homage to the history, beauty and lore of the palm tree.

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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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