Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Hidden Basement in Smit

Discover Hidden Basement in Smit in Leiden, Netherlands: A retail shop has preserved the 17th-century food cellar from the old building it now occupies.

Bibliotheca Thysiana

Discover Bibliotheca Thysiana in Leiden, Netherlands: This public library and its impressive collection of academic books have not changed since the 17th century.

Lappis Scream

Discover Lappis Scream in Stockholm, Sweden: Every Tuesday, students let off steam by screaming into the night air.

The Ruins of Berkhamsted Castle

Discover Berkhamsted Castle in Berkhamsted, England: This early Norman castle was the first historical monument protected by an act of Parliament.

‘Untitled (Lamp/Bear)’

Discover 'Untitled (Lamp/Bear)' in Providence, Rhode Island: This blue behemoth of a bear is a colorful homage to Brown University's mascot.

Southport Cable Hut

Discover Southport Cable Hut in Main Beach, Australia: The Australian terminal of the Pacific Cable that linked the continent to North America.

Tilbury Fort

Discover Tilbury Fort in Tilbury, England: This star-shaped artillery fort protected the mouth of the Thames from the 16th century to the Second World War.

The Iron Boy

Discover Järnpojke in Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm's tiniest statue is of a small boy looking at the Moon.

Mechanical Memories Museum

Discover Mechanical Memories Museum in Brighton, England: A vintage penny arcade hidden in the back of a fun fair-themed bar.

The House of Beasts

Discover House of Beasts of Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain: The remains of the second-oldest zoo in Europe can be seen within these library gardens.

The Steamboat Minnehaha

Discover The Steamboat Minnehaha in Excelsior, Minnesota: This vintage "streetcar boat" lay at the bottom of Lake Minnetonka until the 1980s.

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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

PP ToS