Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Netherlands Carillon

Discover Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia: An oft-overlooked, magically musical monolith that stands majestically between Arlington Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Eldheimar Museum

Discover Eldheimar Museum in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland: This museum explores how a 1973 volcanic eruption forever changed this small Icelandic island.

Las Coloradas Bridge

Discover Las Coloradas Bridge in Las Coloradas, Mexico: This small, yet notable, cable-stayed bridge was built to support tourism to a series of internet-famous pink lakes.

George Bass Expedition Memorial

Discover George Bass Expedition Memorial in Bass, Australia: Dedicated to a surgeon who made several natural discoveries across Australia.

Breakey Monument

Discover Breakey Monument in Edward, Manitoba: Dedicated to the inventor of the paint roller.

Alphonse Mucha’s ‘Slav Epic’

Discover 'Slovanská epopej' ('Slav Epic') in Moravský Krumlov, Czechia: Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha spent 18 years creating these monumental paintings of Slavic history and mythology.

College of Engineering Sundial

Discover College of Engineering Sundial in Quezon City, Philippines: A series of increasingly larger sundials have grown with this school.

R.T.O. Relief

Discover R.T.O. Relief in Tokyo, Japan: A beautiful work of art designed to impress the Allied Forces.

The Sir William Wallace Statue

Discover The Sir William Wallace Statue in Melrose, Scotland: Crafted from a portrait of the famed Scottish knight located in France.

Gingerbread and Pancake Islands

Discover Gingerbread and Pancake Islands in Providence, Rhode Island: The origin of these small islands' sweet names is a local mystery.

Finca Descalzos Viejos

Discover Finca Descalzos Viejos in Ronda, Spain: Sample Spanish wines under frescoes in a historic monastery of "barefoot old men.".

Caballero No. 1

Discover Caballero No. 1 in Albacete, Spain: This sculpture of a rider on horseback once crowned the tomb of an Iberian aristocrat.

Mel Blanc’s Grave

Discover Mel Blanc’s Grave in Los Angeles, California: The man who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and more has a headstone reading, "That's all, folks!".

The DunBear

Discover The DunBear in Scotland: 5 meters tall bear statue positioned on top of a mound.

Satoshi Nakamoto Bust

Discover Satoshi Nakamoto Bust in Budapest, Hungary: A tribute to the builder(s) of Bitcoin.

Grave of Charles Stratton

Discover Grave of Charles Stratton in Bridgeport, Connecticut: The final resting place of a circus performer who went by the pseudonym "General Tom Thumb.".

Mount Roosevelt Friendship Tower

Discover Mount Roosevelt Friendship Tower in Deadwood, South Dakota: Seth Bullock, the sheriff of Deadwood, built this town immediately after Teddy Roosevelt’s death in 1919.

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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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