Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Frensham Cauldron

Discover The Frensham Cauldron in Frensham, England: This cauldron was said to be hidden inside a church after it was borrowed from a local witch.

Micheldever Station Red Wheel

Discover Micheldever Station Red Wheel in Micheldever Station, England: Commemorating the first recorded car journey in the United Kingdom, a 56-mile trip that defied the speed limit the whole way.

Tule Springs Fossil Beds

Discover Tule Springs Fossil Beds in Las Vegas, Nevada: This arid landscape was once a lush wetland. Today, it's a paleontological site filled with fossilized mammoths, sabertooth cats, and more.

Dolmen of Aguas Tuertas

Discover Dolmen of Aguas Tuertas in Ansó, Spain: Among the best preserved megalithic monuments in the Aragón river valley.

Squeaky Beach

Discover Squeaky Beach in Wilsons Promontory, Australia: The spherical grains of white quartz sand give every step on this Australian beach a distinctive sound.

Abbaye de Montmajour

Discover Abbaye de Montmajour in Arles, France: Home to fantastic views and ancient graves.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

Discover Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, China: The mausoleum of the founder of the Ming Dynasty.

The Plaza Theatre

Discover The Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia: This Art-Deco movie palace is the oldest independent cinema in Atlanta.

Montaña Suiza

Discover Montaña Suiza in San Sebastián, Spain: The oldest operating roller coaster of its kind, the Montaña Suiza been thrilling riders since 1928.

Bunhwangsa

Discover Bunhwangsa in Gyeongju, South Korea: The oldest pagoda from the Silla Kingdom.

The Sandpit on Horsell Common

Discover The Sandpit on Horsell Common in Woking, England: This peaceful park saw the beginning of an extraterrestrial invasion in H.G. Wells's 'The War of the Worlds.'.

Freedom Monument

Discover Freedom Monument in Kočani, North Macedonia: A mosaic monument that commemorates the historical struggles of the people of North Macedonia.

Eagle Rock

Discover Eagle Rock in Los Angeles, California: The neighborhood of Eagle Rock is named after a gigantic boulder with a shadowy surprise.

Blue Lake

Discover Blue Lake in Denio, Nevada: In the little-known Pine Forest Range in northwestern Nevada, a natural lake of glacial origin.

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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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