Churches and other religious/spiritual sites are some of the world’s most important attractions for travelers. The are typically the focal point of a city or village and reflect the culture and values of the region. Churches, especially, are significant architecturally and represent the best efforts of a community to express itself. Lee & I have been to hundreds of churches in our travels. Many of these have become unforgettable memories of a particular place. To actually rank these sites is virtually impossible. How can you choose between amazing sights such as Hagia Sophia, the Pantheon, and Mont-St-Michel? Therefore, I will present my favorite 150 spiritual places in installments of five (5), listed alphabetically. Many of my choices are World Heritage Sites and deserve to be preserved forever. Many are simply charming or may hold some special historical significance. Peruse the list and compare your list to mine. Obviously I have not been to all the spiritual places on Earth, but most of these would probably make the all-time list of the majority of world travelers.

Installment 7 — #’s 31-35

31. Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel — This church was built upon the hill, Golgotha, were Christ was reputed to be crucified. Thousands come here from around the world to kiss the anointing stone beneath the altar.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

32. Church of the Nativity, Nazareth, Israel — At the opposite end of Christ’s life from #31 above, the Church of the Nativity marks the spot where Jesus Christ was born. This is also the site where the famous Christmas Mass, witnessed by millions around the world through television, is performed each year.

Church of the Nativity

33. Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood, St Petersburg, Russia — The name of this Russian orthodox church is derived from the tragic assassination of Tsar Alexander II on this spot in 1881.

Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood

34. Crystal Cathedral, Anaheim, California, USA — This magnificent structure of glass and steel, rising high above the streets of Anaheim, is the scene of a weekly Sunday broadcast on television.

Crystal Cathedral

35. Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Israel — One of the holiest places of the Islamic religion is marked by this beautiful mosque. It crowns the Temple Mount, where Solomon’s temple stood in Ancient Jerusalem.

Dome of the Rock