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 18 — #’s 86-90
86. Pantheon, Paris, France — This classical, domed building should be included in any walking tour of the Left Bank (Latin Quarter). It was constructed in the mid-1700’s and contains the remains of many famous French writers and artists.
87. Much more famous than #84 above, Rome’s Pantheon is considered one of best-preserved ancient buildings in the world. The marble interior looks like it could survive another 2000 years.
88. Po Lin Buddha & Monastery, Ngong Ping, Hong Kong, China — The largest seated, bronze Buddha in the world smiles contentedly down at visitors from the top of a long staircase.
89. Rainbow Bridge, on Lake Powell, near Page, Arizona, USA — The world’s largest natural bridge lies at the eastern end of the Lake Powell Recreation Area. It can be found on land sacred to the Native Indians, thus, access is strictly limited.
90. Ravello Cathedral, Ravello, Italy — This interesting church dominates the main square of this small community high above the Amalfi Coast.