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 3 — #’s 11-15

11. Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy — This important church in Italy’s Renaissance City is the final resting place for many significant Italians, e.g. Galileo, Marconi, Michelangelo, etc.

Santa Croce

12. Basilica of Ste-Anne-du-Beaupre, Ste-Anne-du-Beaupre, Quebec, Canada — This beautiful church is located just outside Quebec City. It has been an important pilgrimage site for many years and numerous “miracles” are attributed to it.

Ste-Anne-du-Beaupre Church

13. Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy — This glorious monument to one of Roman Catholicism’s most popular saints is located in an adorable hill town in Umbria. The basilica features lovely frescoes depicting the life of St Francis and other religious scenes.

St Francis Basilica

14. Bath Abbey, Bath, England — This splendid Gothic church is located in the center of the Georgian city of Bath, very near the famous Roman Bath which gave the city its name.

Bath Abbey

15. Berliner Dom, Berlin, Germany —  The main church of the German capital has been completely restored and is now a showplace for visitors.

Berliner Dom