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 5 — #’s 21-25

21. Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England — One of the most significant churches in the history of England can be found to the east of London in the quaint little town of Canterbury, made famous by Geoffrey Chaucer in Canterbury Tales.

Canterbury Cathedral

22. Cathedral-Basilica of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA — This beautiful church is just a short walk from Santa Fe’s main square.

Santa Fe Cathedral

23. Cathedral of the Pines, Rindge, New Hampshire, USA — Built in an idyllic setting, high on a hill overlooking Mount Monadnock, the Cathedral of the Pines invites reflection and communion with Nature.

Cathedral of the Pines

24. Cathedral of St Paul, St Paul, Minnesota, USA — This prominent and glorious cathedral sits on a hill opposite the Minnesota State House, creating an interesting ensemble.

St Paul Cathedral

25. Chapel of San Miguel, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA — This church claims to be the oldest house of worship in America, having been constructed in the 1610’s.

San Miguel Mission Church