hoyateach

I'm not a particularly spiritual person but whenever I travel, I find myself wandering into a church/temple/shrine to get a better sense of the faith of the locals. And I always make a point of visiting a place of historic significance if one is nearby. My favorites so far have been the church in Krakow's main square where John Paul II used to celebrate mass (forgive me for forgetting the name), St. Peter's Cathedral in Geneva with its spectacular 360-degree view of the city and the lake, and Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, an oasis of green in the world's most intense metropolis. Each of these places has touched me and each has meaning, even if I'm not devout, which makes me want to return whenever I have the chance.

Are there any such places you make a point of visiting while travelling?

ND76

I am a traditional Catholic and attend only the pre-Vatican II Mass, so it is painful to see what has happened to many fantastic Roman Catholic churches.

Here are a few of my favorite Catholic places, in no particular order:

1. Sacred Heart Basilica and the Grotto, Notre Dame--for me, the center of the universe, despite the wreckovations within the Basilica and the odious novus ordo services which prevail there (I was married there in 1979, before I found the traditional movement).

2. Lourdes. Every Catholic needs to get there at least once.

3. Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome. The original mother church of our religion. I like it better than St. Peter's because the former is a mob scene, while St. John Lateran has a quieter and more spiritual feel to it, and caters to serious Catholics (continuous Masses, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, non-stop confessions, etc.).

4. Mont St. Michel, near Pontorson, France. I always wanted to go there based on pictures, and, this past summer, I finally did. Very touristy, yet very special.

5. Chartres Cathedral. Stunning and overwhelming, yet not touristy (as long as the big pilgrimages are not taking place).

6. Bayeux Cathedral. While we are in France, this is an absolute stunning classic that survived WWII (the nearby masterpieces in St. Lo were destroyed, and churches associated with William the Conqueror in nearby Caen were heavily damaged). The famous tapestry is in a building once used as a seminary down the street.

7. Basilica of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Lisieux. After Lourdes, this is possibly the holiest and most loved place in France among believing Catholics at the present moment.

8. Avignon. I thought that this town is a must see for a serious Catholic. If you go there, you will absolutely fall in love with the south of France. The wine appellation "Chataneuf de Pape" (sp) is from vineyards just outside this town.

9. Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan, Lujan, Argentina. My wife and I visited there a year ago. The holiest place in one of the last Catholic countries on earth. Supposedly crowds approaching 1 million make the pilgrimage there on December 8 (feast of the Immaculate Conception). Arguably the greatest Catholic clergyman in the world, Bp. Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X, lives at a seminary in La Reja, between Lujan and Buenos Aires.

10. A number of the California missions, including (but not limited to) San Juan Capistrano, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Miguel Arcangel, San Carlos Borromeo de la Rio Carmela, San Juan Bautista and San Francisco de Asis.

11. The four major Catholic churches/chapels in Santa Fe, New Mexico, including the chapel with the legendary unsupported wooden spiral staircase (I think that is in St. Michael's chapel).

12. St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC--the mother church for all Irish-American Catholics.

YYZC2

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul was pretty cool.

lawchild

- Near Juneau the Shrine of St. Therese is pretty neat. It's on an island connected to the mainland by a causeway and the chapel is nestled in a stand of trees. A really beautiful and calm spot. I am a lapsed Congregationalist but still quite enjoyed it.

It's about 20 miles north of town - easily reachable for cruise passengers with a rental car.

www.shrineofsainttherese.org/

- Westminster Abbey. You can see a lot of the abbey by attending evensong and it is a nice service if you like "high church."

- The Memorial Church at Harvard. A great history lesson as well as the walls list the Harvard dead from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

linsj

Sainte Chapelle near Notre Dame in Paris. The walls of stain glass windows that depict Bible scenes are breathtaking.

Israel. Touring the country added to my understanding of the Bible.

Analise

I was overwhelmed by the incredible number of old Gothic churches in Paris. I think my favorite was St. Germain des Prais. No tourists (except me!). It was wonderful. Notre Dame was just too crowded for me. Chartres was spectacular. We studied Chartres in one of my art history classes in college so to see it in person was very special.

GUWonder

St Germain-des-Pres is the closest metro stop.

Rome and the Vatican have a lot of impressive sites. And so does France.

candaceg

My absolute favorite is the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. It is often-overlooked. It is a religious experience for me to visit it because of its beauty and I'm not even Christian.

Dovster

My two favorites are the Western Wall in Jerusalem and a beautiful monastery on Mount Tabor, the traditional site of the Transfiguration of Christ.

Obviously, for me, the first is a spiritual experience while the second is more of an asthetic one.

chuljin

I've had the chance to see all three of the following, which are quite nice:

1. Wat Pra Kaew (home of the Emerald Buddha) in central Bangkok
2. Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) across the river in Thonburi
3. Wat Pra Tat Doi Suthep, northwest of and overlooking Chiang Mai

While they are all religious places, the first (Wat Pra Kaew) is the only one I've put here for purely religious reasons, seeing the tremendous importance and symbolism of such a small (but still beautiful) statue.
Wat Arun and Doi Suthep purely (I hope not too shallowly) for their beauty: Wat Arun's inherent beauty of thousands of colourful pottery fragments embedded in its stupas; Doi Suthep for the beauty of its surroundings, on a tall mountain overlooking Chiang Mai and the Ping valley.

-Chris

Mateo4321

St. Joseph's Oratory - Montreal, Quebec

abebix

Definitely the Western Wall in Jerusalem at sunrise, anywhere along the Sea of Galilee, and on top of Mt. Nebo in western Jordan overlooking the Dead Sea toward the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem as the sun is setting.

PatrickHenry1775

St. Louis Cathedral, in New Orleans. An island of peace and tranquility in a sea of craziness.

wideman

I find Jewish sites in Europe to have extraordinary meaning to me: the shul in Florence that's an amazing testament to spirit and Jewish life and architectural elegance; the Liberal shul in Brussels that has no sign and is almost hidden from view, for security; the unspeakably heart-wrenching "Jewish Quarter" of Prague that is filled with visitors and tour groups and souvenier stands, but virtually bereft of Jews.

On the other side of the world, St Michael's Cathedral in Sitka, Alaska, is one of the most spiritually-rich places I've ever visited. The cathedral, which is tiny by most standards, is a living wonder that combines elements of Eastern Orthodox and native Tlingit customs.

mosburger

- The seat of the Orthodox Christian Patriarch of Constantinople in Istanbul

- The Grand Mosque of Paris

- The Tongdosa Buddhist Temple north of Busan, Korea

- The Lutheran Tyska Kyrkan ( German Church ) in Stockholm

- The Shinto Hokkaido Jingu ( Hokkaido Shrine ) in Sapporo, Japan