Sacred & spiritual destinations, around the world.
Temples, monasteries, pilgrim routes.
Conques
This tiny village in Aveyron whose Romanesque abbey church and its treasury — including a gold statue of Sainte Foy — earned UNESCO World Heritage status in…
Re
This modest Piedmontese village near the Swiss border, Re is home to a pilgrimage sanctuary built after a reported miracle in 1494, dedicated to the Madonna…
Unquera
Small village in western Cantabria, on the estuary of the River Deva at the Asturian border, Unquera is known across Spain for its pies and serves as the mai…
Admont
Admont Abbey, a monastery founded in 1074, anchors this little Styrian village set in the valley of the Enns River within Gesäuse National Park.
Rocamadour
Medieval pilgrimage village in the Lot département of southwestern France, Rocamadour clings to a cliff face rising steeply above the Alzou valley, with a co…
Brisighella
Three rocky spurs rise above this little Emilia-Romagna town, each topped by a landmark: the 14th-century Rocca Manfrediana fortress, an 18th-century sanctua…
Batalha
A pocket-sized Portuguese town in the Leiria region whose skyline is dominated by an elaborate Gothic and Manueline monastery — all soaring pinnacles, lace-l…
Mondsee
A modest lakeside town in Upper Austria's Salzkammergut region, Mondsee is best known for the medieval Mondsee Abbey, whose church served as the wedding loca…
Monte Sant'Angelo
The Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has drawn Christian pilgrims since the 6th century, sits at the heart of this pocke…
Ponte da Barca
Sitting on the Lima River in northern Portugal's deep Vinho Verde country, Ponte da Barca is a particularly photogenic small town with a café and restaurant…
Chacas
Founded in 1572 in the Conchucos zone of Ancash, Chacas is a high-altitude Peruvian town whose colonial centre has kept its original Andean-Andalusian archit…
Waterways
This pocket-sized Melbourne suburb where roughly 40% of the land is water and 20% parkland, Waterways was built around artificially created wetlands along Mo…
Puente La Reina – Gares
Where the French Way and the Aragonese Way of the Camino de Santiago converge, Puente la Reina — whose Spanish name means "the Queen's bridge" — sits on the…
Neuville-sous-Montreuil
The Chartreuse Notre-Dame-des-Prés, a Carthusian monastery founded in 1325 and the largest preserved Carthusian monastery in France, sits in this small villa…
Tywyn
Home to the Talyllyn Railway and the Cadfan Stone — an early medieval cross bearing the oldest known written Welsh — this small seaside town sits on the Card…
Alcobaça
The Monastery of Alcobaça, built on the orders of Portugal's first king to mark the 1147 Conquest of Santarém from the Moors, is one of the country's great G…
Maria Saal
A pilgrimage village in Carinthia, Austria, known above all for its Marian church, which draws visitors to the historic Zollfeld plain — a wide valley of the…
Cordes-sur-Ciel
Built in 1222 by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, on a ridge high enough above the Cérou valley to earn the name "sur-Ciel" (above the sky), this medieval for…
Bobbio
Founded around the Abbey of San Colombano in 614, Bobbio is a medieval village in the Trebbia River valley in Piacenza province, with a historic centre that…
Copacabana
A small Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, Copacabana draws visitors to its 17th-century Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana — home to the image of…
Le Puy-en-Velay
One of the principal starting points for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Le Puy-en-Velay is a heritage-dense town in south-central France's A…
Aguilar de Campoo
A small town in northern Palencia where the River Pisuerga runs through the historic centre, Aguilar de Campoo has an unusually dense concentration of histor…
Varallo Sesia
Dominated by the Sacro Monte di Varallo — one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in Piedmont — this compact town in Valsesia sits along the Sesia river,…
Cluny
Founded in 910 by Duke William I of Aquitaine, the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny shaped this little Burgundian town into one of medieval Europe's great centres…
Felgueiras
This compact Portuguese town in the Tâmega e Sousa uplands, with a broad formal garden boulevard at its centre, a hilltop sanctuary visible above the red-til…
Dietkirchen
The Basilica of St.
Villafranca Montes de Oca
This little Burgos hamlet lies directly on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, making it a natural stop for pilgrims crossing the Montes de Oca in Cast…
Lobbes
This compact Wallonian town on the Sambre river in Hainaut, Belgium, Lobbes grew up around an abbey established here around 650 AD.
Rumburk
Rumburk's Loreto Chapel, built in the early 18th century within a Capuchin monastery complex, is claimed to be the northernmost Marian pilgrimage site of its…
Graus
A small Aragonese town at the confluence of the Esera and Isabena rivers in the Pyrenees, Graus is home to the Basilica de Santa Maria de la Peña and a nearb…
Mariazell
Austria's most significant Catholic pilgrimage site, Mariazell is a small Styrian mountain village whose Basilica of the Nativity of Mary houses a lime-wood…
La Romieu
A member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, this small Gers village in southwestern France is anchored by the 14th-century Collégiale Saint-Pierre, whose…
Villafranca del Bierzo
A small wine-country town in the El Bierzo comarca of León, Villafranca del Bierzo sits at the confluence of the Burbia and Valcarce rivers on the Camino de…
Greccio
Saint Francis of Assisi staged the first living Nativity scene here in December 1223, and the tradition continues in this little Lazio hilltown on a spur of…
Lorvao
Modest Portuguese town in upland country, Lorvão is dominated by a grand white baroque monastery with a domed church tower, set beside a tree-lined garden sq…
St. Gallen
The Abbey of Saint Gall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose library holds manuscripts dating to the 9th century, is the centrepiece of this eastern Swiss city.
Kudowa-Zdrój
One of Europe's oldest spa towns, Kudowa-Zdrój sits in the foothills of the Table Mountains on Poland's southwestern border with the Czech Republic, where it…
Trondheim
Founded in 997 as a trading post, Trondheim served as Norway's capital through the Viking Age and remains the site of Nidaros Cathedral, the country's great…
Limenaria
Waterfront village on the southern end of the Greek island of Thasos, Limenaria has drawn summer visitors since the 1960s.
Kamieniec Zabkowicki
A small town in Lower Silesia whose abbey and palace together form a Historic Monument of Poland, Kamieniec Ząbkowicki sits on a river in the foothills of so…
San Miguel del Milagro
This small village in Tlaxcala, Mexico, San Miguel del Milagro is home to the Santuario Nacional de San Miguel Arcángel, one of the two most visited Catholic…
Garsten
This small Upper Austrian market village on the water is best known for the former Garsten Abbey, a heritage landmark that now serves as a prison — an unusua…
Lincang
A multi-tiered pagoda rises above a green lakeside park at the heart of this sprawling southwest Yunnan city, where traditional architecture meets a modern s…
Wiltz
A modest town in the forested hill country of northern Luxembourg, Wiltz sits alongside a river and is known internationally for its festival.
Castel di Tora
Sitting on the north-eastern shore of Lake Turano, this pocket-sized Lazio hamlet is a member of Italy's "most beautiful villages" association and offers a h…
Sanqing
This Taoist sacred mountain in Jiangxi Province, Mount Sanqing takes its name from its three main summits — Yujing, Yushui, and Yuhua — representing the Taoi…
Bad Staffelstein
This small spa town in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, sits along the Main river and is anchored by three landmarks: the Basilica of Vierzehnheiligen, designed by…
Licciana Nardi
This small Tuscan village in the Province of Massa-Carrara that sits within the Tusco-Emilian Apennine National Park and along the Via del Volto Santo pilgri…
Sankt Florian
Sankt Florian, a small town in Upper Austria a short distance from Linz, is home to St.
Mauriac
A tiny town in the Cantal department of south-central France, Mauriac grew from a 6th-century abbey whose buildings still stand, now repurposed as public off…
Novalesa
Novalesa Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 726 and strategically positioned to control the Via Francigena, anchors this modest Piedmontese hamlet nea…
San Juan de los Lagos
One of Mexico's most visited pilgrimage destinations, San Juan de los Lagos in Jalisco's Los Altos region draws millions of visitors each year to the Basilic…
Absam
This little Austrian town in Tyrol with an unusual concentration of churches for its size, Absam is a pilgrimage stop on the Camino de Santiago (Jakobsweg) w…
Vallerano
This small Lazio village in the Province of Viterbo holds several historic churches for its size, including the 17th-century Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rus…
Katsuragi
This town in Nara Prefecture where traditional temple complexes with red-and-dark-timber halls, stone lanterns, and forested hillside backdrops sit close to…
Real de Catorce
Once a booming silver-mining settlement high in the Sierra de Catorce of northern San Luis Potosí, Real de Catorce has reinvented itself as a destination aft…
Lanciano
Lanciano, a town in Abruzzo's province of Chieti, is known as the site of the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic Miracle, drawing pilgrims to its historic c…
Champlitte
This wine-country commune in Haute-Saône, eastern France, Champlitte sits within the Communauté de communes des 4 Rivières and holds the labels Cité de Carac…
Gora Swietej Anny
Hilltop pilgrimage village in southern Poland's Opole Voivodeship, Góra Świętej Anny — "Saint Anne's Mountain" — is home to a basilica, a sanctuary with a 15…
Orani
Small Sardinian village in the Barbagia region, at the foot of Mount Gonare, known for its stonework, carpentry, metalwork, and tailoring in traditional Sard…
Andechs
Andechs Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that has brewed beer since 1455, is the main draw to this small Bavarian town in the Starnberg district.
Lambach
Lambach Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1056, anchors this small Upper Austrian market town where the Ager and Traun rivers meet.
Santarcangelo di Romagna
A little town in Emilia-Romagna with a notably dense café and restaurant scene, Santarcangelo di Romagna sits on the Via Emilia in the province of Rimini, cr…
Konark
The 13th-century Sun Temple — built in black granite during the reign of Narasinghadeva I and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — dominates this coastal town…
Phra Phutthabat
Phra Phutthabat, a town in Saraburi province, is home to Wat Phra Phutthabat, a royal Buddhist temple built around a natural depression in rock believed to b…
Kuremäe
A tiny Estonian hamlet in northeastern forest country, dominated by a walled Orthodox monastery complex with a grand multi-domed cathedral in warm brick, gre…
Tevaitoa
A tiny waterfront village on Raiatea in French Polynesia, Tevaitoa sits at the edge of vivid turquoise lagoon waters, backed by densely forested volcanic rid…
Divriği
The 13th-century Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sivas Province, draw visitors to this little iron-mining town in mount…
Frýdek-Místek
A twin city on the Ostravice River in the Moravian-Silesian Region, Frýdek-Místek was formed in 1943 by merging two historically distinct towns — Frýdek in C…
Healesville
A pocket-sized town on the Watts River in Victoria's Yarra Valley wine region, about an hour's drive from Melbourne, Healesville has a café and restaurant sc…
Ronchamp
Le Corbusier's Chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut, a UNESCO-listed landmark of 20th-century sacred architecture built in stone and concrete between 1953 and 1955,…
Sheopur
A town in northern Madhya Pradesh known for its woodcarving tradition, where craftspeople produce intricately carved doors, ceilings, masks, toys, and househ…
Koroni
This little Peloponnese town on the Gulf of Messinia, Koroni is known for its Venetian castle rising above the waterfront, the olive oil variety Koroneiki, a…
Tashigang
This single main street lined with traditional Bhutanese timber-and-whitewash buildings draws the eye toward a golden stupa, with forested mountain slopes ri…
Lilienfeld
Lilienfeld Abbey anchors this little Lower Austrian town in the Traisen River valley, south of St.
Cova da Iria
The quarter of Fátima where the 1917 apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children were reported, Cova da Iria is today a dense concentration of…
Graglia
This tiny Piedmontese village whose communal territory takes in the Mombarone peak and Lake Ingagna, Graglia is best known for the Sacro Monte di Graglia, a…
Caunes-Minervois
Red marble quarried here since Roman times has surfaced in some of France's grandest buildings, and the village's eighth-century abbey anchors a well-preserv…
Tintern
Tintern Abbey, a ruined 12th-century Cistercian monastery on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, is the main draw to this little conservation…
Hebron
Hebron's Old City and the Ibrahimi Mosque — sacred to all three Abrahamic faiths as the site of the tombs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — were inscribed on UN…
Asquins
This small Burgundy hamlet on the Yonne is the starting point of one of the four main French pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, and its church of S…
Santo Domingo de Silos
The Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos draws visitors to this tiny Burgos village, with researchers linking it to El Cid — Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar and his wife Ji…
Tytuvėnai
The Bernardine monastery complex in this small Lithuanian town — built from the early 17th century through the late 18th century and considered one of the mo…
Lure
A small town in eastern France's Haute-Saône, Lure grew around a monastery founded in 610 by the Irish monk Saint Columbanus, and the Abbey of Lure shaped th…
Seto
This Japanese city in Aichi Prefecture where a dark-roofed temple building sits amid blazing red and gold autumn maples on wooded hillside grounds, drawing v…
Capranica
This modest town in the Tuscia area of Lazio, Capranica sits on the ancient Via Cassia and along the route of the Via Francigena pilgrimage road, with vineya…
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
A medieval hamlet on the Chemin de Saint-Jacques pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert sits where the narrow valley of the Gell…
Floreffe
Floreffe Abbey, founded in the 12th century and suppressed during the French Revolution, anchors this little Walloon town on a bend of the Sambre river, a sh…
Jableh
This Mediterranean coastal town in northwestern Syria, Jableh holds the tomb and mosque of Ibrahim Bin Adham, a Sufi mystic who, according to tradition, reno…
Demre
Demre, on the Mediterranean coast of Antalya Province, stands over the ruins of ancient Myra and is home to the tomb of Saint Nicholas — the 4th-century bish…
Chizhou
Mount Jiuhua, one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism, sits within Chizhou's boundaries in southern Anhui Province, making this large Yangtze-si…
Venafro
Venafro is a small Molise town with ancient roots stretching back to the Samnite people, who fought Rome here during the Samnite Wars of the 3rd century BC.
Duba
This Red Sea port town in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk region, Duba has served as a safe harbour for trading and fishing vessels in the northern Red Sea for centurie…
Sauveterre-de-Bearn
Medieval village above the Gave d'Oloron river in south-western France, Sauveterre-de-Béarn faces the Pyrenees and preserves a substantial cluster of medieva…
Kaunos
This ancient Carian port city near Dalyan in Muğla Province, Kaunos dates its history to around the 10th century BC and is still under active archaeological…
Caravaca
The fifth Holy City of Catholic Christianity, Caravaca de la Cruz holds a papal privilege — granted in 1998 — to celebrate a jubilee year in perpetuity, obse…
Kakogawa
Sizeable Hyōgo city on the water, where a grand wooden Buddhist hall with sweeping tiled roofs and stone lanterns anchors a temple precinct shaded by mature…
Vila Velha
Founded in 1535 by the Portuguese colonist Vasco Fernandes Coutinho, Vila Velha is the oldest city in Espírito Santo state and served as the captaincy's capi…
Lauzerte
A 12th-century bastide village in the Quercy Blanc region of southern France, Lauzerte sits on a hilltop above vine-covered valleys and holds a place on the…
Yucay
A small town in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas, Yucay sits at high elevation along the Urubamba River, surrounded by Inca agricultural terraces on the hil…
Sergiyev Posad
Home to the Trinity Lavra of St.
Kantilo
Pocket-sized town in Odisha's Nayagarh district on the banks of the Mahanadi river, Kantilo is known as a pilgrimage site for the temple of Lord Nilamadhab a…
Tobarra
Tobarra, a small town in Spain's Albacete province, is best known for its Holy Week drum processions — the tamboradas — declared of National Tourist Interest…
Sitakunda
Sitakunda, on the Bay of Bengal coast north of Chattogram, is known for the Chandranath Temple and the hill it crowns, a hot water spring nearby, and Banglad…
Ardabil
The UNESCO-listed Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble — sanctuary and tomb of the founder of the Safavid order, and burial place of Ismail I, fou…
Cassino
Cassino, a town in southern Lazio at the foot of Monte Cairo, is defined by two things: the Abbey of Montecassino, founded by St.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Modest town in southern Poland whose 17th-century Bernardine sanctuary and pilgrimage park — founded by Kraków voivode Mikołaj Zebrzydowski — is the only Cal…
Lamu
Lamu's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on an island off the Kenyan coast, is the oldest continually inhabited town in the country and one of the most…
Nakhon Pathom
Dominated by Phra Pathommachedi, claimed to be the world's tallest stupa, Nakhon Pathom is a city in central Thailand roughly an hour west of Bangkok.
Gostyn
The Basilica of Święta Góra (Holy Hill), a Baroque masterpiece by architect Pompeo Ferrari and the principal Marian sanctuary of the Archdiocese of Poznań, i…
Lorca
Lorca's Holy Week processions, declared a festival of international tourist interest, are the headline draw of this city in south-eastern Spain's Murcia region.
Phan Thiết
This Vietnamese coastal city on the southeast coast, Phan Thiết offers a tree-lined riverfront with a lit pagoda-style tower and a cable-stayed bridge reflec…
Ocotlán
The Basilica of Ocotlán, a pilgrimage site dedicated to a Marian apparition recorded in 1541, anchors this Tlaxcalan city within the conurbation of the state…
Manresa
Saint Ignatius of Loyola spent a year in a cave near this Catalan city in 1522, writing the foundational text of the Spiritual Exercises, making Manresa a pl…
Miechow
The collegiate basilica of the Holy Sepulchre dominates the skyline of this small town in Lesser Poland, its tower topped by a globe-shaped spire symbolising…
Kotohira
Kotohira-gū, the Shinto shrine known informally as Konpira-san, draws visitors to this pocket-sized town in Kagawa Prefecture via a staircase of 1,368 steps…
Bildstein
This little Vorarlberg village in Austria's Bregenz district is known across the region for its pilgrimage church, visible from across the Rhine Valley, whic…
Nea Moni of Chios
Founded in 1042 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990, Nea Moni is an 11th-century Greek Orthodox monastery complex in the mountain interio…
Prabhas Patan
The Somnath temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines sacred to Shiva and among the most significant pilgrimage sites in Hinduism, stands in Prabhas Pata…
Maria Lankowitz
A pilgrimage village at the foot of the Stubalpe mountain in Styria, Austria, Maria Lankowitz draws visitors to its historic churches and sits within reach o…
La Chaise-Dieu
This pocket-sized village in Haute-Loire is anchored by a Gothic abbey rebuilt between 1344 and 1350 at the request of Pope Clement VI, a former monk there.
Miki
A city in Hyōgo Prefecture northwest of Kobe, Miki draws visitors with lively shrine festivals where crowds in matching happi coats carry ornate mikoshi up s…
Sharow
A small village just north-east of Ripon in North Yorkshire, Sharow is home to St John's Church, whose two-acre churchyard has been managed as a wildlife hab…
Auvillar
A member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France since 1994, this compact village on the Garonne in Tarn-et-Garonne is also a stop on the Santiago de Compostela…
Mihara
This red multi-tiered pagoda rises above a hillside cemetery with vivid autumn ginkgo trees, overlooking a compact coastal city backed by forested mountains…
Heroica Zitacuaro
City in Michoacán's eastern reaches with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants, including a street locally known as "Calle del Hambre" — lined with…
Sastin-Straze
A small western Slovak town where a grand baroque basilica with twin onion-domed towers rises directly above a calm river, making it a rewarding stop for rel…
Negoro
Negoro-ji, the head temple of the Shingi Shingon sect of Buddhism, sits within the Katsuragi Mountains in Iwade, Wakayama Prefecture, with grounds designated…
Saidu Sharīf
Saidu Sharif, the capital of Pakistan's Swat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, holds the Swat Museum, the mausoleum of the spiritual leader Saidu Baba, the roy…
Chełm
Chełm's most distinctive draw is its Chalk Tunnels — a labyrinth of underground corridors stretching some 15 kilometres beneath the city, open to visitors.
Ngong Ping
This highland plateau on Lantau Island known for the Tian Tan Buddha — a roughly 34-metre bronze statue — and the adjacent Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Ping is re…
Malinalco
Malinalco holds one of Mexico's most striking Aztec monuments: the Cuauhcalli, or House of Eagles, a sanctuary for the Eagle and Jaguar warrior elite carved…
Iwade
A Japanese town in Wakayama Prefecture where a striking multi-tiered pagoda and traditional timber hall set against forested hills signal the region's deep B…
Nakhon Luang
A Thai town in Ayutthaya province where weathered red-brick temple walls and a gold-spired sanctuary rise above manicured gardens, sitting close to the water…
Vagharshapat
Vagharshapat — widely known by its former name Etchmiadzin — is home to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual and administrative centre of the Ar…
Muxima
On the Kwanza River in Angola's Icolo e Bengo Province, Muxima is home to a Marian shrine and a Portuguese fortress built in 1599 — both dating to an occupat…
Taide
Modest wine-country village in the Póvoa de Lanhoso municipality of northern Portugal, Taide sits alongside water and within reach of mountain terrain.
Thiruvattar
A little Tamil Nadu town where a striking Kerala-style temple — stone-stepped, carved-wood gabled, and painted with vivid murals — sits at the confluence of…
La Grita
Andean valley town in Táchira state, Venezuela, La Grita draws large crowds each 5 and 6 August for the festival of the Santo Cristo de La Grita — a celebrat…
Ban Ko Doi Tung
A high mountain in Mae Fa Luang District, Chiang Rai Province, at Thailand's northernmost tip, Doi Tung is home to Wat Phra That Doi Tung, a stupa said to en…
São Torcato
A pocket-sized vila near Guimarães in northern Portugal, São Torcato is home to the Santuário de São Torcato, where the relics of the town's patron saint — s…
Saint-Gilles
One of Christendom's most important pilgrimage sites in the 12th century, Saint-Gilles-du-Gard is a modest town in the Gard department of southern France who…
Belorado
This pocket-sized Burgos village on the Camino de Santiago's French Way, sitting alongside the Tirón river with the Sierra de la Demanda mountains in view.
Tuaran
Tuaran is a district capital in Sabah, Malaysia, known for two things that draw visitors off the main highway north of Kota Kinabalu: its nine-storey Ling-Sa…
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
Founded on 5 July 1683, this walkable city in northwestern Argentina draws pilgrims and visitors alike to its colonial architecture and historic churches, mo…
Inazawa
A mid-sized Aichi Prefecture city in Japan's Nobi Plain, where a well-preserved Shinto shrine complex — featuring a thatched-roof hall, stone guardian lions,…
Graiguenamanagh
Duiske Abbey, the largest of the thirty-four medieval Cistercian abbeys in Ireland, sits at the centre of this small County Kilkenny village on the River Bar…
Castrojeriz
One of the more substantial stops on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, this small Burgos village in Castile and León sees the pilgrimage route pass t…
Yawata
Yawata, a city in southern Kyoto Prefecture, is home to Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū, a major Shinto shrine that draws visitors to its hilltop setting above the city.
Vatra Moldovitei
Moldovița Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 1402 by Alexander the Good, stands in this tiny Bukovina town in northeastern Romania, set along…
Höxter
Corvey Monastery, founded in 822 with the blessing of Louis the Pious and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 for its near-intact Carolingian wes…
Mysliborz
This little town in northwestern Poland set on two lakes — Myśliborskie and Królewskie — with a base for water sports including kayaking and sailing.
Sambata de Sus
This flower-lined avenue leads visitors to a white-towered Orthodox monastery set against densely forested Transylvanian hills, making this little Brașov Cou…
Augusta
Founded in 1232 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II on Sicily's eastern coast, Augusta is a Sicilian port town with a walkable centre dense with historic chur…
Urubamba
The largest town in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas, Urubamba sits along the Urubamba River in the high Andes beneath the snow-capped peaks of Chicón and P…
Awantipora
A modest Kashmiri town on the banks of the Jhelum River, Awantipora draws visitors to its ancient stone temple ruins set against a backdrop of bare mountain…
Hung Yen
A weathered multi-tiered temple gate covered in classical Vietnamese calligraphy anchors this Red River Delta city, where historic religious architecture, wa…
Grimbergen
Grimbergen, a town in Flemish Brabant just north of Brussels, is known for its Norbertine abbey, its castles, and the abbey beer historically brewed there.
Kalika Mata Temple, Pavagadh
Atop Pavagadh Hill in Gujarat's Panchmahal District, the Kalika Mata Temple is one of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas, drawing pilgrims to a summit complex wher…
Brioude
This modest Auvergne town on the Allier river, Brioude draws visitors with its grand Romanesque basilica — warm golden-red stone, ornate arcaded apse, and a…
Šiauliai
The Hill of Crosses, a pilgrimage site a short distance north of the city, is the defining reason to visit Šiauliai, a city in northern Lithuania and the cou…
Sumeg
Sümeg Castle, built in the 13th century after the Mongol invasion on a limestone hill above the town, is the defining landmark of this modest Hungarian town…
Frómista
The 11th-century church of San Martín de Tours, built in the style of Jaca cathedral and funded in part by the widow of Sancho el Mayor of Navarra, is the ar…
Felipe Carrillo Puerto
Maya town in the heart of Quintana Roo's "Maya Zone," Felipe Carrillo Puerto was founded by the Maya as Noj Kaaj Santa Cruz and served as the stronghold of t…
Laharpur
This town in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district, Laharpur draws visitors to an ornately carved temple complex where Hindu sculptural reliefs, arched facades, a…
Anuradhapura
Sri Lanka's oldest capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Anuradhapura preserves the ruins of an ancient Sinhalese civilisation that flourished from aroun…
Gümüşhacıköy
A town in the westernmost part of Amasya Province in northern Türkiye, Gümüşhacıköy — still commonly known by its older name Hacıköy — sits in a mountainous…
Thung Saliam
A district town in Thailand's lower north where an ornate Buddhist shrine hall — its interior blazing with gold lacquer columns, a multi-headed naga Buddha,…
Lac-Bouchette
Home to the Ermitage Saint-Antoine, one of Quebec's four national pilgrimage sites, Lac-Bouchette is a tiny lakeside village in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean r…
Ulaanbaatar
Founded in 1639 as a nomadic Buddhist monastery complex, Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's capital and largest city, set in a highland valley ringed by four named mo…
Yabu
This traditional wooden Shinto shrine with paper ema votive plaques and stone statuary stands among tall cedar trees in this rural Hyōgo town, set amid hill…
Didim
Didim is an Aegean resort city on Turkey's western coast whose main draw is the ruined Temple of Apollo at ancient Didyma, one of the great sanctuaries of th…
Edfu
Edfu's main draw is the Temple of Horus, a large and well-preserved Ptolemaic temple begun in 237 BC, sitting on the west bank of the Nile in Upper Egypt bet…
Phimai
Home to the Phimai Historical Park, one of Thailand's most significant Angkorian temple complexes, this modest town in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in northeas…
Luang Namtha
A golden stupa and traditional wooden sala rise above a stone-walled temple compound in this little northern Laos town, set among forested hills along the Na…
Briviesca
This small Castilian town in Burgos province that served as a Roman crossroads settlement — then called Virovesca — and later grew along the medieval Camino…
Suwannakhuha
A gilded Thai temple pavilion built directly against a dramatic limestone cliff face makes this little northeastern district a striking stop for visitors dra…
Ampara
A large white stupa with a circular colonnaded base and golden Buddha figures anchors this Eastern Province town, which serves as a district capital set amon…
Bhaktapur
Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, Bhaktapur is a densely settled medieval Newar city in the eastern Kathmandu Valley, a short distance fr…
Maha Chana Chai
Rural district in Thailand's northeastern Yasothon province, where a gold-and-crimson Buddhist temple with ornate carved gables stands amid lush green trees…
Longtan District
This rural district in southern Taoyuan City, Longtan is known for the Buddhist temple set on Longtan Lake and for producing two well-regarded teas — Orienta…
Katori-shi
Katori, in Chiba Prefecture, is home to Katori Shrine and the historic merchant town of Sawara, whose canal-lined streets are designated a Preservation Distr…
Mnisek pod Brdy
A pocket-sized town at the foot of the Brdy hills south of Prague, Mníšek pod Brdy has a well-preserved historic centre protected as an urban monument zone,…
Radovis
A town in southeastern North Macedonia at the foot of Plačkovica Mountain, Radoviš is known for the Church of the Holy Trinity, described as one of the large…
Kielce
This city in the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains of south-central Poland, Kielce sits on the Silnica River and serves as a base for the surrounding nat…
Mariager
Modest Danish market town on the southern shore of Mariager Fjord in North Jutland, Mariager grew up around a Birgittine convent in the early 15th century an…
Peja
A mountain town in western Kosovo where the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchal Monastery of Peć — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — stands alongside Ottoman-era mosqu…
Lezajsk
A 17th-century Bernardine basilica and monastery, designed by architect Antonio Pellacini and housing one of Poland's most regarded pipe organs from that era…
Bhojpur, Madhya Pradesh
Red sandstone Hindu temple complex — partially ruined yet still actively visited by pilgrims — rises above the Betwa River in Madhya Pradesh, drawing travele…
Baglun
A regional hub in western Nepal's Gandaki Province, Baglung sits along the Kali Gandaki river and is known for the sacred shaligram stones found on its banks.
Saint Catherine
Saint Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai draw religious pilgrims and mountain trekkers to this small high-altitude town in Egypt's South Sinai, surrounded…
Ranipur
Ranipur, a town in northern Sindh, is home to the shrine of Sachal Sarmast, decorated with traditional Sindhi tilework and set near the town of Daraza.
Ghandruk
A pocket-sized Gurung village in Nepal's Annapurna region, Ghandruk sits at high elevation with direct views of Annapurna South, Machapuchare (Fishtail Mount…
Thirubuvanam
This Tamil Nadu town in Thanjavur district is known primarily for the Kampaheswarar Temple, set close to the water and within reach of several UNESCO World H…
Steyl
This small village on the River Meuse in the Dutch province of Limburg, Steyl is known as a monastery village, with four monasteries forming the core of a co…
Tràng An
Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, the Tràng An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Bình Province is Vietnam's first mixed cultural and natural…
Raisen
Raisen Fort, a hill fort dating to around 1200 CE, gives this Madhya Pradesh town both its name and its main draw — the name itself likely derives from words…
Prusac
Each June, Prusac hosts the largest Muslim gathering in Europe at the holy site of Ajvatovica, drawing thousands of Bosniaks to this village in Bosnia and He…
Hoa Thanh
Hoa Thanh draws visitors to its extraordinary Cao Dai temple — a vast, ornately decorated structure blending pastel towers, arched colonnades, and vivid reli…
Bansberia
A town on the Hooghly River in West Bengal, a short drive north of Kolkata, Bansberia is known for the Hangseshwari Temple and for its Kartik Puja festival.
Giv'at Shemesh
This little upland hamlet near Beit Shemesh, home to a striking stone Catholic monastery dedicated to the Regina Palaestinae, its terraced courtyard and crow…
Phaya Mengrai
This hilltop Buddhist stupa tiled in mirrored mosaic overlooks a misty valley at sunrise, capturing the spiritual atmosphere of this Chiang Rai district in T…
Aglona
Aglona Basilica, an important centre of Catholic religious life in Latvia, draws visitors to this modest Latgale village set between two lakes in eastern Lat…
Alwernia
This small Polish town west of Kraków where a well-preserved monastery complex — its twin baroque towers and red-tile roofs rising above whitewashed walls —…
Uthumphon Phisai
Ancient sandstone and brick temple ruins in warm golden light share the landscape with an ornately decorated Thai shrine, making this Sisaket district town a…
Zalaszanto
Small Hungarian village in upland Zala County where a whitewashed Gothic church with a red-tile roof and stone-carved windows stands alongside an unexpected…
Liaoyuan
A broad riverside promenade lined with stone balustrades leads the eye toward a wooded hill crowned by a multi-tiered pagoda, with a cable-stayed bridge and…
Selçuk
Selçuk, a town on Turkey's Aegean coast in İzmir Province, sits within easy reach of the ancient city of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis — one of the Seven…
Sittingbourne
A Kent town on the Swale — the strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey — Sittingbourne sits beside the ancient Roman Watling Street an…
Isiro
Isiro, the capital of DR Congo's Haut-Uele Province in the northeast, sits at the boundary between equatorial forest and savannah, with its economy built on…
Tainai
A large ornate timber shrine or temple hall with sweeping curved rooflines and intricate carved eaves anchors this coastal Niigata city, which also sits clos…
Ghorahi
Ghorahi, the largest city of Nepal's Dang Valley in Lumbini Province, is known for its high-quality honey and hemp textiles, and serves as a gateway to Bardi…
Hartagyugh
This highland village in Armenia's Lori region, Hartagyugh sits at elevation in the Pambak mountain range and is home to a 19th-century Church of Saint Grego…
Hiromine
This hilltop Shinto shrine in Himeji, Hyogo, reached by a broad stone stairway flanked by stone lanterns and manicured pines, with a historic gate and red au…
Buseok
Buseoksa, a Buddhist temple founded by the scholar-monk Uisang in 676 on the slopes of Mt.
Phanom Dong Rak
This district in Surin province, northeastern Thailand, is home to the Ta Mueang Historical Park, a cluster of Khmer temple ruins that includes Ta Mueang, Ta…
Juazeiro do Norte
Juazeiro do Norte, a city in the semiarid interior of Ceará in northeastern Brazil, is one of South America's largest pilgrimage sites, built around the lega…
Burton-on-Trent
Burton-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, is best known for brewing, a tradition that shaped the town's growth from its origins around Burton Abbey.
Song Phi Nong
Dozens of gold-robed Buddha statues arranged across an open-air temple ground define Song Phi Nong, a district in central Thailand's Suphan Buri province, se…
Taungdwingyi
This town in Myanmar's Magway Region with a notable concentration of historic churches in its centre, Taungdwingyi is also home to the Rakhine Pagoda, a larg…
Izumo
Izumo, in Shimane Prefecture on Japan's San'in coast, is home to Izumo Taisha, one of the country's most venerated Shinto shrines and a major pilgrimage dest…
Gambat
Sindh town in Pakistan's Khairpur District, Gambat features a striking mosque with an ornate green-tiled dome and blue geometric tilework, set within a regio…
Yeongju
Yeongju, a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, is known for two historically significant sites: Buseoksa Temple, a representative temple of Silla…
Maras
Maras, a high-altitude town in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas, is known for its salt evaporation ponds that have been worked since Inca times.
Bodrogkeresztur
Village in Hungary's Tokaj District, Bodrogkeresztúr sits beside the Bodrog river amid the vineyards of the Tokaj wine region, which is ringed by UNESCO Worl…
Tariba
Táriba, in Venezuela's Táchira state, is a Catholic pilgrimage city whose central draw is the Basílica, Museum, and Boulevard of the Virgen de la Consolación…
Chiang Klang
This small northern Thai town in Nan province where an ornately decorated Buddhist temple interior — gold Buddha, hanging ceremonial strings, and vivid texti…
Andacollo
A little mining and pilgrimage town in Chile's Coquimbo Region, Andacollo is one of the country's oldest pilgrimage centres, drawing thousands of devotees ea…
Nansang
The largest town in the east-central area of Shan State, Nansang sits on the Taunggyi–Tachileik road in eastern Myanmar, with bus connections to Yangon and M…
Chinguetti
Founded in 1262, Chinguetti is a historic town in Mauritania's Adrar region that served for centuries as a major departure point for pilgrimage caravans head…
Claros
This ancient Greek sanctuary on the Ionian coast, Claros was home to a temple and oracle of Apollo — rivaling Delphi and Didyma as a center of prophecy — fro…
Phu Ly
Vietnamese city on the Đáy River, where a traditional multi-tiered temple reflects in calm water along a tree-lined embankment, with low-rise urban streets s…
Kham Khuean Kaeo
A district in Thailand's northeastern Yasothon province where a white-and-gold chedi rises from a ceremonially decorated temple courtyard, flanked by red-roo…
Orsha
This Belarusian city where the Dnieper River frames a skyline of Baroque church towers, red-roofed monastery complexes, and a historic railway station, offer…
Rehli
A Madhya Pradesh town set among wooded hills, Rehli draws visitors to its striking white-marble hilltop temple, colorful with devotional flags and guarded by…
La Gi
Vietnamese coastal city where a broad red-brick temple courtyard — guarded by stone lions and decorated with vivid dragon reliefs under ornate tiled roofs —…
Kong Krailat
Small Thai district town in Sukhothai province, where a richly decorated Buddhist shrine room — gold-robed Buddha, vivid mural panels, and garland offerings…
Shiyan
Wudang Mountain, one of the four great sacred peaks of Taoism and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rises within Shiyan's boundaries in northwestern Hubei — maki…
Soc Son
This stone-gated Vietnamese temple complex set against forested upland hills draws visitors to this outer Hanoi district, where traditional religious archite…
Chamarel
A small village in the mountains of Mauritius's Rivière Noire District, Chamarel draws visitors to the Seven Coloured Earths, the Chamarel Falls, and the Bla…
Meron
Meron, a tiny village in the mountains of northern Israel near Safed, stands on the site of ancient Meiron, where excavations have uncovered remains from the…
Soja
This tall dark-timber five-storey pagoda rising above clouds of cherry blossom defines this Okayama Prefecture town, which sits close to upland country and c…
Preah Vihear
A stepped stone pyramid temple rises from a flat jungle clearing in this northern Cambodian provincial capital, where ancient Khmer heritage, surrounding hil…
Eyüp
Eyüp, on Istanbul's European shore at the head of the Golden Horn, draws visitors above all to the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari — companion and standard-beare…
Kitamoto
A compact Saitama city where cherry blossom parks, a tranquil pond with willows, and a traditional shrine with classic tiled rooflines reflect the layered ch…
Lelic
This Serbian Orthodox village in the hills above Valjevo holds the burial site of Saint Nikolaj Velimirović of Ohrid and Žiča, one of the most venerated figu…
Itea
Small waterfront town in Phocis, southeastern Greece, Itea sits on the Gulf of Corinth with a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size.
Kataragama
Multi-faith pilgrimage town in Sri Lanka's southeastern jungle, Kataragama draws Buddhists, Hindus, and indigenous Vedda people to the Kataragama temple — a…
Ølgod
A little railway town in southwest Jutland, Ølgod is known locally as "Denmark's smallest city" for the density of shops, restaurants, and services it packs…
Nong Bua Lamphu
This Thai provincial town in the northeast, where boldly decorated Buddhist shrines — like this vivid red, white, and gold temple pavilion — anchor daily lif…
Nurota
A low-rise Central Asian town spread across flat, arid terrain, anchored by a striking domed Islamic complex with turquoise tilework that draws large crowds…
Thanbyuzayat
Thanbyuzayat, a town in Mon State in southeastern Myanmar, is best known as the starting point of the Death Railway — the World War II rail line built southw…
Piekary Slaskie
A Marian pilgrimage town in Upper Silesia, southern Poland, Piekary Śląskie has drawn the faithful to its shrine of Our Lady of Piekary since the 17th centur…
Peso da Régua Municipality
Sitting on the Douro River at the heart of Portugal's demarcated Port wine region, Régua is a little city with a café and restaurant scene that punches well…
Tai'an
Mount Tai, revered as the greatest of China's Five Sacred Mountains and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rises within the boundaries of this large Shandong city…
Tha Wang Pha
A northern Thai district town along the water, where a striking white temple with layered terracotta roofs, gold-detailed gables, and guardian lion statues r…
Padise
Pocket-sized Estonian village in northern Harju County, Padise draws visitors to its substantial medieval stone monastery ruins — a roofless Gothic complex o…
Tihany
Tihany, a village on the Tihany Peninsula jutting into Lake Balaton, is anchored by the Benedictine abbey founded in 1055 by King Andrew I, whose founding ch…
Nam Sách
A nationally listed Vietnamese pagoda — Chùa Trăm Gian — anchors this Red River Delta district, its sweeping tiled rooflines and ornate dragon-ridge carvings…
Anloga
Anloga, in southeast Ghana's Volta Region, serves as the traditional, ancestral, and spiritual capital of the Anlo Ewe people and the seat of the Awormefia o…
Washford
Cleeve Abbey, described as one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in England, sits at the edge of this small Somerset village on the Washford River,…
Dongshan
A rural township in Taiwan's Yilan County where a large traditional temple complex with golden-roofed pavilions, red columns, and white stone balustrades sit…
Ponmanai
A modest Tamil Nadu town in Kanniyakumari district where Hindu temple life pulses after dark, drawing crowds of devotees to brightly lit shrines decorated wi…
Minbu
This town in Myanmar's Magwe Division on the western bank of the Ayeyarwady River, Minbu sits within sight of the Arakan Mountains and is noted for its histo…
Arida
Arida, a coastal town in Wakayama Prefecture, is the origin of both the Arida mandarin orange and the mosquito coil — two products that spread from here acro…
Puruliya
This partially ruined stone temple tower, its carved facade rising from a flat wetland on the edge of this West Bengal city near the Kangsabati River, signal…
Pakokku
Pakokku sits on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar's Magway Region, a short distance from the ancient temple city of Bagan.
Puhajarve
This little Estonian village in Otepää Parish, Valga County, sits beside a lake whose name translates roughly as "Holy Lake" — recorded in German as Heiligen…
Piendamo
Town in Colombia's Cauca department on the edge of the Popayán metropolitan area, Piendamó draws visitors passing between Cali or Popayán and the nearby town…
Doem Bang Nang Buat
This central Thailand district in Suphan Buri province where an active Buddhist temple complex — featuring a large gilded seated Buddha and a stupa under con…
Qus
This Nile-side city in Egypt's Qena Governorate, Qus holds the ancient Al-Omari Mosque, built in the style of Cairo's Al-Azhar, alongside scattered pharaonic…
Kyaikkami
The Kyaikkami Yele Pagoda, built on ocean reef foundations just off the coast and reached by a corridor over the water, draws pilgrims and visitors to this s…
Namaacha
A modest town in the Lebombo Mountains of southern Mozambique, Namaacha sits on the border with Eswatini and is known for a waterfall, a colonial church, and…
Magoksa
UNESCO World Heritage-listed Buddhist temple in Gongju, South Korea, Magoksa sits on the eastern slope of Taehwasan mountain where the Taegeukcheon Stream cu…
Arani
Arani, a small Bolivian town in the Cochabamba Department, is known as "the Land of Bread and Wind" for its tradition of baking with multiple flour varieties…
Kökar
A small island municipality in the south-eastern Åland archipelago, Kökar sits at the water's edge and carries a long seafaring history.
Mekla
A Kabyle town in Algeria's Tizi Ouzou highlands where a domed white shrine rises among snow-dusted evergreens, with forested ridgelines and hilltop settlemen…
Shahr-e Qods
Mid-size Iranian city west of Tehran, where a gold-domed shrine decorated with vivid blue tilework and Arabic calligraphy sits amid busy urban streets, with…
Sanchi Town
The Sanchi Stupas — a group of Buddhist monuments built between the 3rd century BC and the 12th century CE — make this compact town in Madhya Pradesh one of…
Lat Lum Kaeo
A flat, canal-laced district in central Thailand's Pathum Thani province, where a striking white-and-crimson Buddhist temple with layered rooflines and a sil…
Kyotanabe
A southern Kyoto Prefecture city where a striking red-arch bridge, traditional temple gates, and a leafy university campus reflect a blend of heritage and ev…
La Tirana
Every July, La Tirana — a pocket-sized oasis village in Chile's Pampa del Tamarugal, inland from Iquique — becomes the principal destination for religious pi…
Phanom Thuan
A pocket-sized town in Thailand's Kanchanaburi province where an ancient moss-covered brick chedi rises beside a decorated temple gateway, offering a quiet g…
Char Fasson
Char Fasson, in the southern part of Bangladesh's Bhola District, is home to the Char Kukri-Mukri Wildlife Sanctuary — an island that emerged from the estuar…
Liminka
Founded in 1477 on the Liminganjoki river, Liminka is a tiny municipality in Finland's Northern Ostrobothnia region, a short drive south of Oulu.
Ouazzane
Ouazzane is a northern Moroccan town with a compact café-filled centre set against the foothills of the Rif mountains, and a long-standing reputation as a sp…
Sinjar
A predominantly Yazidi town in northern Iraq, Sinjar sits just south of the Sinjar Mountains, which the Yazidi community considers sacred.
Bac Ninh
Vietnamese city whose traditional temple architecture — dark timber columns, sweeping tiled rooflines, dragon carvings, and red lanterns — anchors a lively u…
Sangkhla Buri
Compact town in western Thailand's Kanchanaburi province with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Sangkhla Buri sits close to mountains…
Kalaiya
Pagoda-roofed Hindu temple shaded by tall trees draws local worshippers to this Terai city, which also serves as the main gateway to the renowned Gadhimai fe…
Sequeiro
This tiny Portuguese village near Santo Tirso, where a granite roadside shrine with arched columns and a conical spire stands on cobblestones, reflecting the…
Chiang Kham
Modest northern Thai town where ornate dark-wood temple architecture, traditional percussion, and colorful lantern displays reflect the living cultural herit…
Bidur
A hillside town in Nepal's Nuwakot District where traditional multi-storey brick temples and pagoda-style structures rise above red-tile rooftops, with mount…
Dazaifu
Dazaifu Tenman-gū shrine draws millions of visitors each year to this town in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwest Japan, which flourished as the seat of ancient Ky…
Vestervig
Vestervig Abbey Church, said to be the largest village church in Denmark and all of Scandinavia, stands at the centre of this modest village in Thy, North Ju…
Port Kaituma
Port Kaituma, a compact village in Guyana's Barima-Waini region, is closely tied to the history of the Peoples Temple settlement at nearby Jonestown, and ser…
Lalibela
Eleven rock-hewn churches carved from the earth in the 13th century make Lalibela one of Ethiopia's most sacred towns, ranked second only to Aksum among the…
Sorø
Founded in the 12th century by Bishop Absalon as a Cistercian Abbey, Sorø is a tiny town on the northeastern shore of Sorø Lake in central Zealand, surrounde…
Kampong Thom
This stopover town on the Steung Saen River in central Cambodia, roughly halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, with a compact centre of cafés and restaur…
Kran
Village just south of the Balkan Mountains in central Bulgaria, Kran holds a conserved ancient Thracian tomb, a Thracian sanctuary, and the ruins of a mediev…
Kunnamkulam
This busy Kerala town in Thrissur district, Kunnamkulam buzzes with street-level commerce, auto-rickshaws, and Malayalam signage, sitting close to the famous…
Chōfu
Chōfu, on the western edge of Tokyo Metropolis, is known for the ancient temple Jindai-ji and its long-established soba noodles, a tradition recorded in Edo-…
Sheikh Hussein
A whitewashed shrine complex with a sculpted dome and ornate plasterwork rises from open grassland in Ethiopia's hills, drawing pilgrims and curious visitors…
Sar-e Pul
Sar-e Pul, historically known as Anbar, is a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan whose most notable landmark is the Imam Yahya Shrine, located in the…
Mahiyangana
Mahiyangana, a town on the Mahaweli River in Sri Lanka's Uva Province, holds one of the country's most sacred Buddhist sites: the Mahiyangana Stupa, said to…
San Nicolás de los Arroyos
Riverside city in northern Buenos Aires province, San Nicolás de los Arroyos sits on the western bank of the Paraná River with a walkable centre offering a s…
Wiang Pa Pao
A compact district town in Chiang Rai's upland north, where a forested hill crowned by a golden pagoda rises above the surrounding plains, offering a glimpse…
Pingliang
Pingliang, a large city in eastern Gansu province, is best known for the Kongtong Mountains on its doorstep — a range sacred to Taoism and traditionally iden…
Kyaukse
Kyaukse is a town in Myanmar's Mandalay Region known for its elephant dance festival and for the Shwethalyaung Pagoda, built by King Anawrahta in the 11th ce…
San Javier
A town on the bank of the Uruguay River in north-eastern Argentina's Misiones Province, facing the Brazilian city of Porto Xavier across the water.
Undurkhaan
Remote provincial town in Mongolia's Khentii region, where traditional-style brick temple buildings with red-painted verandas and tiled roofs stand shaded by…
Kyaikto
Kyaikto, a town in Mon State in southeastern Myanmar, is the nearest base for visiting the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda — the Golden Rock — a gilded boulder balanced ove…
Non Din Daeng
A district in Buriram province, northeastern Thailand, Non Din Daeng draws visitors to the Lam Nang Rong reservoir, the Nong Hong castle ruins, and the Dong…
Tabuk
Tabuk, the largest city in northwestern Saudi Arabia, sits at the northern gateway to the Arabian Peninsula and is surrounded by some of the region's most si…
Patharghata
This coastal sub-district in Bangladesh's Barguna District, Patharghata sits on the Bay of Bengal and is home to Tentulia Wildlife Sanctuary — Bangladesh's s…
Vidisha
A historic city in Madhya Pradesh serving as a Jain pilgrimage centre, Vidisha sits a short distance from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sanchi and holds…
Imam Sahib
Modest town in Kunduz Province, northern Afghanistan, Imam Sahib is the second most visited pilgrimage destination in the province after Mazar-i-Sharif, home…
Tissamaharama
Once the capital of the ancient Sinhala kingdom of Ruhuna in the 3rd century, Tissamaharama is a southern Sri Lankan town that sits on the water and serves a…
Banteay Chhmar Lech
An Angkorian-era temple complex in northwestern Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province, built in the Bayon style under Jayavarman VII and considered a rare exa…
Tatebayashi
A city in Gunma Prefecture known for Azalea Hill Park and Morin-ji temple, home to the Bunbuku Chagama — a Japanese folkloric tale of a tanuki that transform…
Chauk
This river port on the Irrawaddy in north-central Myanmar, Chauk sits within reach of the ancient temple city of Bagan to the north and is known as an oil-pr…
Challapampa
This pocket-sized hamlet on the northern tip of Isla del Sol sits on the shores of Lake Titicaca high in the Bolivian altiplano, within walking distance of t…
Ezra's Tomb
A revered religious site in southern Iraq, Ezra's Tomb draws pilgrims and history-minded visitors to its riverside setting, situated within a region rich in…
Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Montaña
This hilltop religious sanctuary in Spain's Cáceres region draws visitors with sweeping views over the surrounding hills, a local café and dining scene, and…
Dambulla
Dambulla, a town in Sri Lanka's Central Province, is home to the country's largest and best-preserved cave temple complex, with the nearby Sigiriya rock fort…
Kibeho
A little Rwandan town set close to upland country, Kibeho draws independent travellers as a significant Catholic pilgrimage site, with rolling green hills an…
Qasr Qarun
A remote desert site in Egypt's Fayoum region, Qasr Qarun sits beside an ancient lake and offers visitors a well-preserved Ptolemaic temple rising from stark…