Sacred Monasteries Around the World
19 remarkable monasteries revered by believers and admired by travelers.
This guide lists 19 sacred sites in the world's monasteries , connected to 4 spiritual traditions: Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam. 12 of them belong to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 1 are archaeological sanctuaries of ancient faiths. Each guide covers history, what to see, dress code, opening hours and the best time to visit.
Sacred sites in the world's monasteries
Erdene Zuu Monastery
Visit Erdene Zuu at Kharkhorin, Mongolia's oldest surviving Buddhist monastery, set inside 108 white stupas beside the ruins of Karakorum.
Gandan Monastery
Visit Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's largest Buddhist monastery, home to a towering Migjid Janraisig statue and lively morning chanting.
Haeinsa Temple
Visit Haeinsa Temple on Mount Gaya, guardian of the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks, one of Korea's Three Jewel Temples and a top templestay destination.
Iona Abbey
Travel to Iona Abbey in the Scottish Hebrides, where St. Columba founded a monastery in 563, now a place of pilgrimage, prayer and ecumenical retreat.
Jasna Góra Monastery, Częstochowa
Make a pilgrimage to Jasna Góra in Częstochowa, Poland's holiest shrine and home of the Black Madonna icon, visited by millions every year.
Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Learn about Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the Monastery of the Caves above the Dnipro, founded in 1051 and a cradle of Orthodox monastic pilgrimage.
Lake Tana Monasteries
Visit the island monasteries of Lake Tana by boat from Bahir Dar, with painted churches, manuscripts and royal relics of Ethiopian Orthodoxy.
Monasteries of Meteora
Visit the Meteora monasteries in Thessaly, Orthodox communities perched atop sandstone pillars, among the most dramatic sacred sites in Europe.
Monastery of Saint Anthony
The Monastery of Saint Anthony in Egypt's Red Sea mountains is among the oldest Christian monasteries, with medieval wall paintings and a hermit cave.
Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey
Cross the tidal flats to Mont-Saint-Michel, the Norman island abbey of the Archangel Michael, a medieval pilgrimage goal rising from the sea.
Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery
Climb Mount Sinai at dawn and visit Saint Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest working Christian monasteries and a revered Sinai pilgrimage site.
Paro Taktsang (Tiger's Nest Monastery)
Hike to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest Monastery on a Bhutan cliff where Guru Rinpoche meditated, with trail, permit and timing tips for visitors.
Potala Palace
Visit the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the former winter seat of the Dalai Lamas and a landmark of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage and architecture.
Rila Monastery
Visit Rila Monastery in the Rila Mountains, Bulgaria's greatest Orthodox monastery and pilgrimage site, famed for its striped arcades and frescoes.
Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey
Ride up to Montserrat Abbey near Barcelona to venerate the Black Madonna, hear the boys' choir and hike among the saw-toothed sacred peaks.
Shaolin Monastery
Explore Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song, birthplace of Chan Buddhism and kung fu, with its Pagoda Forest and Bodhidharma cave for pilgrims and travelers.
Skellig Michael
Visit Skellig Michael off County Kerry, a dramatic island where early Irish monks built beehive cells on a sea crag, a remote pilgrimage of ascetic faith.
Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, Sergiev Posad
Learn about the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad, the spiritual center of Russian Orthodoxy and a major Golden Ring pilgrimage site.
Voroneț Monastery, Painted Churches of Bukovina
Visit Voroneț, jewel of Bukovina's painted monasteries in Romania, whose exterior frescoes in vivid Voroneț blue tell biblical stories in the open air.