Monasteries

Germany’s oldest monastery has origins dating back to the 7th century.

This 11th-century Cistercian abbey was once seized by Henry VIII.

Set up in 1953, abandoned in 1978, and became a movie set in 2009.

This pilgrimage site was built to honor an incarnation of Buddha who sacrificed himself to save a tiger and her two cubs.

Displaying religious art made almost exclusively in modern styles helps set this Buddhist temple apart from the myriad others in Bangkok.

The most impressive example of contemporary Romanian architecture in wood

This often-missed monastery, set in a scenic mountain landscape, features unique frescoes, fortifications and legends.

This lesser-visited World Heritage site in Athens boasts an impressive ensemble of medieval gold mosaics.

This medieval fortress guards a monastery near the border of Serbia and Montenegro.

According to a gruesome legend, an architect sacrificed his wife to build this spectacular, 16th-century cathedral.

After 400 years of being closed to the public, this monastery's underground tunnels and secret garden are now a museum.

The remains of a 13th-century Romanesque church lie abandoned on a hillside.

A Buddhist monastery tucked away in the mountains of Colorado.

An off-the-beaten-path monastery in the northern hills of Ulaanbaatar.

This fortress-like monastery is covered with intricate frescoes.

A martyred saint built a nunnery and school for girls here known as the "Parthenon."

The former "holiday home" for monks at the Durham Cathedral.