Chapel of the Holy Cross
The Chapel of the Holy Cross rises straight out of Sedona’s red rock buttes — it’s one of the few roadside stops that actually earns the detour.
Temple: Places Worth Visiting
The temples and sacred sites here reward respect as much as curiosity. Dress codes are common — covered shoulders and knees, shoes removed at the threshold — and some sites limit photography or charge separately for inner sanctuaries. Visit early for quieter, cooler conditions and a more contemplative experience.
-
-
Oude Kerk Delft
Vermeer is buried here, under plain stone slabs. The leaning tower outside and the Baroque pulpit inside make this worth an hour of anyone’s time.
-
St Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral: A symbol of resilience, cultural significance, and architectural brilliance, offering engaging experiences for all.
-
Abbaye Saint Victor
Abbaye Saint-Victor’s crypt whispers secrets from 415 AD, etched in pagan markings and ancient stone. This hilltop sentinel guards Marseille’s soul, weaving Roman roots with medieval mysteries in a [tapestry of cultural authenticity](https://www.novlr.org/the-reading-room/a-writers-guide-to-great-travel-writing).
-
Cologne Cathedral
It took 632 years to finish. Standing under those twin towers, that timeline starts to make sense.
-
St Augustine’s Abbey
Founded in 598 AD, St Augustine’s Abbey outlasted kings, survived the Dissolution, and still tells England’s Christian origin story better than any textbook.
-
Notre Dame De La Garde
La Bonne Mère watches over all of Marseille from 162 meters up. The ex-votos inside tell better stories than any museum.
-
Nieuwe Kerk Delft
William of Orange is buried here, beneath a marble tomb that helped make Delft the burial ground of Dutch royalty. The 376-step tower climb seals it.
-
Matthias Church
Matthias Church has been a coronation hall, a mosque, and a Neo-Gothic canvas — every era left its mark on the walls.
-
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims
Thirty-two French kings were crowned here. The Smiling Angel still watches from the facade, unbothered by eight centuries of history.
-
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
Brunelleschi built the largest masonry dome in history without scaffolding. Standing inside it, that fact stops being trivia.
-
Oude Kerk Amsterdam
Rembrandt’s wife is buried under your feet, sex workers advertise in the windows outside. No building captures Amsterdam better.
-
Bongeunsa Temple
A 1,200-year-old Buddhist temple sitting directly across from COEX Mall in Gangnam — the contrast alone makes it worth the detour.
-
Jongmyo Shrine
Jongmyo is the quietest place in Seoul — no color, no crowds, just stone courtyards and 600 years of Joseon ritual still intact.
-
Jogyesa Temple
A 500-year-old pine, golden Buddhas, and paper lanterns at Buddha’s Birthday — Jogyesa is Seoul’s most accessible temple and actually worth your time.
-
Sensoji Temple
Senso-ji gets 30 million visitors a year — arrive before 7am and you’ll have the Thunder Gate almost to yourself.
-
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre
Sacré-Cœur’s dome view stretches 50km on clear days — but the mosaic inside is what most visitors walk past without looking up.
-
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
The catacombs hold 11,000 Viennese and Habsburg organs. The roof tiles alone took my breath away before I even walked inside.
-
Monastery of Saint Gerasimos
Kefalonia’s most sacred site sits quietly in the Omala valley — the saint’s relics are here, and the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else on the island.
-
Sistine Chapel
The no-photography rule at the Sistine Chapel is the best thing about it — silence forces you to actually look.
-
-
St. Peter’s Basilica
Skip the guided tour. The dome climb at St. Peter’s is 551 steps and worth every one — the views over Vatican City hit differently than any postcard.
-
Temple of Olympian Zeus
15 columns still stand. The 16th fell in 1852 and never got up — it’s still lying there, which tells you everything about this place.
-
Temple of Hephaestus
Most visitors walk past this temple chasing the Parthenon. That’s a mistake — it’s better preserved and far less crowded.