They are places of both physical beauty and spiritual significance. They are ancient, with a rich history behind them. They are the monasteries of the world and some of them are simply breathtakingly beautiful, with a fascinating past to boot. These are the ones worth most visiting.
This monastery is located on top a hill in the Indus Valley, just East of the Capital of Ladkah, India. This monastery includes a temple known as Lakhang Nyerma, dedicated to Goddess Dorje Chenmo. It used to be an incredibly popular and important temple, but today it is mostly a ruin, but still houses many sacred shrines, relics and valuable artifacts.
This beautiful monastery can be found perched on a small hill, 9 km south of Tsetang, Tibet. Yumbulagang, in Tibetan dialect, means 'Palace of mother and son'. The monastery was built over 2000 years ago, destroyed and rebuilt. The walls of this extraordinary monastery are adorned and painted with murals of the early history of Tibet.
The Potala Palace is another amazing monastery from Tibet, located on the Marpo Ri Hill. The Potala palace perches over 130 meters above the Lhasa Valley, and rises another 170 meters on top of that. It is the most monumental structure in all of Tibet. In ancient legends, there is a sacred cave inside the palace which was used as a meditation retreat by the emperor during the 7th century AD.
You'll have to look way, way up to find this monastery, as it's located about 3000 meters off the ground, on a high cliff in Paro Valley, Bhutan. This is perhaps the most famous monastery in Bhutan. Hanging off a precipitous cliff at 3,120 meters (10,240 ft), about 900 meters (3,000 ft) above the Paro valley, The name 'Tiger's Nest' comes from a legend that a famous guru once flew over the Himalayas on the back of a tigress during the 7th century. He then proceeded to meditate in a cave for 3 months before leaving. This cave is where the monastery was built, and is said to be the origin of Buddhism in Bhutan.
Another monastery built close to the sky, this structure sits at an altitude of 4,116 meters (13,500 feet), in Spiti Valley, India. Dating back to 1000 AD, it is a very popular religious destination for Buddhists. During its 1000 years, it has seen many attacks, (mostly by Mongols) but has survived them all.
This beautiful renaissance-style monastery can be found in Locarno, Switzerland, where it brightens the view of anyone visiting the town. It was consecrated in 1487 on the spot where, legends say, the Holy Virgin appeared before Brother Bartholomeo of the San Francesco Monastery 7 years prior.
This monastery lies in the South of France, on Canigou Mountain (near the Spanish border). This is one of the most incredible monuments in the area and has a history that goes back to the middle ages, the 11th century, to be exact. It was built by the Count of Cerdanya as atonement for the murder of his own son. The monastery has been traditionally housed with Benedictine monks.
To see this white and mysterious monastery, you will need to travel to the isles of Amorgos, in Greece. This beautiful island is the home of this famous monastery, built in the 11th century as an ode to the beauty of Panagia - the Virgin Mary, who is also the protector of this island.
