Great churches
The monastery at Voronet is another painted monastery reachable from Gura Humorului. It is considered one of the most beautiful ones due to the detailed frescoes depicting the Last Judgement, Genesis all the way from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel, the family tree of Jesus, along with stories of less famous saints. The monastery was built in the late 15th century, while the frescoes were added later in the 16th century. The vivid blue that was used has become so famous that it is now called Voronet blue among art historians and guidebook writers. Voronet monastery lies even further away from Gura Humorului than Humor monastery, and in the opposite direction. Voronet is also on UNESCO's Heritage List.
The new wooden church at Peri monastery in the outskirts of Săpânța village (yes, the one with the Merry Cemetery) is simply towering. Official signs modestly claim that the 75 m tall wooden church is the tallest wooden building in Europe, but we can't think of any other wooden building worldwide that beats it. Some might argue that the church's stone base disqualifies it, making another Romanian wooden church in Surdești the tallest (72 m). As you probably have figured out, wooden churches are not something new to this region. Wherever you go in northern Romania, you will see beautiful, old wooden churches - though not all are this tall.
The Cathedral of Christ the Savious, the tallest Orthodox church in the world, towers majestically above the Moscow River embankment and is one of the city's most memorable sights. Inside it is even more impressive, the decor reaching almost outlandish levels of grandeur and opulence. This is in strong contrast to the piousness of those who come here to worship, humble crossing themselves before pictures of saints, kissing icons and even prostrating themselves. The cathedral was built over almost fifty years in the Ninteenth Century but after Lenin's Death Stalin had it blown up and planned to build the 350 metre tall Palace of the Soviets in its place, complete with a 100 metre tall Lenin statue. They never got beyond digging the foundation hole, however, which kept flooding. After Stalin's death Krushchev decided to simply convert it into the world's largest open air swimming pool. It served this purpose until in 1990 the Church was allowed to build a very accurate reconstruction of the original Cathedral on the site.
Mt Matavanu's eruptions between 1905 and 1911 created a thick lava flow, which destroyed almost everything in its way to the sea on the north coast of Savai'i. A few churches managed to stand, though the lava has flown through the doors. The most famous is the LMS Church. Not far from the church is the Virgin's Grave. A grave of an young girl which apparently was so pure, that the lava flowed around it and left it untouched. There is a trail which leads to a viewing platform of the lagoon. From here there is a change to see seaturtles.
Gaudi's half-finished gigant fairytale church is probably the biggest tourist attraction in Barcelona. From the outside the tall spires rise high above the scaffolding, which still cover some of the church. The interior on the other hand is almost finished, so it's well worth to buy the entrance ticket (do it online) to glance at the giant tainted glass and columns that are too tall to measure by eyesight. Even though Gaudi spend the last 43 years of his life on the church, it was only the facade and one spire that were finished when he died in 1926. It's expected that the church will be complete in 2028. Along with Gaudi's other work in Barcelona, it's enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
St. Thomas Anglican Church must be a candidate as the church with the best view. It's positioned on top of a hill with panoramic views over the strait to St Kitts and inland to Mt. Nevis. The original church was built in 1643, making it the oldest active Protestant church in the Caribbean, but it has been reconstructed several times after since. The graveyard spreads down the unkept hillside and holds graves of every important person through Nevis' history.
While West Africa isn't the most stressful or fast-paced destination, everybody needs some time to unwind once in a while. The best place for some peace and quiet in Togo is without a doubt the Benedictine Dzogbégan Monastery. Situated in picturesque surroundings, this Monastery is noteworthy because it is built entirely with local materials. Here guests sleep and eat with the monks - and should one wish, it's also possible to join the daily prayers. While the monks does offer some spiritual fulfillment, the real draw here is gastronomical. The monks and the nuns in another nearby monastery run an orchard and produce homemade jam, as well as coffee, honey and other treats. It's divine. But be careful with their cinnamon snaps – it can produce some God-awful hangovers.
Togoville was the town where the treaty was agreed that the German colonial authority eventually used claim all of present-day Togo and parts of Ghana. It's a tiny community, but since it was here the first treaty was signed, it eventually named the entire country. The Germans build a large Catholic Cathedral, lovely situated overlooking Lake Togo. Pope Jean Paul II visited the site back in 1985 after the Virgin Mary was allegedly seen walking on the lake. This miracle is still celebrated every November 7th with a large festival. For the rest of the year, Togoville is a quiet place, where the few tourists will receive a lot of attention. While you might not be able to walk on the lake, it's still a good place for a relaxing boat tour; any local captain will be happy to assist.
As the single building on Akdamar Island, in the middle of Lake Van, Akdamar Church has an absolutely gorgeous location. Probably one of the most iconic of any Armenian church. Originally named the Cathedral of the Holy Cross the church dates back to the 10th century. It was used as a shooting range by the Turkish military in the first part of the 20th century before it was finally restored during 2005 and 2006. It now functions as a museum. Climbing the island's hill provides good views of both the church and Lake Van. Remember to bring your bathing suit as the island also offers some hidden beaches on its eastern side.
The Fetu Ao Lima church is built on the site of the previous church, which was bombed into ruins by the Japanese during WWII. The story goes that the locals had seeked shelter in the church during a raid. An American soldier, which was deployed at the American base here, persuaded the locals to leave the church and seek shelter in the dugouts. And just minutes after they had left the church, it was bombed into pieces.