Monasteries

Knights Templar are visible inside this stunning Cistercian abbey.

Located along Lysaya Mountain, this monastery is home to the largest statue of Buddha in Russia.

This ancient Visigothic church might hide an ancient treasure.

At this monastery, monks make raw-milk cheese and use excess whey to create methane that powers their hot-water system.

Occupied for six centuries by Franciscan Order nuns, this monastery is an amazing ode to Catalán Gothic architecture.

The largest monastery in Singapore is home to a crematorium, a college, and one of Asia’s largest indoor Buddha statues.

This outcropping was once home to a medieval monastery destroyed during the Ottoman conquest.

This medieval monastery represents an architectural blend of eastern and western European culture.

A former 16th-century monastery houses a museum dedicated to the island and its culture.

After being destroyed by two separate fires, this monastery is now home to a small zoo and relics from dozens of saints.

This medieval oratory decorated in magnificent frescos was constructed after Charlemagne received a vision.

This fresco-covered medieval monastery hangs from the side of a steep cliff.

The ruined abbey includes a rare surviving example of a monastic latrine.

A mysterious tunnel hidden in the shadows of a colorful, historic sanctuary.

This 15th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery also contained a school for illuminating manuscripts.

After this medieval Serbian fresco was hidden for centuries, an image of it became one of the first to be sent into space.

Stocking up on the world's best beer requires a pilgrimage to a monastery drive-through.