List of Christian pilgrimage sites

This is a list of sites notable as destinations of Christian pilgrimage, sorted by region and by (modern) country.

This page has a wider view of the topic, while the "pilgrimage church" page offers, as of March 2016, only a list of Catholic sites.

Old World

Holy Land

Sites associated with the gospel narrative in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.

Israel

The Holy Land, location of many events in the Old Testament and New Testament. After Jerusalem, the list is alphabetical.

• Jerusalem, site of the Passion (The Via Dolorosa) and Resurrection of Jesus, Ein Karem in westernmost Jerusalem is the birthplace of John the Baptist, Monastery of the Cross in central Jerusalem is the site of Jesus' Cross trees which the Cross made from.
• Abu Ghosh - of one of the resting places of the Ark of the Covenant and the town identified by the Crusader as biblical Emmaus. Has the most well-preserved Crusader church in Israel.
• Beit Jimal Monastery - the traditional burial site of St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, St Nicodemus, and - only to Christians - that of Rabban Gamliel.
• Caesarea Maritima
• Caesarea Philippi
• Cana in Galilee - the site of the Marriage at Cana
• Deir Rafat Monastery - Catholic Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Palestine and of the Holy Land (Notre-Dame de Palestine) in the Elah Valley.
• Ein Karem, the traditional birthplace of St John the Baptist, with several churches dedicated to his family, birth, and ministry.
• Emmaus - different places identified as biblical Emmaus, where Jesus revealed himself to two disciples after his resurrection
  • Emmaus Nicopolis - the most traditional site identified as Emmaus, with ruins of Byzatine and Crusader churches and home to the Catholic community of Beatitudes.
  • see Al-Qubeiba under Palestine: the West Bank
• Jaffa (Joppa), the site of the house of Simon the Tanner where St Peter has risen St Tabitha from the dead and also her eventual burial site.
• The Jesus trail.
• Lod (Lydda) - the traditional birth and burial site of Saint George, one of the most venerated Christian martyrs.
• Mount Carmel, site of Elijah's famous challenge to the prophets of Baal.
• Mount Tabor, site of the Transfiguration
• Nain, the site of the Raising of the son of the widow of Nain, one of Jesus' miracles.
• Nazareth, hometown of Jesus.
• Sea of Galilee, the sites of Jesus' ministry.
  • Bethsaida - the birthplaces of many of Jesus' Apostles - Philip, Andrew, Peter (John 1:44; John 12:21), and perhaps also James and John.
  • Capernaum, the "town of Jesus" with the House of St Peter.
  • Magdala the birthplace of Mary Magdalene
  • Mount of Beatitudes - where Jesus is believed to have delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
  • Tabgha - the place of the first miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
• Sepphoris, the site of the home of Anne and Joachim, parents of Virgin Mary

Judea and Samaria

Alphabetically by noun, ignoring the Arabic article (al-, el-)

• Beit Sahour the site of the Adoration of the shepherds ("Shepherds' Field").
• Bethany, site of the resurrection of Lazarus.
• Bethlehem - the birthplace of Jesus, marked in particular by the Church of the Nativity.
• Burqin Church. According to Christian tradition, Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine. He encountered them and passed his hand on their faces and then they were immediately cured. Since this miracle, the church became a station for many Christian pilgrims. This is also one of the world's oldest churches.
• Deir Hijla, or Saint Gerasimos Monastery - located on the site where Mary, Joseph and Jesus used to rest during the Flight to Egypt. Also the place of the lavra of Saint Gerasimos. Near Jericho and Qasr al-Yahud.
• Jacob's well in Nablus.
• Jericho - the site of the Mount of Temptation and of the Sycomore Tree of Zacchaeus.
• Mar Saba, the most important and largest monastery in the Holy Land and the resting place of Saint Sabas which was also the monk who built this monastery.
• Qasr al-Yahud - part of the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (see Al-Maghtas and Bethany Beyond the Jordan). On the west bank of the Jordan River near Jericho. Has many abandoned Christian monasteries, only the Greek Orthodox monastery of St John has reopened.
• Al-Qubeiba ("Franciscan Emmaus") - as the Franciscan tradition sees this as the biblical Emmaus, they built a large church at the site.

Jordan

Alphabetically by noun, ignoring the Arabic article (al-, el-)

• Anjara, Our Lady of the Mount Church - built around a cave, where by tradition Jesus, the Virgin Mary and the disciples rested during a trip between Jerusalem and Galilee.
• Machaerus - the Herodian fortress where John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded.
• Al-Maghtas - the site of the baptism of Jesus, recognised by all major Christian denominations. On the east bank of the Jordan River across from Jericho. See also Bethany beyond the Jordan.
• Mount Nebo - traditional site of the death of Moses and where he looked over to the "promised land"
• Tell Mar Elias outside Ajloun - ruins of a large Byzantine church dedicated to the Prophet Elijah the Tishbite and located in the area of biblical Tishbe in Gilead.

Western Christianity

Sites associated with Western Christianity (Roman Catholicism, including sites now in Protestant parts of Europe).

Austria

• Mariazell. Marian Shrine to Austria and Hungary

Belgium

• Banneux - Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1933
• Beauraing - Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1932 .

Czech Republic

• Infant Jesus of Prague
• Velehrad
• Stará Boleslav

Finland

• Kirkkokari, the only Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in Finland.

France

• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. A very important marian apparition shrine to Catholics.
• Cathedral of Chartres.
• Conques.
• Issoudun.^[1]
• La Salette, Our Lady of La Salette
• Saint Catherine Labouré of Paris
• Pellevoisin. Apparition of the Virgin Mary.
• Taizé Community, modern monastery that actively encourages pilgrimages to it.

• The several churches and basilicas in Lourdes - associated with Marian apparitions receive over 5 million pilgrims a year, making Lourdes the second most visited Christian pilgrimage site in Europe after Rome.
• Paris - the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, and Basilica of Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre
• Basilica of St. Thérèse (Lisieux) - in Normandie. The second pilgrimage site in France after Lourdes with over 2 million visitors per year.

Germany

• Basilica of the Vierzehnheiligen.
• St. Maria in der Kupfergasse, Cologne
• Kevelaer
• Cologne Cathedral. Shrine of the Three Kings.

Hungary

• Máriapócs^[2]

Ireland

• Croagh Patrick mountain in County Mayo, associated with Saint Patrick and Reek Sunday
• Glendalough, County Wicklow, associated with Saint Kevin
• Knock Shrine, Knock, County Mayo, site of an 1879 apparition of the Virgin Mary
• Skellig Michael, an ancient monastic island
• St. Patrick's Purgatory, County Donegal, another site associated with Saint Patrick

Italy

• Padua, St Anthony, relics
• Sacri Monti, the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy.
• Turin Cathedral, the home of the Shroud of Turin.
• St. Peter's Basilica, the place of many burials since that of Saint Peter

• Vatican City - location of Saint Peter's Basilica, relics of various saints (such as John Paul II), relics of the Passion of Christ, and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church
• Rome - the site of the deaths of early martyrs (Colosseum), the sanctuaries of many saints, such as Ignatius of Loyola, and papal basilicas with important relics
• Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church - the shrine of Saint Padre Pio at San Giovanni Rotondo in Apulia; also Pietrelcina as the birthplace of Padre Pio
• Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi; also the church of Saint Clare
• Loreto in the Marche; home of the Basilica della Santa Casa
• Lanciano in Abruzzo - the site of the famous Eucharistic miracle
• Venice - the shrine of Saint Mark the evangelist and patron saint of Venice
• Padua - the sanctuary of St Anthony of Padua
• Monte Cassino - the shrine of Saint Benedict
• Amalfi near Naples - the sanctuary of Saint Andrew
• Salerno in Campania - the shrine of Saint Matthew
• Pavia near Milan - the tomb of St. Augustine of Hippo at the church of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro

Lithuania

• Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Vilnius) with the first Divine Mercy image,
• Hill of Crosses, near Šiauliai,
• Žemaičių Kalvarija, Samogitia,
• Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, Vilnius,
• Šiluva.

Netherlands

• (Heilige Stede)Holy Site, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Kapel in 't Zand, Roermond of Limburg
• Lourdesgrot or Lourdes Grotto, a 1:13 scale replica of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes of Massabielle, France found in the Lourdeskapel (Scheveningen), The Hague-Scheveningen, Netherlands

Norway

• Nidaros, Trondheim. Shrine of St. Olav. 4th most visited pilgrimage site in Middle Ages.

Poland

• Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, where the Black Madonna of Częstochowa is housed permanently. It receives about 4–5 million pilgrims a year.
• The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń in Licheń Stary, the home of the miraculous image, known as the Sorrowful Queen of Poland (Bolesna Królowa Polski). This developing complex receives over a million pilgrims a year.
• Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Kraków-Łagiewniki, the global center of Divine Mercy, with the most popular version of Divine Mercy image, as well as the grave of saint Faustina Kowalska. It receives millions of pilgrims from all around the world.
• Góra Świętej Anny
• Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
• Matka Boska Kębelska in Wąwolnica
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ludźmierz in Ludźmierz
• Sanctuary of St. Hedwig in Trzebnica
• Supraśl Lavra
• Święta Lipka
• Wambierzyce

Portugal

• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima - is one of the largest Marian shrines in the world. Our Lady of Fátima is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary according to her apparitions to three shepherd children at Fátima on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917. Fátima, Portugal, receives about 4–5 million pilgrims a year.
• Sanctuary of Christ the King - is a famous Catholic monument and shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, place of many pilgrimages.
• Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Ermesinde - an important pilgrimage destination to visit the tomb with the incorrupt body of Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart.
• Balazar - an important pilgrimage destination since the 20th century due to Alexandrina Maria da Costa, died 1955, who gained fame as a Saint, beatified by Pope John Paul II.

Spain

• Santiago de Compostela - in Galicia on the Way of St. James (Galician: O Camiño de Santiago). This famous medieval pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James is still popular today.
• San Sebastián de Garabandal - a rural village in Cantabrian mountains where occurred the famous apparitions of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Michael the Archangel.
• Sanctuary of Chandavila - a Marian shrine dedicated to the apparitions of Our Lady of Sorrows in La Codosera, province of Badajoz.
• Sanctuary of Onuva - a Marian shrine dedicated to the apparitions of Our Lady of Graces occurred near La Puebla del Río, province of Seville.
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Umbe - a Marian shrine dedicated to the apparitions of Our Lady of Sorrows in Umbe, near Bilbao, Biscay.
• Sanctuary of the Holy Christ of Agony - shrine with the Miraculous Crucifix where Jesus Christ appeared alive on the Cross, situated in Limpias, Cantabria.
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Covadonga - a significant Marian shrine situated in the Peaks of Europe range of mountains, Asturias.
• The Basilica and Sactuary of Our Lady of Candelaria - situated of Tenerife, is a Marian shrine dedicated of Our Lady of Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands.
• Ávila, the birthplace of Saint Theresa of Jesus and first foundation of a convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns.
• Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza. It is reputed to be the first church dedicated to Virgin Mary in history.
• Basilica of Caravaca de la Cruz, situated in the region of Murcia.
• Montserrat, Catalonia. The Virgin of Montserrat is housed permanently in the Monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat.
• The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe situated in Guadalupe, Cáceres.
• The Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana located in Cantabria.
• The Way of Saint James. The Way of Saint James is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.

Romania

• Miercurea Ciuc, Transylvania. Whit Sunday gathering of (mostly ethnic Hungarian) Catholics.

Slovakia

• Shrine of Our Lady of Litmanová, a Marian apparition.
• Turzovka - place of Marian apparitions.
• Levoča
• Šaštín
• Marianka

Switzerland

• Einsiedeln

UK

• Bardsey Island, Wales. Numerous relics of local saints, including Saint Cadfan
• Bromholm Priory, England. Claimed to possess a piece of the True Cross
• Bury St Edmunds Abbey, England. Associated with Saint Edmund the Martyr
• Canterbury Cathedral, England. Associated with Saint Thomas Becket
• Glastonbury, England. Saint Joseph of Arimathea
• Iona, Scotland. Centre of Gaelic Monasticism. Associated with Saint Columba.
• Holywell, Wales. St Winefride's Well is alleged to be the oldest continuously operating pilgrimage site in Great Britain
• Lindisfarne, England. Saint Cuthbert's remains were removed in 875, and were finally transferred to Durham Cathedral in 1104
• Peak Pilgrimage, Peak District, England. From Ilam, Staffordshire (a place of pilgrimage since St Bertram, a Saxon saint and hermit) to Eyam, Eyam St Lawrence's Church, Eyam the Plague Village, Peak District
• St Albans Cathedral, England. Associated with the country's first martyr, Saint Alban
• St Andrews Cathedral, Scotland. For the recently revived pilgrimage tradition here see The Way of St Andrews
• St Andrews, Scotland. It is said that Saint Andrew was given, by God, directions to the location of St Andrews
• St David's, Wales. Pilgrimage site since canonisation of the saint in the 12th century
• Struell Wells, Northern Ireland. Traditionally associated with Saint Patrick
• Walsingham, England. Virgin Mary apparition site
• Waltham Abbey, England. Medieval site of the Holy Cross of Waltham
• Winchester Cathedral, England. Associated with Saint Swithun

Eastern Christianity

Sites associated with Eastern Christianity in Eastern Europe and the Near East (excluding the Holy Land proper).

Armenia

• Etchmiadzin (Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin). Etchmiadzin is the spiritual and administrative centre of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Bulgaria

• Rila Monastery - largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria.

Egypt

• Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai, traditional site of the Burning Bush and the reception of the Ten Commandments has been commemorated since the time of Constantine the Great
• Monastery of Saint Anthony, a Coptic Orthodox monastery/cathedral located in the Eastern Desert. It is a very important model for many monastics.

Georgia

• Mtskheta. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral 11th century, Jvari (monastery) 6th century (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
• David Gareja monastery complex. A rock-hewn monastery complex founded in the 6th century
• Vardzia. A cave monastery site in southern Georgia
• Gelati Monastery. The monastery contains the Church of the Virgin founded in 1106, and the 13th-century churches of St George and St Nicholas (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Greece

• Mount Athos. Orthodox monastic centre.
• Tinos.
• Patmos. island of Revelation.
• Saint Nicholas of Spata Road to Saint Nicholas.

India

• Goa. St. Francis Xavier
• St. Thomas Mount. Place where St. Thomas was martyred.
• Vailankanni. 16th-century Marian apparition site.
• Thodupuzha. Divine Mercy Shrine of Holy Mary :- Marian apparition site.
• Shrine of the Infant Jesus, Nashik, Mahrashtra

Romania

• Iași, where over 1 million pilgrims from all over Romania and neighboring Orthodox countries supposedly queue to touch the relics of Saint Paraskevi

Russia

• Diveyevo Monastery, the main shrine of St. Seraphim of Sarov
• Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the main shrine of St. Sergius of Radonezh
• Pokrovsky Monastery, the main shrine of St. Matrona of Moscow
• Valaam Monastery, the main pilgrimage centre in the North-West of Russia

Serbia

• Djunis monastery near Kruševac is the most visited shrine in Serbia, dedicated to the Theotokos

Syria

• Saidnaya
• Soufanieh Marian apparition in a suburb of Damascus

Turkey

• House of the Virgin Mary located in Ephesus. The former home of the Virgin Mary until her Assumption/Dormition is a shrine blessed and declared a place of pilgrimage for Christians by Pope John Paul II.^[3]
• Constantinople, today known as Istanbul. Former capital of the Byzantine Empire and the see of one of the five ancient Patriarchates and first among equals among the patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Hagia Sophia, former cathedral and burial place of many Ecumenical Patriarchs. The world-wide capital of the Greek Orthodox Church and home to many of the oldest churches in the world. It is home to the Church of St. George seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.
• Antioch. Considered to be "the cradle of Christianity", Antioch is an early center of Christianity and the official seat of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. Home to many old Christian churches.

Ukraine

• Pochayiv Lavra
• Holy Mountains Lavra
• Kiev Monastery of the Caves

New World

Pilgrimage sites in parts of the world reached by Christianity in the early modern or modern era, including the Americas and Southeast and East Asia.

East and Southeast Asia

Japan

• Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument, Site of the execution of twenty-six Japanese Christians in 1597.

Indonesia

• Sendangsono. Central Java; The first native java baptized by Rv. Van Lith, SJ

Malaysia

• St. Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam, mainland Penang state

Philippines

• National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. One of the most venerated Marian images in Asia.
• Our Lady of Manaoag is one of the Philippines' most widely visited Roman Catholic Pilgrimage sites and the patroness of the sick, the helpless and the needy.
• Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga City is the patroness of ailments, moreover, the whole Southern Luzon. It is considered to be the one of the largest Marian pilgrimages in Asia.
• Quiapo Church. Home to the much venerated Black Nazarene, a much venerated statue of Jesus Christ which many people believe has miraculous attributes

Latin America

Brazil

• Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida - one of the largest churches in the world and receives about 8 million visitors per year.

Costa Rica

• Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels - the pilgrims walk from all around the country with the goal of arriving on 2 August to the Basilica in Cartago, that date is the feast day of the feast day of Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula (on which the Portiuncola Indulgence could be gained) and a national holiday due to the pilgrimage.

Mexico

• Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe - one of the largest churches in the world and receives about 20 million pilgrims per year. It can accommodate 40,000 people for a mass.
• Zapopan
• San Juan de los Lagos

North America

Canada

• Martyrs' Shrine, Ontario, in memory of the Canadian Martyrs
• Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec, associated with miraculous healings.
• Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, in honour of Our Lady of the Cape.

USA

• Immaculata Church in Cincinnati, Ohio; Catholics journey here to "Pray the Steps" on Good Friday, walking up 150 steps from the Ohio River to the top of Mount Adams while saying a prayer at each step.
• National Shrine of The Divine Mercy (Stockbridge, Massachusetts) dedicated to Divine Mercy
• Carey, Ohio to the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation; Catholic pilgrims from the Middle East journey here to mark the Feast of the Assumption^[4]
• Basilica and National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, in Emmitsburg, Maryland
• National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Emmitsburg, Maryland
• The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
• The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, site of the approved apparition of Mary by Adele Briese in Champion, Wisconsin, near Green Bay, Wisconsin
• The National Shrine of North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York
• The Black Madonna Shrine in Eureka, Missouri
• El Santuario de Chimayo, New Mexico
• Mission San Xavier del Bac, in Tucson, Arizona

References