Nearly every culture in human history has sought to honor the divine, the mysterious, the supernatural or the extraordinary in some way. Most often this happens at sacred sites: special places where the physical world seems to meet the spiritual world. These might be awe-inspiring natural places, sites connected to a god, saint or hero, places where miracles occurred, or buildings consecrated for worship or ritual.

Sacred sites are spiritually meaningful to millions today and the ancient practice of pilgrimage is as popular as it ever was. But you don't have to be a believer to recognize that holy places, religious buildings, and sacred art are some of the most beautiful and interesting sights you'll encounter in your travels. After all, because of the great importance of the sacred, they have been lavished with the very best in artistic skill, funding, time, materials and labor.

Sacred Destinations is an ecumenical guide to more than 1,100 sacred sites, holy places, pilgrimage destinations, religious architecture and sacred art in 55 countries around the world. In addition to richly illustrated articles, Sacred Destinations has photo galleries with over 15,000 high-quality images (most taken by the author) plus detailed maps and lots of practical travel information. Happy exploring!