The world is full of places of great significance. What is important to one person, may not have the same sort of meaning to another. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; our diverse cultures, and tastes make the world a more interesting place. For this reason, different sites and locations hold significance for different people. Who’s to say that the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to a Roman Catholic means any less than the Salford Lads Club does to a Smiths fan? (We won’t even go down the road of Catholic Smiths fans…)
The journey to a place of significance in many ways can be all the more meaningful that the visit itself. The road allows for reflection, and time to think why this place is so special. Here’s some of the most popular, yet diverse pilgrimage spots you might want to consider visiting.
1) Lourdes
The French town is considered a holy place for Catholics due to the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes that occurred in the town in the mid 19th Century. Today the town is visited by many thousands of religious devotees in search of the supposed healing powers of the water. The site has been verified as being of holy significance, and is one of the most visited places for Catholics in the world, as it has been associated with a number of medical miracles.
2) Abbey Road
The Beatles once claimed to be ‘bigger than Jesus’, and it’s easy to see why they weren’t far off, especially at the height of their popularity in the 1960’s. For fans of the Fab Four, ground zero is the London recording studio, Abbey Road. Here the band recorded their entire discography throughout the 60’s, and the location was cemented in legend when it featured on the cover of the 1969 record of the same name. Today, you can still see people dodging traffic on the Abbey Road webcam, in tribute to John, Ringo, Paul and George.
3) Manhattan Bench
If you’re a fan of the films of Woody Allen, the single scene that stands out as arguably his most iconic is when he and Diane Keaton share a bench in 1979’s Manhattan. The films poster now adorns the walls of the student flats of many aspiring film makers across the world, and serves as a reminder of Allen’s talent for scouting locations in his home city. Today, unbelievably, the bench has been removed, but is still easily accessible and offers the same dramatic view of the Queensboro Bridge.
4) Elvis Presley’s Grave
“This is my Graceland”, a phrase normally reserved for arriving in a place of great personal significance. But what about Graceland, itself? Home to the undisputed King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, the Tennessee mansion serves as a shire to his memory. In the grounds, you’ll find the final resting place of the man himself, where millions of fans have visited to pay their respects since his death in 1977. Make sure you’re ready to wait in line, as the grave site is one of the most visited graves in the whole world!
5) The Parthenon
Considered to be one of the world’s most significant cultural sites, the Parthenon in Athens was originally built as a temple to the Greek goddess, Athena, the goddess of Wisdom. It is regarded as a places of great historical and cultural importance, and is listed by UNESCO as being an incredibly important monument. The whole Acropolis of Athens conations remnants of the ancient Greek civilisation, and is definitely worth a visit if you want a lesson in the origins of modern democracy.
Where would you like to take a pilgrimage? Let us know in the comments below!
