on religious travel: ❖ karol slowikowski
10
Top Religious Sites in Europe From Ireland to Italy, holy places draw faithful Christians
Northern Spain’s Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, with its magnificent Baroque facade, houses the relics of St. James.
very year millions of people travel to see the Vatican. But Rome is not the end-all for religious tourism. Dozens of religiously significant cities and sacred shrines dot the vast and ancient landscape of Europe. The following list spotlights some of the most visited holy places on the continent, from its western seaboard to its eastern boundaries:
National Tourist Office of Spain
E
16 October 2011
1. FATIMA, PORTUGAL The Chapel of the Apparitions is built on the site of a Marian apparition that appeared before three peasant children in 1917. Every year since then on the anniversaries of the apparitions, May 13 and Oct. 13, the streets of Fatima swell with throngs of pilgrims who make their way to the holy site. Fatima (88 miles north of Lisbon) is
home to dozens of imposing churches and monuments. Shops selling religious souvenirs, hostels and hotels can be found throughout the city. (visitportugal.com, rt-leiriafatima.pt) 2. CAMINO DE SANTIAGO, SPAIN One of the oldest pilgrimage routes in the world runs through Northern LeisureGroupTravel.com