• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CATHEDRAL OF CLERMONT-FERRAND

February 15, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Clermont, France The city of Clermont-Ferrand in Central France was the site of one of the most important moments in the history of the Church.  Prior to the Second Council of Clermont in 1095, Catholicism and the Papacy were purely religious entities, though with enormous influence over Christian Europe.  After the council, the Church was transformed into a major world power … [Read more...]

CATHEDRAL OF TROYES

February 15, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Troyes, France The magnificent Troyes Cathedral is in good company with the great cathedrals of the cities of Central France, and for this it can be somewhat overlooked.  It does not have a long association as a pilgrimage cathedral.  Its primary relic, that of Bernard of Clairvaux, was not interred here until the late 18th century; and it is not located along the major … [Read more...]

MARIENBURG CASTLE

June 8, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

MARIENBURG CASTLE

Malbork, Poland The Order of the Teutonic Knights was one of the three great knightly orders of the Middle Ages.  In the wake of the collapse of the Crusades, the Teutonic Knights, like their brethren the Templars and Hospitallars, found themselves driven back into Europe.  Composed mostly of soldiers from the German lands, they regrouped and reestablished themselves at … [Read more...]

CONVENT OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST

June 8, 2014 By Howard Kramer 1 Comment

CONVENT OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST

Tomar, Portugal When the Templars arrived in Western Iberia in 1160 AD, they built a string of fortresses to help secure their territories from the Moors.  The greatest of these, the Convento de Christo, is the finest surviving medieval castle in Portugal and one of the finest surviving Templar fortresses anywhere.  After their dissolution, most of what survived of the … [Read more...]

KRAK DES CHEVALIERS

June 8, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

KRAK DES CHEVALIERS

Homs, Syria While Akko was the military headquarters of the Crusaders in the Holy Land, the Krak des Chevaliers was their greatest bastion.  This tremendous fortress, first built by the Kurds and then later rebuilt by the Crusaders, is arguably one of the greatest castles in the world.  It is certainly one of the greatest castles that survived the Middle Ages essentially … [Read more...]

CRUSADER CITY

June 8, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

CRUSADER CITY

Akko, Israel The city of Akko, or Acre as it was called by the Crusaders, was one of the most important and militarily strategic cities in the world for the better part of two hundred years.  Christian warriors from Europe poured into this citadel on their way to do battle with the armies of Islam.  It was from here that Hospitalers, Templars, Teutonic Knights and others … [Read more...]

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.