• 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
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CAVE OF THE CRYSTALS

July 31, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Mexico The Cave of the Crystals, an extension of the famous Naica Mine, is one of the most unique places on Earth.  It is home to a veritable forest of immense cave crystals, some of the largest ever discovered.  Only known since the year 2000, this magnificent cave is unfortunately not open to the general public, though scientific exploration is ongoing. The Naica Mine is an … [Read more...]

COPPER CANYON

July 30, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Mexico Copper Canyon is Mexico’s answer to the Grand Canyon, and in some ways rivals its more famous American cousin.  Carved out by six rivers, it is actually longer and in some places deeper.  The canyon gets its name from the coppery hue of its walls.  The Copper Canyon is famous for its ecosystem, which ranges from temperate cold to subtropical areas, and which boasts a … [Read more...]

PICO DE ORIZABA

June 27, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Mexico (5,636 m) – Sacred Mountain of the Aztecs and Other Local Tribes Pico de Orizaba, a dormant volcano, is the highest mountain in Mexico.  It last erupted in the 1800s.  A religiously and culturally important peak to pre-Columbian civilizations, the mountain was a site of worship and pilgrimage to various groups including the Totanacs, Olmecs, Aztecs and Mayans.  Pico de … [Read more...]

MOUNT TAJUMULCO & MOUNT TACANA

June 15, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Guatemala/Mexico (4,220 m, 4,067 m) – Tallest Mountains in Central America Mount Tajumulco and Mount Tacana are the tallest mountains in Central America, and the largest semi-active volcanoes in the same region.  Tajumulco, entirely within Guatemala, is the tallest, though Tacana on the border with Mexico is arguably the more spectacular.  Both volcanoes are currently, though … [Read more...]

BATTLE OF CHAPULTEPEC (CHAPULTEPEC BATTLEFIELD)

December 9, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Mexico City, Mexico (1847 AD) The Battle of Chapultepec was the last major engagement of the American campaign to capture Mexico City during the Mexican-American War.  It was followed by the storming of the city, which crippled the Mexican war effort and effectively ended the imperial government of Santa Ana.  Although an American victory, the battle is commemorated for the … [Read more...]

BATTLE OF MONTE DE LAS CRUCES (MONTE DE LAS CRUCES BATTLEFIELD)

December 9, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Ocoyoacac, Mexico (1810 AD) The Battle of Monte de Las Cruces was one of the decisive battles of the Mexican War of Independence, and arguably the greatest rebel victory of the war.  Like the Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution, it showed that the local populace could muster an army and defeat a major European power in open battle.  Although the victory at Las … [Read more...]

BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

February 15, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Mexico City, Mexico The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most important and popular Marian Shrines in the Americas, second only to the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparaceda in Brazil.  But it does not stand in the shadow of its rival, and is probably the most visited church in Spanish speaking countries.  It is claimed that in December of 2009, the Basilica of Our … [Read more...]

FORT SAN JUAN DE ULUA

December 20, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Veracruz, Mexico While the fortifications of Campeche are collectively more impressive, the Fort San Juan de Ulua in Veracruz is singly the best fortress complex in Mexico and one of the finest in the Gulf of Mexico.  Seemingly rising up out of the harbor, Fort San Juan de Ulua was one of the most impregnable fortifications in the New World.  As evidence of this, the fort … [Read more...]

CAMPECHE FORTIFICATIONS

December 20, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Campeche, Mexico Campeche was the most important Spanish colonial port in Mexico, and one of the most important colonial cities in the Caribbean.  Because of the wealth that passed through here on its way to Europe, it was also one of the most attractive and luratice targets for pirates in the New World.  To protect it the Spanish turned Campeche into one of the most heavily … [Read more...]

POINSETTIA FARMS OF TAXCO

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

POINSETTIA FARMS OF TAXCO

Taxco de Alarcon, Mexico Many plants have come to be identified with the Christmas season.  Holly, ivy, and of course mistletoe all evolved from the pagan traditions of Northern Europe to earn a beloved place in the holidays.  But it was Southern Mexico that yielded the most colorful and popular Christmas plant of all: the spectacular Poinsettia.  Discovered by Spanish … [Read more...]

Next Page »

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 © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

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