Twenty-SomethingTravel

I did schedule this post to come out near Halloween on purpose, but the truth is: I don’t find cemeteries spooky at all. Peaceful, yes. Beautiful, often. But scary, no. Honestly, I think that visiting a cemetery can give you a lot of insight into the history, culture and even the art and architecture of a city.

Here are 10 of the most beautiful cemeteries on earth. Some of them are better known than others, but I think you’ll agree that all of these are worth a visit:

Bonaventure Cemetery- Savannah, Georgia

Creative Commons License photo credit: phill55188

A classically Southern Cemetery, full of elaborate tombstones and a canopy of Spanish moss dripping down. Some of the plots here date back to the Civil War and it is still an operational cemetery today. Bonaventure has been a popular tourist attraction ever since it was featured in John Berendt’s book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Westminster Abbey- London, England

Creative Commons License photo credit: Wolfiewolf

London as an abundance of historical and beautiful cemeteries, but the history/ literature buff in me always loves to visit the elaborate tombs at Westminster Abbey. The giant church is nearly 1000 years old and many of the great Kings and Queens of England have been coronated, married, and buried here, including Queen Elizabeth I. Great deals of other notables of English history are also buried here. My favorite bit is Poet’s Corner where you can find the graves of Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and many more.

Mirogoj Cemetery- Zagreb Croatia

Creative Commons License photo credit: tomislavmedak

Although it’s not as well known as some of the others on this list Mirogoj is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in all of Europe. Built during the early part of the twentieth century in a neo- Renaissance style the cemetery has beautiful cupolas, flower gardens and walkways. Mirogoj is notable for it’s equal inclusion of catholic, orthodox and Jewish symbology.

Old Jewish Cemetery- Prague, Czech Republic

Creative Commons License photo credit: kyle simourd

Like most of Prague’s Jewish Quarter this cemetery is a museum of a population long gone.  The Jewish population of Prague had minimal space where they were allowed to bury their dead; as a result bodies were buried literally on top of one another, resulting in almost twelve layers of graves. The tombstones, some of which date to the fifteenth century are a tumbling clash, piled on one another haphazardly. It’s an amazing site to see.

St. Andrew’s Cathedral- St. Andrew’s Scotland

The cathedral itself is in ruins. Built in 1158 and once Scotland’s largest church, it stripped during the Protestant Reformation, all that’s left are beautifully preserved ruins jutting out into the North Sea. A modern graveyard has sprung up among the ruins, which certainly must be one of the most scenic places to be buried in Great Britain. Try to visit at sunset for a breathtaking view

Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Surrounded by the old Spanish Fort San Cristóbal on one side, the rather menacing slum of La Perla on another and the deep blue Atlantic ocean on the third, Santa Maria Magdalena also deserves a prize for scenery. According to Wikipedia “the colonial Spanish government at the time construction of the cemetery commenced, viewed death with fear because it was a mystery. Therefore, they decided to build the cemetery to overlook the Atlantic Ocean to symbolize the spirit’s journey to cross over to the afterlife.”

Arlington Cemetery- Arlington, Virginia

Creative Commons License photo credit: amiefedora

I couldn’t leave out the most famous cemetery in America, located in my own hometown of Arlington. 624 acres of uniform white stones is a mesmerizing sight. Some of the more elaborate landmarks are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater and the Eternal Flame at the gravesite of JFK.

Père Lachaise Cemetery- Paris, France

Creative Commons License photo credit: ricardo.martins

Allegedly the most visited cemetery in the entire world. Père Lachaise was established in 1804 and has served as  a primary burial place for Paris throughout the next 2000 controversial years. Monuments there reflect the French Revolution, the Spanish Civil War as well as World Wars One and Two. As can be imagined the cemetery is a sprawling “city of the dead” with street names and winding paths. The inhabitants are too many to list, but include Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt and Edith Pilaf.

Highgate Cemetery- London, England

Creative Commons License photo credit: RC_Fotos

If there is one thing London does well, it’s cemeteries. Highgate is the most famous of the Magnificent Seven- beautiful Victorian era cemeteries. Ramshackle trees and wildflowers run wild among elaborately carved marble and granite. Highgate is beautiful and spooky and everything a gothic cemetery should be- it even has it’s own vampire. Highgate is also famous for being the final resting place of Karl Marx, George Eliot and Douglas Adams.

La Recoleta- Buenos Aires, Argentina

Creative Commons License photo credit: pablo/T

Sometimes compared to Pere Lachese, La Recoleta is the major cemetery of Buenos Aires. It has a neoclassical exterior, but the interior is a virtual art gallery of different architectural styles. The most famous burial here is of course, Eva Peron.

Your turn, what cemeteries would you add to the list?

Related posts:

1. Finding the Victorians at Highgate Cemetery
2. 8 Lesser Known Things to Do in London
3. Friday Postcard: San Juan, Puerto Rico