Most Remote Monasteries on Earth

Oregon State USA 🇺🇸

Norway 🇳🇴

Italy 🇮🇹

Key Monastery

Set in the scenic and secluded Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, Key Monastery lies in the very north of India, high up in the Himalayas. Perched atop a hill at an altitude of 4,166 meters, the Tibetan Buddhist monastery boasts commanding views over the sweeping valleys and towering mountains around it.

Believed to have been founded in the 11th century, its whitewashed buildings exhibit lots of fantastic architecture, ancient murals, and colorful wall paintings. Still in use to this day, Key Monastery is an important training center for Lamas, with many monks residing here throughout the year.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery

Lying at the foot of Mount Willow, Saint Catherine’s Monastery is located in the arid and desolate confines of Egypt‘s Sinai Peninsula, not far from the small town of the same name. Home to a fine old church and mosque, as well as a centuries-old library, the fortified complex boasts lots of superb icons, mosaics, and manuscripts.

One of the oldest monasteries in the world, Saint Catherine’s was founded all the way back in the year 324 and is still an important pilgrimage site for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Many people combine it with a visit to the nearby Mount Sinai, which is where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments.

Katskhi Pillar

Rising dramatically above its surroundings, Katskhi Pillar is a natural limestone monolith home to the ruins of an early medieval hermitage. Lying in the west of Georgia, the sheer sides of the rocky outcrop tower to 40 meters. For centuries, its inaccessibility meant that its small church and hermit cells went unvisited.
Long seen as a symbol of the True Cross by locals, the pillar’s ruins were finally restored in the early 2000s when a monk moved in. Although the site is closed to the public, Katskhi Pillar makes for a breathtaking sight; its prominent peak is surrounded by lots of wonderful nature and stands out delightfully against the sky.