Pilgrimage Sites in Holy Land
Discover 7 sacred destinations in Holy Land
The Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem stands over a grotto venerated as the birthplace of Christ since the second century — among the earliest sites in Christianity to be continuously identified. At Nazareth, pilgrims come to the place of the Annunciation, where Gabriel told Mary she would bear the Son of God, and to the town where Jesus grew up. Jerusalem holds the sites of the crucifixion and the resurrection, and of Pentecost, where the Church was born.
Two further destinations widen the picture. Mount Carmel above Haifa holds Elijah's Cave and the world headquarters of the Carmelite Order, founded there by hermits in the 12th century. Sepphoris, the Herodian capital of Galilee close to Nazareth, opens a window onto the urban world of Jesus' youth and honours the traditions surrounding Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary.
Bethlehem
Birthplace of Jesus Christ where the Church of the Nativity marks the grotto venerated since the second century.
Cana
The Galilee village where water became wine at Mary's word, kept by the Franciscans and visited by couples who renew their vows.
Capernaum
The Galilee town on the lake shore where Jesus based his ministry, and where one room of Peter's house was set apart for Christian prayer.
Haifa - Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel holds Elijah's Cave and the headquarters of the Carmelite Order, whose first hermits settled on the mountain.
Jerusalem
The holiest city in Christianity, site of Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and the birth of the Church at Pentecost.
Nazareth
Nazareth is Jesus' childhood home and the site of the Annunciation, where Gabriel told Mary she would bear the Son of God.
Sepphoris
Sepphoris, the ornate Herodian capital of Galilee, offers pilgrims a window into the urban world of Jesus' youth and honors the traditions of Saints Joachim and Anna, parents of the Virgin Mary.