Monastery in Italy

Monastery Hotels

Monastery hotels – it sounds exotic. Recreation in monasteries is still considered to be an unusual way to spend your vacation. Nevertheless, in the global hotel business the term <<Temple stay>> is used very actively.

Guests of monastery hotels are usually pilgrims or the religious, who do not just travel, but wander. Monastery hotels provide these guests with a unique possibility to perfect themselves in praying and spiritual enlightenment. Recently, monastery hotels became actively attended by ordinary tourists. Recreation in monastery hotels attracts travelers with a possibility to see the life of priests inside, to get acquainted with the true culture and traditions of countries and nations.

There are two basic types of monastery hotels. Some of them are opened in the existing monasteries. Others simply use the buildings of the abandoned monasteries.

One of the most popular monasteries in the world is Shaolin. Shaolin - is the center of pilgrimage for thousands of people practicing Zen Buddhism, as well as hundreds of thousands of fans of the eastern martial arts and Chinese healing practices. There are two hotels in Shaolin today. They are Dharma Hall and Zen. Rooms in them cost relatively cheap. You can book a single room in the hotels of Shaolin for about 30-40 dollars per day.

During the World Cup Korean monasteries were hosting thousands of tourists. Since then, hotels in Buddhist monasteries on the outskirts of Seoul and Busan have become common for Korea. In order to stay in Korean hotel monastery every guest should obey simple rules: no smoking, no drinking, no blackguard.

Among the European monastery hotels the most popular ones are located in the Mediterranean region. Special glory is enjoyed by the Greek Orthodox monastery hotels. They are located on the famous holy Mount Athos. Hotels in the monasteries of Athos are called Arhondariki. However, not everyone can stay in such hotels. Over the last thousand of years there is a strict rule on Athos that prohibits a woman to cross the threshold of any of the 20 monasteries located on the island.

Monastery hotels of Italy – is a special charm of the Apennines, which can be discovered by tourists in the medieval frescoes and the famous monastery wine cellars. Monastery hotels of Italy allow women to stay, but many of them have the same strict rules as in Greece. This applies to those Italian monasteries, which provide guests with monk cells and do not have a separate hotel building. Monastery hotels of Italy are known as one of the cheapest types of accommodation for tourist in the country. The average cost of accommodation there is about 20 euros.

Hotels located in the monastery buildings - is an innovation in the hotel industry. Nevertheless, the authoritative <<Forbs>> magazine has already managed to publish the list of the best hotels located in the former monasteries. Among them are: newlyweds hotel in England, situated in the former Carmelite monastery and the luxurious hotel in the building of the former Jesuit monastery of XV century, located in Peru, in the vicinity of the legendary Inca city of Machu Pikchu.

Photo: Wiedamann Media