The Vatican is a top destination for Catholics, who want to see St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Besides the Vatican, Rome is home to many other shrines and churches that may be of interest, including the Basilica of St. Mary Major and the Basilica of St. John Lateran, as well as the catacombs. Beyond Rome, Italy offers many cities of interest to Catholics, including Assisi, Siena and Turin.
Marian shrines in Europe abound, the most famous of which are Lourdes and Fatima, both in France. A trip to these Marian shrines should also include a visit to Paris, which is home to numerous Marian shrines and churches, including the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Eastern European countries such as Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic offer several destinations for Catholic tourists, particularly the cities of Warsaw, Czestochowa and Krakow in Poland, Prague in the Czech Republic and Vienna and Salzburg in Austria.
St. Ignatius of Loyola was the founder of the Jesuit order of priests, and an Ignatian tour of Europe is ideal for his devotees. St. Ignatius was from Spain; destinations for an Ignatian tour would include cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Loyola and Montserrat.
The Oberammergau Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, has been performed every 10 years since 1634, when the villagers made a vow to devote a Passion play to Christ every 10 years to be spared from the bubonic plague. The play will be performed in 2010 from May 15 to Oct. 3.
