Europe's spiritual side goes back much further than its cathedrals, and many travelers are just as drawn to stone circles, quiet islands and old pilgrim towns.
Stonehenge in England is the best-known ancient site, and thousands of people gather there to watch the sunrise on the summer solstice. Assisi in Italy, the hometown of Saint Francis, has a calm, gentle feel that many visitors notice even if they are not religious. Mont-Saint-Michel in France rises out of the sea like something from a dream, especially when the tide comes in around it. For real peace and quiet, the small island of Iona in Scotland has welcomed pilgrims for more than a thousand years and still feels far away from the modern world.
The famous sites get very crowded in summer, so going early in the morning, staying overnight or visiting in spring or autumn makes a big difference to the atmosphere.
