Old Jewish Cemetery of Prague
I’m the sort of person who arranges her vacations around cemeteries I haven’t visited yet. Do you also go out of your way to see a new graveyard?
I tried to limit this poll to the most likely tourist destination — one per country — in the European Union. Another poll will follow that explores graveyards farther afield.
Please feel free to vote for more than one in the following list. Add any that you’d recommend in the comments.
This poll doesn’t record your identity, so no worries there. I will not spam you, either. I’m just curious to see how widely traveled readers of this blog are.
I haven’t been to any of those but I was in a small cemetery in the Basque country in France and I the cover of the grave had been pulled apart to reveal the (very old) bones inside!
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It sounds amazing. I’m thinking about a trip to the Basque country next year. What would you suggest I see?
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Your blog is absolutely fascinating to me, Loren. Quirky, a little weird…but absolutely fascinating! I haven’t been to too many really unusual cemeteries, but I grew up with one at the end of my street and have always been very comfortable, almost compelled to peacefully walk the grounds. A favorite book in high school (which I read again from time to time) is Peter S. Beagle’s “A Fine and Private Place”–which, you very well may have read, but if not, in your case I think it’s a must! I’ve found myself more than once walking around Glendale, CA Forest Lawn’s “babyland” and reading the headstones of very young children. I admit it brings me kind of low, but I am drawn to the remarkable way that parents find of memorializing the loss of their children. I look forward to reading your blog and learning what fuels your interest! Debra
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Thanks, Debra. I haven’t read that Peter S. Beagle book, but I’ll put it on my list!
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Loren, I like the banner, I like the theme, very interesting and spooky…But cemeteries can be quite a historical place…..Walking where people have walked 100s of years ago…I have never ventured to a graveyard outside of funerals or Arlington…..Maybe I should reconsider next summer’s family vacation…Brian
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There are so many historic cemeteries that are perfect for summer vacations: the graves of the patriots in Boston, the boot hills of the West, the battlefields of the Civil War, on and on and on. The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor is a graveyard. Yosemite Valley has a graveyard. Chances are, when you’re on vacation, you won’t have to go far out of your way to see something beautiful.
I can’t wait to hear what you discover.
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While we haven’t been to any of those famous places, we do hit the cemeteries when we travel and actually when we lived in Savannah close to home. The Pioneer Cemetery and Bonaventure are just beautiful and fascinating. Here in Oregon there are lots of little town plots that tell the most wonderful stories too. I love the stonework and statuary too.
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I don’t know my way about Oregon very well. Are there any cemeteries I should come up to visit?
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