Mount Kōya, Japan

The Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi founded this mountaintop temple town in 819. Today, the sacred and serene place is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and contains more than 100 temples, including head temple Kongobuji, featuring gorgeous gilded sliding doors and ceilings carved with flowers. Within the ancient complex is a mausoleum and cemetery surrounded by a cedar forest with old growth trees up to 600 years old.