Mount Athos

Location: Greece Most frequented by: Eastern Orthodox Depending on your views on gender equality, this one's either going to entice you or make you really, really angry. It's for men only. The Byzantine emperor Constantine IX officially banned women from Mt. Athos in 1045, but he didn't stop there. He also prohibited female animals and children, as well as eunuchs. These days, the eunuch ban isn't strictly enforced (how could it be?), and you might be able to find a hen or two walking around. The rule excluding women, though, is still very much in place

Despite the ardent efforts of feminist groups, not to mention the European Union, to pressure the Greek government into lifting the ban.Mt. Athos, a self-governed region on a peninsula in northeastern Greece, is the Rolls-Royce of meditation retreats. The 6,670-foot peak is populated by 20 monasteries sprinkled across dazzlingly beautiful marble cliffs and ancient evergreen forest. There, monks practice Heyschasm, a lifestyle in which followers seek hesychia, or "divine quietness," a practice common to the Eastern Orthodox Church. As for the religion itself,

It arose after a split with the Church of Rome in 1054, largely due to questions concerning the authority of the pope. To visit one of the monasteries, men must obtain permits in advance, and crowds are limited to 100 per day. Once there, serious contemplation and meditation are encouraged; gawking tourism is not. Visitors are allowed to eat and room with the monks, as well as participate in daily work routines. More than 350,000 men travel to Mt. Athos annually. In recent years, England's Prince Charles has been a regular visitor. A Tibetan monk addresses other monks at Bodh Gaya.