Throughout time, Man has been drawn to the natural landscape, struck by its beauty and by its spiritual powers. Of the many geographical wonders, the mountain features in many world cultures as a sacred site.

There is something solitary, mysterious and majestic about mountains that stirs the imagination to great heights. “Far, far above, piercing the infinite sky,” wrote English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley about one, “…the still and solemn power of many sights, and many sounds, and much of life and death”.

Besides literature, the mountain has also inspired countless myths and legends, from Noah’s biblical vessel believed to have come to shore on the Ararat Mountain bordering Turkey and Armenia, to Hindu god Shiva and the goddess Parvati’s abode up on Tibet’s Mount Kailash.

Perhaps it is Man’s belief that it is where one can be closest to the heavens, or perhaps it is the indescribable sense of wonder, peace and connectedness with nature the sight of a mountain evokes, that in itself is a divine experience.

Whatever your spiritual persuasion, here are five breathtaking sacred mountains to visit, from the easiest to scale, to the most challenging. Check out some of the spiritual traditions connected to them at A Tapestry of Sacred Music 2018.