If you’re looking for an adventure and a chance to get off the beaten path, add Blue Cliff Monastery in New York to your bucket list. This monastery is well worth the visit, but keep in mind that it’s not easy to find.
Once you find it, though, you’ll indulge in some of the most beautiful views in New York. It’s also a peaceful, calming place, but you don’t have to come specifically for meditation.
Monasteries vary in size and layout, but they typically include a place reserved for prayer, a library, sleeping quarters, and communal areas for eating and relaxing.
Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh founded the Blue Cliff Monastery in 2007. It’s currently home to a community of more than 150 monks, nuns, and lay people.