BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES REST HERE NOW

As hallowed grounds which hold some of our dearest memories, cemeteries are often viewed as sorrowful places. But some are designed to focus on the beauty of lives once lived and of the memories that remain. We are sharing 10 of the most breathtaking cemeteries in the world today. They are worth a visit!.

1. GRINDELWALD FRIEDHOF -- GRINDELWALD, SWITZERLAND

Pretty as a picture postcard, Grindelwald Friedhof, a cemetery in Grindelwald, Switzerland, is surrounded by the snow-capped Bernese Alps. Neat rows of ornately carved headstones stand guard over plots, bursting with colorful flowers.

While it seems odd to consider, these graves are rented for 25-year terms, then they are dug up and reused by newly departed. It’s a workaround that works for this country that is short on space and big on beauty.

2. BONAVENTURE CEMETERY -- SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Full of Southern charm and grace, Bonaventure Cemetery occupies 100 acres in the middle of a beautiful 18th century plantation, perched on a bluff overlooking the Wilmington River, in Savannah, Georgia. Its Gothic-style tombs, statues, and old tree-lined pathways, have such dramatic mood and character, they served as the backdrop for John Berendt’s bestselling novel and film, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

3. NORATUS CEMETERY -- NORATUS, ARMENIA

Noratus Cemetery, in Noratus, Armenia, is the largest surviving cemetery of khachkars, which are Armenian cross stones. Their primitive forms are embellished with multicolored lichen that add to their character. The oldest stones date back to the 10th century, while there is an impressive collection of modern funerary statuary as well.

4. HIGHGATE CEMETERY -- LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Highgate Cemetery sits as a lush green oasis on the edge of North London. Built in the early 19th century, its circular catacombs and ancient Egyptian-style tombs are breathtaking. Many notable authors and free thinkers are buried here, including Karl Marx and much of Charles Dickens’ immediate family.

5. MONTMARTRE CEMETERY -- PARIS, FRANCE

Montmartre Cemetery, in Paris, has a special romantic charm, with its cobbled alleys, lined with centuries-old maple, chestnut, lime, and cedar trees. Built in 1825, many iconic Montmartre-based artists are buried here. We love one statue there, in particular, called the Douleur, a self-portrait sculpted by the mother who is mourning her young son who lies buried beneath it.

Dancer choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky, filmmaker Francois Truffaut, and artist Edgar Degas are among the most famous people buried here.

6. MERRY CEMETERY -- SĂPÂNTA, ROMANIA

There is nothing somber or dark about the Merry Cemetery, in Săpânța, Romania! The bright colorful tombstones here are decorated with naïve paintings, portraying the lives of the people whose graves they mark. The local Dacian culture supports belief in the immortality of the soul and the joyful idea that the best is yet to come.

7. SUCRE’S GENERAL CEMETERY -- SUCRE, BOLIVIA

The sign at the entrance of Sucre’s general cemetery reads: Hodie Mihi Cras Tibi, which means, “Today Me, Tomorrow You.”  Sobering. Yet as you walk around the pristine gardens you will likely feel at peace.

This massive burial ground hosts many graves, marked by elaborate shrines, each designed as a shadow box, with photos, flowers and beloved objects on display behind glass. As with the cemetery in Switzerland, space here are rented, albeit for far shorter periods of time.

8. ST. BRYNACH’S NEVERN -- WALES, UNITED KINGDOM

The churchyard at St. Brynach’s Nevern is filled with ancient memories. The original chapel was built around 540 AD. It holds a giant intricately carved 11th century cross. On the 7th of April (St. Brynach's feast day,) villagers came to gather near the cross to await the first cuckoo of the year, as it flew in after wintering in Africa, to announce that spring had arrived.

One of the ancient yew trees growing near the church has a dark red resin that drips, like blood, from an old wound on the trunk, purportedly in sympathy for a monk who was wrongly sentenced to death.

9. JASWANT THADA -- JODHPUR, INDIA

Built in 1899, by Maharaja Sardar Singh, in memory of his father, the Jaswant Thada is a cenotaph, or empty tomb, located in Jodhpur, India. It once served as the burial ground for the region’s rulers. The mausoleum’s intricately carved, thin sheets of polished marble glow warmly in the sun, surrounded by a tiered garden, with carved gazebos, and a small lake.

10. CAPSULA MUNDI

Capsula Mundi is a different way of preserving the memories of those who once filled our lives. It is an eco-friendly burial solution. Designed by Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel, it is an egg-shaped container, made of biodegradable plastic, which serves as a vessel to hold a dead body folded into a fetal position. It is planted, like a seed, in the ground, and a tree is planted on top of it.

If this sounds rather unsentimental, consider this: the tree is chosen when the deceased was still among the living and it is tended by friends and relatives after the burial and planting. A cemetery planted with Capsula Mundi becomes a sacred forest.

Read more about Beautiful Memories, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including 10 New Books Explore the Beauty of Memories Now, The Beauty of Light’s Memories Now, Beautiful Chocolate, Wine, and Beer Recipes to Boost Your Memory Now!, Capturing Precious Memories as Art Now, The Beautiful Memories of Buildings Long Forgotten Now and Beautiful Evidence of Muscle Memory Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Des D. Mona. Stealing the Limelight. Rudbaxton. Wales, United Kingdom.
2. Image: by Diccon Bewes. Grindelwald Friedhof. Grindelwald, Switzerland.
3. Image: by Sandy Auriene Sullivan. Bonaventure Cemetery. Savannah, Georgia. United States.
4. Image: Courtesy of MediaCrat. Noratus Khachkars. Noratus, Armenia.
5. Image: by Nick Garrod. Egyptian Avenue - Highgate Cemetery. London, United Kingdom.
6. Image: by Peter Olsen. Douleur. Montmartre Cemetery. Paris, France.
7. Image: by Spiridon Ion Cepleanu. Merry Cemetery in Săpânţa.  Săpânța. Maramureş, Romania.
8. Image: by Tom Robinson. Sucre, Bolivia Cemetery. Sucre, Bolivia.
9. Image: by Des D. Mona. St. Brynach's Nevern. Nevern, Wales. United Kingdom.
10. Image: by Daniel Mennerich. Jodhpur IND - Jaswant Thada. Jodhpur, India.
11. Image: Courtesy of Capsula Mundi. Green Burial Pods.
12. Image: Courtesy of Capsula Mundi. Green Burial Pods.
13. Image: by Wolfgang Staudt. Sonntag. The Old Cemetery in Saarbrücken, Germany.
14. Image: by Des D. Mona. Winter Evening Blues. Wales, United Kingdom.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Peter Lee. Moss Covered Angel Closeup. St. Bernard’s Cemetery. Lichen, Massachusetts. United States.