Pilgrimages: readers' tips - Telegraph The sumptuous palaces of St Petersburg are well known to an educated tourist. Fewer are aware that just four hours" travel from this cradle of the communist revolution will bring you to Valaam, a small archipelago in the midst of Lake Ladoga, with an Orthodox monastery and 11 sketes - places where monks, in small groups, lead and ascetic life akin to hermitage. Monks have been here since the 10th century and, not surprisingly, this land seems to be lost in time. Rough northern nature evokes thoughts of eternity: ice hummocks on Lake Ladoga, granites of the shores, the wind bending pine trees. The wooden towers of sketes scattered all over the island are woven into the rugged landscape, and sky-blue Valaam Cathedral domes welcome you as they have many pilgrims over the years. Natalia Sapuntsova, by email Beating drums For a truly magical religious experience, visit Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan, stay there and get up at 5am to watch the chanting. On entering the monastery we were guided to benches at the side while the monks found their places like a row of dominoes. A few seconds passed then drums began to beat and chanting started to stir the body in a whole new way. We were encouraged to join in by an enthusiastic monk who pointed to the words in a fashion that makes no sense at all, all the time being stimulated as the chanting got louder and louder until our bodies started to tingle and we felt a strange urge to join in. After an hour everything stopped and went back to silence, a monk rang a bell and the dominoes stood up and snaked their way out of the door. Neil Molyneux, Merseyside Lives on the line The bikes appeared behind us on the motorway, black dots at first and then gauntlets raised in acknowledgement as they came by, heading north. I caught them up at Hilton Park services; on European plates they turned out to be French bikers, and we quickly established we were all heading for the TT meeting in the Isle of Man. This journey is an annual pilgrimage for so many bikers who go to watch the racers risking their lives attempting to circle the island and to try to get in their own flying lap. I enjoy it for the spectacle, the chance to meet up with old friends and because watching men willing to put their lives on the line to race motorcycles helps you to think about what is important in life. Chris Allen, Bucks Norwegian way St Olav's Way, Norway's answer to El Camino de Santiago in Spain, is a beautiful route through the countryside of Norway, taking in plenty of culture and tradition along the way, and culminating at Nidarosdomen, Scandinavia's largest cathedral, in Trondheim. Marie Peyre, by email Bhutanese memory You don't have to be Buddhist, or even vegetarian, to make a pilgrimage to Bhutan's biggest festival, the Jakar Tsechu. Bhutanese swarm to the spiritually significant Bumthang Valley, the home of Bhutanese Buddhism, from great distances to participate. In the vast 17th-century Jakar Dzong "Fortress of the White Bird," three days of masked dances and songs depict the myth and legend of Bhutanese Buddhism and extol its great preacher, Pema Lingpa, from whom the present King of Bhutan traces his ancestry. Peter J Griffiths, Cornwall Running up that hill In Thailand, Visakha Bucha is the name of a religious holiday celebrating the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. It takes place on the same day of the year: the full moon of the sixth lunar month (May/beginning of June). Visiting temples, bringing offerings and meditating goes on more than usual, as this is an official public holiday. There's a pilgrimage up Doi Suthep (hill) just eight miles from Chiang Mai, which is undertaken by many locals the night before. It felt like the whole city was heading up on foot. The atmosphere was brilliant, full of smiles, with people playing instruments, students dressed up and freshmen "running" the full distance. Just prepare yourself for sore feet. Jade Stutely, by email Camino advice Easter is the beginning of the walking season on the Camino de Santiago. I made the mistake of choosing that week only to find that most of Spain had the same idea. The pilgrim hospices were full, as were most hotels, b & bs and any other bed in towns along the route. Be prepared to sleep in sports centres and barns if you choose this time, and hot showers will be like gold dust. The aim is to reach the great cathedral at Santiago de Compostela on Easter Sunday for High Mass. Believers and the merely curious will cram the building. Wait a few weeks and life on the camino becomes easier and the early mornings less icy. Jean Burnett, by email Iona return Dr Samuel Johnson wrote "that man is little to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona." A theology student and art teacher at the time, we honeymooned in Iona at the Argyll Hotel. Our pilgrimage together and to the island has lasted more than 40 years. With children and now grandchildren, we have stayed at the abbey (iona.org.uk) and private cottages (welcometoiona.com), the place and its people never failing to nourish our souls. Head by ferry to Mull from Oban and then by ferry again to Iona. The Reverend Canon Alan Hughes and Mrs Susan Hughes Orthodox meal To experience a free, traditional Orthodox Jewish meal, towards dusk on any Friday evening head towards the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem. Once at the top end or entrance, look for men with clipboards. You will be asked how many are with you, how many men or women, and nothing else. You will be told to follow your host, who will take you and your party on foot to his family home. Once at the host's home, your party will be told what to do and were to sit. You will witness and enjoy an exceptional traditional Jewish meal with an Orthodox family. Unforgettable. Simon Mendelson, Manchester In perspective Delay visiting Jerusalem's Old City until you have orientated yourself at the Israel Museum. Its large-scale model of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple illustrates both why the site is so significant and how imposing the temple was. Then visit the Mount of Olives with its breathtaking view down the hillside over thousands of Jewish tombs facing the Golden Gate (supposed site of the Second Coming) and beyond Temple Mount. Do read a decent history of the city: no other place on Earth has been subject to so much conflict for so long. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, unremarkable from the outside, incorporates the hill of Golgotha. Stay at the Ecce Homo Convent (Via Dolorosa), with wonderful roof terrace views. Be prepared, however, for a relentless marketing experience. Jonathan Hood, Kent Early Elvis If visiting Graceland to make a pilgrimage, then between 7.30am and 8.30am you can for free visit the meditation gardens containing the graves of Elvis and his family. You will see them on the Graceland tour but it is much more rushed and very busy. Going early in the morning allows you to pay your respects in a more serene environment. Andrew Poultney, West Midlands Never alone This summer, after finishing university, I walked the Via Francigena pilgrimage route from my home in Hertfordshire to Rome. I walked the route by myself. The trip was, without a doubt, the most incredible three months of my life, but as well as recommending the route (it officially runs from Canterbury to Rome), the best tip I can offer is don't be afraid to go alone. While I did often get asked, "Do you not have any friends?," travelling is far more rewarding than in a group. You are never truly alone, unless you really want to be; you only interact with more people. It forces you to rely on the kindness of others, something you will find in the unlikeliest of places. This, for me, is the true beauty of a pilgrimage. Alice Clough, Herts Shrine time The Kumano Ancient Trail consists of seven trails of varying difficulty, which lead you to three major Japanese shrines: Hongu Taisha, Nachi Taisha and Hayatama Taisha. To reach the head of the trails, fly to Kansai international airport, Osaka, take a train to Kii-Tanabe station and from there take a bus. The best times to travel are in spring and autumn. The trails can take between four days and six weeks; the route you take is up to you - a relatively easy route is Takijiri to Nachi-san, which takes four and a half days. The ancient woodland paths are dotted with numerous hot-springs towns, scenic deep valleys with breathtaking waterfalls and restaurants serving rustic Japanese cuisine. Rest for the night at comfortable family-run minshukus in beautiful tatami mat rooms where you will be welcomed as one of the family. Lisa Anderson, Sussex Poignant place I have visited many pilgrimage sites around Europe with my husband, but one of the most moving was the old Jewish shtetl (village) at Medzhybizh in Ukraine. Medzhybizh was one of the oldest Jewish communities in Ukraine and the birthplace of Besht (Baal Shem Tov), the founder of Hasidim. Many Hasidic pilgrims from around the world visit this site every year. The site is made more poignant as the Nazis, who invaded Ukraine in 1941, massacred more than 3,000 Jews in the shtetl and virtually wiped out the whole Jewish population, a scene repeated across Ukraine. Four mass graves are marked with four monuments a short walk from the village centre. Mary Biswell, Beds Looking to Lourdes Each May for the past 30 years, a party of students from the Holy Family School in Keighley travel to Lourdes on a pilgrimage. Their journey is by coach overnight, and as soon as they arrive they are put to work. This involves helping sick and disabled pilgrims of any nationality who need taking to Mass or even shopping in the town. Ours are not the only students carrying out this work. There are schools from Ireland, Birmingham and Middlesbrough. Each group wears a different coloured shirt and all are welcomed by the Lourdes officials. It is a marvellous feeling to see these young people; for many of them it is an experience they will never forget. I can say that it is the best week of my year. Brenda J Edgar, Yorkshire