Sedona’s Chapel of the Holy Cross // In pictures

A few miles south of the Arizonan city of Sedona, there’s an unusual-looking structure tucked among the cliffs. It looks like it could be an observatory – or even a Bond villain’s lair – but it’s really a Catholic chapel from the 1950s. The Chapel of the Holy Cross was designed by sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who’d been a pupil of Frank Lloyd Wright. Set against a background of Sedona’s characteristic red rocks, it rises up 250 feet high, silhouetted against the sky. The chapel’s central beams form the shape of a cross that looks like it’s been wedged between the rocks and can be seen for miles around. It has a peaceful, spiritual feel to it, whether you are religious or not. The inside of the chapel is fairly simple, but the surroundings and the views across Sedona provide all the beauty and decoration you could need.

The details

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is open from 9am–5pm (10am–5pm on Sundays). To get there, take Highway 179 south from Sedona for about three miles, then turn left onto Chapel Road.

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