Mikhail Zhuravlev

Whether or not you’re religious, it’s difficult to argue that old churches are some of the most beautiful architectural structures on Earth.

And we’re not even talking about famous cathedrals like the Sagrada Familia. No, we’re talking about the small, rustic churches you’ll find in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature, holding steady across the ages.

Below we’ve collected 25 of our favorites from the archives of 500px, but this is by no means a complete list! If you find a beautiful church hiding in the archives, or if you have your own to share, be sure to drop a link in the comments!

Otherwise, scroll down, take a deep cleansing breath, and enjoy:

To see more of the beautiful church photography on 500px, click here and scroll to your heart’s content.

This is a video of Jake explaining what would happen if Superman punched you in real life. SURPRISE: basically you'd be torn apart at the molecular level in a nuclear explosion. Unless he made the mistake of punching me, in which case he'd break every bone in his hand. "Oh right, because you're soooooooo tough." *unbuttons collar to reveal Kryptonite pendant* Not tough, just smart. "That's quartz." Man, yard sale people are LIARS. Hit the jump for the much lengthier, scientific explanation.