Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Bell Mountain
The Augustus Temple.
Temple of Augustus
Gunung Kemekus Entrance
Gunung Kemukus
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Ōmori Nori Vending Machine
Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging these sandwiches since 1929.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Altea St Michael's Russian Orthodox Church

St Michael's Russian Orthodox Church

The magnificent sanctuary is Spain's first purpose-built structure of its kind.

Altea, Spain

Added By
Alan Newman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church.   Triplecaña/cc by-sa 4.0
  Doodeeeze / Atlas Obscura User
  Doodeeeze / Atlas Obscura User
  Doodeeeze / Atlas Obscura User
  Doodeeeze / Atlas Obscura User
  Doodeeeze / Atlas Obscura User
St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church.   chisloup/cc by 3.0
St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church.   chisloup/cc by 3.0
St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church.   chisloup/cc by 3.0
St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church.   Wadim/cc by-sa 4.0
St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church.   Joanbanjo/cc by-sa 4.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

After the end of the Cold War, the coastal resort towns north of Alicante became popular with Russians, both ex-pats and vacation home holders. But until 2007, many of the Russians in the area didn’t have a suitable place to worship.

A Russian entrepreneur decided to change that, funding the construction of Spain’s first purpose-built Russian Orthodox Church. The country had a few other Russian Orthodox Churches, but they had all been opened in converted buildings.

The magnificent structure at Altea is built largely from wood and was designed to be a copy of a 17th-century church in Russia. Its materials were imported from the Ural Mountains and assembled by a number of specialized Russian craftsmen.

The church interior is adorned with the iconography you’d expect to find within a Russian church. Its exterior boasts some great artwork in addition to the golden, onion-shaped domes common within Orthodox architecture.

Related Tags

Architecture Domes Churches Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The church is open from 10 .a.m to 2 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. It is about half way between the towns of Altea and Calpe within a luxury development called Altea Hills, just off the N332 coast road.

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

Doodeeeze

  • Doodeeeze

Published

June 27, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.warandpeaceball.org.uk/warandpeaceball.org.uk/charities/altea-church.html
  • http://anythingbutpaella.com/alteas-russian-orthodox-church/
  • https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templo_del_Arc%C3%A1ngel_Miguel_(Altea)
St Michael's Russian Orthodox Church
1 Calle Noray
Altea, 03590
Spain
38.632737, -0.014191
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Intempo Building

Benidorm, Spain

miles away

Museo Microgigante

Guadalest, Spain

miles away

Museo de Saleros y Pimenteros

El Castell de Guadalest, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 37

Nearby Places

Intempo Building

Benidorm, Spain

miles away

Museo Microgigante

Guadalest, Spain

miles away

Museo de Saleros y Pimenteros

El Castell de Guadalest, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 37

Related Places

  • Entrance of the church.

    Viana do Castelo, Portugal

    Santuário do Sagrado Coração de Jesus

    An icon of the city, this chapel features an amazing dome ceiling and offers panoramic views.

  • Dome of San Lorenzo.

    Turin, Italy

    The Dome of San Lorenzo

    The intricate geometry inside this Baroque-style dome was designed to create "terror of the human soul."

  • Modernist architecture of the church.

    Huauchinango, Mexico

    Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption)

    This modernist church's massive sci-fi dome may be one of Latin America's largest.

  • The vaulted ceiling.

    Torrelavega, Spain

    Vaulted Ceiling of Iglesia de la Virgen Grande

    This magnificent brick dome was made with an unusual design method.

  • Saint Lawrence Basilica in Asheville.

    Asheville, North Carolina

    Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Asheville

    This rare basilica nestled right in downtown Asheville is an architectural marvel, inside and out.

  • St. Vartan Cathedral in the middle of the city.

    New York, New York

    Saint Vartan Armenian Cathedral

    A replica of a 7th-century church hides in plain sight in the middle of the concrete jungle.

  • The Rotunda of Mosta.

    Mosta, Malta

    Rotunda of Mosta

    This spectacular dome managed to survive after being bombed in World War II, in an event known as the "Miracle of Mosta."

  • St. Hallvard’s Church with its inverted dome, seen from one of Enerhaugen’s high-rises.

    Oslo, Norway

    St. Hallvard's Church and Monastery

    The Brutalist building harbors an unusual inverted dome that swoops down over its central sacred room.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.