Mount Omine, Japan
In 2004, the United Nations declared thismountain in southern a UNESCO World Heritage site, but thanks to a centuries-old gender ban, it’s one that women are still not allowed to visit. For more than 1,300 years, only men have been allowed to navigate the rocky paths leading to the Buddhist temple near the 5,640-foot peak. That’s because, according to long-held religious beliefs, women pose a distraction for the religious pilgrims who should be engaged in strict self-denial while on the mountain.