holy hill

A church located on top of a hill, sirene with a 360 degree view. Try to go to their gift shop. It is a little expensive but I think you can find a lot of religious stuff and some souvenirs. The church is stunning and you get a peaceful feeling when you get inside. Worth visiting.

This is a must stop in the Fall with out of town visitors. Gorgeous views from the balcony. You can walk the grounds for free. There is a gift shop and food (cafeteria-type).

I have been wanting to visit for quite a while. We were in the area and decided to stop by. It was snowy and cold, but the grounds were beautiful. The was so much peace. We are sure to go back once the weather warms and we can take a walk thru the Stations. Love it.

Church and monastery on top of hill with sweeping views over glaciated countryside is quite reminiscent of hilltop churches in central Europe. Climb up the tower, as even better views. Very good food at fair price in the cafeteria, also like Europe. Inspirational.

It was a date day, but also a means to respect and remember my late Mom. Read all the reviews and couldn't wait to visit Holy Hill in late October. Very humbling and touching and awesomely beautiful. Take a couple pictures, take some stops and deep breaths to take it all in and enjoy the serenity of the place and religious meanings. The day I went, there was a wedding about to start, how terrific to see everyone dressed up and wedding party setting up. I did find my way into the praying chapel and lit candles and sat in a pew and quieting prayed for my Mom. The views are out of this world, it was a windy day so it was a steep walk up to the chapels and inside to view but so worth it. Wear comfortable shoes, bring cash if you want to eat lunch on site or buy something from gift shop. There are donation boxes to give a few dollars to the site, but it is free to go. The drive there and back was beautiful too and we stopped at road side apple/cider stand, what a treat. This is must see if you are in the area anytime in fall or any season for that matter.

My husband and I visited early Oct. The wooded grounds were very pretty,the leaves were changing colors. Bring your camera there are a lot of photo opportunities. Pack your patience if you are planning on climbing to the top of the steeple. It took 45 minutes to climb to the top. If you are claustrophobic or afraid of heights pas on the steeple. It was a good way to spend a fall afternoon.

Although very crowded with steep narrow stairs with no traffic directing, it was worth seeing and waiting to climb all the stairs. Great view from top.

The stained glass work is better than a lot of windows in even Europe. The Basilica is high-flown and majestic --- and you are grateful for the large signs outside that stress that Silence is Golden. This is the kind of stop you can take in for a short half-hour diversion --- or tour around to take it and the grounds in as an all day event. (bring a picnic)

Fall colours are at its best on 3rd week of October. The road to the church is completely painted in yellow with leaves. The church is beautiful. The view of the church on the hill is beautiful from kettle moraine road. A must visit place for fall colours!

The church is beautiful inside and out. It is definitely worth it to take the 178 step climb to the top of the steeple. The views are breathtaking, especially in fall. The colors are amazing!

Awesome in the fall. Colorama is wonderfularama. Toms do hiking trails. The center piece church is glorious.

Some of the better views of the Kettle Moraine area from this unique & historic church that sits on one of the highest peaks in area. While can get busy on weekends, make it a stop on Fall for checking out some outstanding colors. And make the trek up the stairs to the top of steeple. Nothing like it. The road leading to the Holy Hill area also scenic & good stops along the way. And make sure to stop by the Fox & Hounds Restaurant a few minutes down road for lunch/dinner afterwards,

Loved that the church is on a hill. This place was amazing. The architecture is breath taking. Their is a tower which your able to climb up,198 steps ,and the view is spectacular.

Recently visited this beautiful church with my family. The architecture is beautiful and the view from the steeple is stunning (if you dare to tackle the many, many, many stairs to reach the top). My 3 year old was able to make it to the top!

We've been taking our kids aged 24-2 every Fall for way over a decade. We've missed a year or so here or there but try to visit each year at the peak of Autumn colors. The church is beautiful as are the grounds and surrounding area. This time we actually hiked up the entire tower. {It was me, my 21yo and my 4yo, the others stayed at the main area. It's quite a trek up with steep steps that are narrow, so ascending and descending traffic have to wait their turns and try to squeeze by others waiting to go up or down. Disclaimer: We visit with teens and tots, but if you have a child with special needs you might want to skip the tower. My aspie daughter {21} doesn't do well with crowds/noise/commotion/unknown and always opts out of going up the tower, but this year she really wanted to try the hike up and she did. It wasn't easy though and her anxiety level was in very high gear and she's a pretty functional young adult, so younger kids with special needs might have a much harder go of it. Proud of her though! During our trek up, I noticed a father trying to help his son who also appeared to be on the spectrum and in the middle of what looked like a panic attack or melt down. There was no where for them to go to get away from the crowd. Once you go up there are few places that have a rest niche {for people to wait for opposite traffic} and there are lots of people behind you also making the trek upwards, so I felt for them. You have to go up until you get to one of those little areas, step over, wait for people to keep moving up then turn back around. Just though I'd mention this for those with small kids or people with special needs/anxiety who are considering going up the tower. Holy Hill is truly a beautiful place for believers and non alike. We are always respectful of the fact that it's a church and an extra special place for Catholics, so the few times we enter the church we stay in the back and are quiet. {Except for the time my 21yo went into the quiet prayer room to sit and watch the people. Like I said, she has special needs and I don't think she realized {or cared} that area was for those in the midst of serious prayer and petitions {?, there were a few people lighting candles etc}. So, I went and got her and we continued to visit the grounds and enjoy the views. I know there's a gift shop and a cafe but we've never visited them. If you are visiting in Fall there are a few farm stands on the drive there that have cider, caramel apples etc. We've never visited any other time of the year but it's certainly a favorite Fall trip. ❤️