Most folks in Southern Wisconsin have taken a field trip to – or at least driven past – Holy Hill and the The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians in Hubertus. The spires of the church peek out above the trees and signs point you there if you’re traveling on Hwy 41.
But have you really thought about what a truly gorgeous set up Holy Hill is? Surrounded by forest trees that are lush and green in the summer and full of color as the leaves change in the fall, it’s also a unique kind of barren beauty in the winter. As far as churches and pilgrimages go, Holy Hill offers one of the most unique.
Located in Hubertus, near the town of Erin, the hill and the church rise above the horizon.
Holy Hill is actually a kame, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier.
Holy Hill is on the National Historic Register and is an active church.
This is how Holy Hill looks most of the time with the lush greenery that surrounds it. But visitors should come back year-round to experience the way the area around the church changes.
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If you're lucky, like after a storm, fog rises out of the dense forest surrounding the Basilica.
Visitors can climb 178 steps to the top of one of the towers, giving them amazing views of the surrounding area - and on a good day, all the way to Milwaukee.
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Fall is obviously the best time to climb the stairs.
What’s your favorite time of year to visit Holy Hill? Are there other churches in spectacular settings in Wisconsin that you love? If you want to see more stunning Wisconsin churches, check this out.
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