Hubertus, Wisconsin – Sitting in my hotel room outside Milwaukee, I opened up the TripAdvisor app on a whim, searching for a place to tour between Milwaukee and Oshkosh. The top location that popped into my search was the Holy Hill Basilica.
The Holy Hill Basilica commands a formidable presence over the surrounding area; the church towers can be spotted by pilgrims driving in from miles away. The route to the Basilica is a peaceful drive through the Wisconsin countryside. The drive allows for quiet reflection to the over 500,000 pilgrims who visit this site annually.
The Basilica is imposing up close, but visitors are soon welcomed into the main cathedral after a short elevator ride and a gorgeous walk overlooking the Wisconsin countryside.
Once inside, the cathedral is similar to many others in the Catholic Church, but it was unexpected for me to find mosaics in rural Wisconsin. Like many Catholic churches, there are multiple chapels where parishioners can worship.
The Basilica features a sizable gift shop/bookstore and a café that serves tasty and reasonably priced lunch options for all visitors and pilgrims. We have found that when traveling, eating at church cafeterias is a great way to find high-quality food at a decent price.
More than anything, the visit encouraged my children to ask questions about their faith, and for that, I’m eternally grateful! Sitting in a beautiful cathedral and having them ask questions about the Holy Trinity was an experience I wasn’t expecting when I opened the TripAdvisor app that morning. The Basilica was well worth the stop and a highlight of our trip to the Great Lakes.
