Bazilika Navštívení Panny Marie
Cathedral · Svatý Kopeček, Olomouc · Czechia
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One of Czech Republic's most-visited pilgrimage churches, a twin-towered Baroque basilica crowning a hill above Olomouc. Built 1669-1679 by Giovanni Pietro Tencalla, it became a basilica minor after Pope John Paul II's 1995 visit. Its dome frescoes and a relief venerated as the palladium of the Haná region draw pilgrims year-round.
Twin Baroque towers crown the hill above Olomouc, visible for kilometers across the flat Haná plain and one of the region's most recognizable landmarks from the saddle. The basilica traces back to 1629, when Olomouc burgher Jan Andrýsek reported a vision of the Virgin Mary on the hill and a chapel was raised on the spot. Swedish troops burned that first chapel during the Thirty Years' War, and the present church, designed by Giovanni Pietro Tencalla, was built between 1669 and 1679 to replace it. Inside, the dome rests on four pillars frescoed with scenes of Old Testament women, and a small relief of the Virgin and Child is venerated as the palladium of the Haná region. Pope John Paul II visited on 21 May 1995, and the church was elevated to basilica minor status that same year.
What you see
Twin domed towers rise above the trees on the hilltop, a Baroque silhouette visible across the flat Haná plain long before the climb ends.
Practical
Open daily 8:30-17:00 except Monday afternoon, with extended hours in summer; entry 120 CZK, reduced 60 CZK.
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Common questions
- Why stop at Bazilika Navštívení Panny Marie on a bike ride?
- One of Czech Republic's most-visited pilgrimage churches, a twin-towered Baroque basilica crowning a hill above Olomouc. Built 1669-1679 by Giovanni Pietro Tencalla, it became a basilica minor after Pope John Paul II's 1995 visit. Its dome frescoes and a relief venerated as the palladium of the Haná region draw pilgrims year-round.
- Where is Bazilika Navštívení Panny Marie?
- Bazilika Navštívení Panny Marie is in Svatý Kopeček, Olomouc, Czechia (Czech Republic).