About the Shrine of Our Lady of Levoča:
Officially known as the Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this is Slovakia’s most cherished shrine. The original shrine was built in the 14th Century in thanksgiving for the fact that the villagers were saved from the invading Tartars by hiding behind Marian Hill nearby.
An annual pilgrimage to the top of the Hill began and continues to this day. Every year on the first Sunday of July, LevoÄa, hosts the famous Pilgrimage on the Mariánska hora (Marian Hill). The ceremony indicates the special status of the chapel which was built in the end of the 14th century and was dedicated to the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
During the Communist era the authorities did everything possible to discourage visitors to the Shrine, especially on the first weekend in July, the Feast of the Visitation. The annual pilgrimage still draws up to 250,000 participants.
The church was declared a Minor Basilica in 1984, by Pope John Paul II, who himself visited the site on July 3, 1995. About 650,000 pilgrims gathered for the occasion.
Traveling to the Shrine of Our Lady of Levoča:
There is no train service to Levoca, but there are buses from various cities in Slovakia.