Basilica of the Sacred Heart, South Bend

Basilica of the Sacred Heart remains the tallest university chapel in the U.S. and a top tourist attraction in Northern Indiana receiving more than 50,000 visitors yearly. Located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, the Neo-Gothic church was decorated by the Vatican painter Luigi Gregori. The interior walls are painted with figures of saints, while the ceilings are filled with angels and starry skies. Notice the stained glass windows designed by the Carmelite nuns. The magnificent golden altar executed in Gothic Revival style remains the centerpiece of the interior. The small museum behind the sacristy keeps a papal tiara from the 1850s and a huge processional cross donated by Napoleon III. For travelers who use our international travel planner, South Bend holidays become easier to arrange, with trips to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and other attractions mapped out and timetabled.