We tried to visit the oratory in August, 2013. We were a group of six elderly Americans eagerly climbing the hill to visit the church that we had read had no entrance fee. A very mean lady stopped us and told us we would have to pay the fee for guided tour groups. When we told her we were just a group of tourists she threatened to call security and rudely insisted that we leave immediately. This was a terrible experience for us. Had we walked in alone or by twos we would have walked right in to visit what we read is a beautiful structure!