Sanctuaires Notre Dame de Lourdes
Lourdes
The spiritual centre of Lourdes is the subterranean grotto where Bernadette Soubirous is believed to have experienced her visions in 1858. From the Porte…
©Matt Munro/Lonely Planet
Lourdes
The sprawling town of Lourdes, 43km southeast of Pau, has been one of the world’s most important pilgrimage sites since 1858, when 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous (1844–79) is claimed to have been visited 18 times in a rocky grotto by the Virgin Mary.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
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Lourdes
Lourdes’ imposing castle stands on a sheer hill just behind the town. There’s been a stronghold here since Roman times, but the present building combines…
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Lourdes
Panoramic views of Lourdes and the central Pyrenees are on offer from this rocky outcrop just outside town. There are two routes to the top: a punishing…
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Lourdes
In 1857 Bernadette Soubirous’ family fell on hard times and were forced to move to this dingy former prison, where they lived communally in a room…
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Lourdes
Grottes de Bétharram is a network of subterranean caverns that has been carved out from the limestone, glittering with impressive formations of…
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Lourdes
Underneath the soaring spires of the Basilique Supérieure is the fabled Grotte de Massabielle, where people queue for hours to enter and take a blessed…
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Lourdes
Bernadette was born in this millhouse on 7 January 1844, one year after the marriage of her parents Louise Castérot and François Soubirous. She lived here…
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Lourdes
This gate into the sanctuary is the first you'll reach when approaching from across the river (where you'll find the majority of lodging and dining…
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