Lourdes is a little mountain town of true greatness. To come here is to escape the everyday, to journey into the act of journeying; it's a destination one remembers for a long time afterwards.
It was on the banks of the mountain river called the Gave de Pau, in Massabielle Cave, that the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, changing Lourdes' destiny for ever.
Every year, cosmopolitan and benevolent Lourdes receives six million travellers from 140 countries on every continent, sharing their own stories, encounters and emotional journey. A place of fraternity and spirituality above all, but also heaven on earth and the starting point of numerous walks; an authentic, virtuous place, quiet and intimate, where great marvels rub shoulders with humble contemplation.
The area around the cave, known as the Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes, is a private estate of 52 ha. It is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. A spiritual retreat from which to draw strength, a beneficial ritual passed on from generation to generation, a return to one's origins, or simply dropping in to experience the atmosphere of this ultra-famous place as a tourist curiosity: whatever your reason for coming here, you simply have to experience this scintillating place for yourself…
A walk around the centre is a great way to soak up the atmosphere of Lourdes: it may be used to welcoming the whole world, but it has not lost its character as a rural Pyrenean town.
The impressive castle, modified on the instructions of the great military architect Vauban, has in turn served as the residence of the counts of Bigorre, a mercenaries' hideout, a royal prison and finally a garrison, before being occupied in 1921 by the Musée Pyrénéen, which has preserved all its charm.
The towering Pic du Jer mountain rises above the town, offering a unique belvedere with a staggering 360° view of the town, the Argelès-Gazost Valley and the peaks of the Pyrenees. You ride to the top on the charming old funicular railway, opened in 1900; here you are in harmony with nature in all its boundless glory for a return to your origins, where time appears to stand still…
Just 3 km from the town centre there is a vast lake of more than 50 ha set in unspoilt countryside. Here you can enjoy the peace and quiet or indulge in a range of outdoor activities such as walking, mountain biking, fishing and kayaking. And for a Pyrenean golfing experience, the 18-hole golf course on the southern shore overlooks the crystal-clear waters of the lake!
Sightseeing tips
> Don't miss the torchlight procession that takes place every evening at 9 o'clock from April to October. It's the most popular time to visit Lourdes and the highlight of each day. This 'magical' moment shared with others brings together all nations, languages and peoples of all religions, as well as non-believers.
> Discover the interpretation boards of two patrimonial tours for a travel from Middle Ages to Bernadette’s times :
- Evoking Lourdes in the Middle Ages is an historical tour reminding the medieval city of Lorda, former name of Lourdes, preserved owing to its two fortified lines and twelve towers and cuddled up to the fortified castle (11th century).
Other monuments which have disappeared today unfortunately appear again owing to old illustrations allowing your imagination to recreate these historical places
- Life path of Bernadette displays the little town of Lourdes in its social and historical context before, during and after the Apparitions of 1858.
This tour recounts important moments of Bernadette’s life by strolling about in her native borough then going back to the last places where she had lived.
From the 19th century to this date, you will follow the evolution of the city and the necessary transformations to welcome crowds.
Booklets available at the Tourist Office in 5 languages (Fr, Br, Sp, It, Ger) and on Internet : www.lourdes-infotourisme.com
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