I'm going on a trip to LOURDES in 2023

Cheap and budget places to sleep in Lourdes

Guide of the city of Lourdes in France

The city of Lourdes It is a well-known place of pilgrimage for those who profess the Catolic religion. However, that is not the only reason to visit the city. Built and decorated with exquisite taste, it is able to delight you with the 5 senses.

Lourdes was made famous after the different apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous that followed each other between the 11 of February and the 16 of July of 1858. Currently, the sanctuaries of Lourdes attract millions of visitors and pilgrims every year.

In Lourdes, too you can visit the castle-fortress that dominates the city. Inside the fortress, the Museum of the Pyrenees houses collections of objects and art related to the history of the Pyrenees. From the castle walls, you can see a Beautiful view of the city, the sanctuaries and the Pyrenees.

It is located in the south of France, in the Upper Pyrenees area. It's a good destination to escape from the summer heat, especially the months of July and August. Summer temperatures are cool and help you replenish energy. But if you go in winter you have several ski resorts a few kilometers away. There is no excuse for not going.

The weather in Lourdes

Best areas to stay in Lourdes

With its long tradition as a pilgrimage destination, this city is prepared for visitors of any budget, so it is safe to find fantastic hotel deals in Lourdes.

The city offers from a youth hostel, perfect for tighter budgets, up to 2, 3 and 4 hotels stars, many of them with free parking and special offers for groups.

La most of the hotels in the city It is located a few meters from the basilica. This is an unbeatable location, where you can enjoy the beautiful views of the river and the sanctuary, or stroll along the paths of the youth hostel of the sanctuary.

Another interesting area are the surroundings of the castle and the train station, where you can enjoy the proximity to numerous museums, and the charm of the streets and squares of the center of Lourdes.

Get to Lourdes by train

Another means of transport is high-speed train. You can arrive with the line Paris -Irún. Directly from Spain, or if you are already in France, from Pau, Bayonne or other important cities. Going by train has its advantages, it leaves you right in the center of Lourdes.

Why travel to Lourdes?

There are many reasons to travel to Lourdes, the main one is visit to the sanctuaries and the reunion with Bernadette and his passion story. Here it is verified that this place is magical and miraculous, which is a mystical and spiritual center, that its waters heal, that its light, its rocks and its air are different from those of other places on the planet.

The best what you can see and do during your stay in Lourdes

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes occupies an area of ​​52 hectares with 22 places of worship, from the famous Grotto of Massabielle to Church of Saint Bernadette going through the basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, to know these places is to know the history of Lourdes.

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Also known as the Upper Basilica, extends over 51 meters long, 21 meters wide and 19 meters high. The stained glass windows that can be seen in the basilica of the Immaculate Conception tell the story of the Virgin Mary until the proclamation of dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX in 1854 and the Apparitions of Lourdes in 1858.

The underground Basilica of San Pío X

This basilica that has a maximum capacity of 25.000 people is decorated with 39 canvases They represent different saints and blessed, as well as 52 gemmail stained glass.

The Church of Saint Bernadette

Is last place of worship built on the grounds of the Sanctuaries (inaugurated in 1988), the Church of Santa Bernadette is located in front of the Grotto of Massabielle on the right bank of the Gave de Pau river. This modern church, equipped with removable partitions, was built in the place where Bernadette Soubirous was during the last appearance, on July 16, 1858.

The Grotto of Massabielle

The Grotto of Massabielle is the place where the Virgin appeared in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous, a natural young lady from Lourdes, at age 14. At the bottom to the left of the Grotto is the Fountain that was discovered by Bernadette thanks to the indications of the Virgin. Primary place of the Sanctuaries, the they visit around 6 million people every year.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary

Is intimately together with the extensive architectural construction of the Sanctuaries of Lourdes. It is the element that mainly gives it its image, in particular by the arrangement of two large elliptical-shaped ramps on the axis of the esplanade.

The crypt

The Crypt is located on the rock of Massabielle, located between the upper basilica and the basilica del Rosario. The Crypt is the first sanctuary. A long access corridor covered with votive offerings leads to a place of silence and personal prayer.

Lourdes also has a beach!

Why didn't you know that there is a beach in the middle of the Pyrenees? It's actually a atificial Beach, but to be on the mountain it looks quite like a natural beach. Surely you will have heard of Lake Lourdes.

As the town hall has done some remodeling in the area to access the lake and bathe as if it were a beach. There is also a first aid post and a zodiac, so you can swim in peace. If it looks like a real beach!

It is open only in summer, from eleven in the morning to seven in the afternoon (which is very good for French time), and admission is free. It can be accessed with the City Bus, which is also free on the first Saturdays of the summer. Even if it is to see it, it is worth spending a day at the Lourdes Plage.

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