Sanctuaire de Lourdes en début de soirée

Discoverthe Sanctuary of Our Lady of LourdesAt your own pace

Lourdes in a few hours

The place not to be missed during a visit to Lourdes is of course the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. It all began in 1858, when the Virgin Mary appeared eighteen times to the young Bernadette Soubirous

Guadalupe - Basilique Notre-Dame du Rosaire

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary

Once inside the basilica area, head for the statue of the Crowned Virgin Mary to look out on the esplanade below the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. Two ramps form two open arms that seem to embrace the faithful. Inside the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, you can see a series of mosaics in Venetian style covering the 15 chapels around the altar.

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Chapelles de la Basilique Notre Dame du Rosaire à Lourdes

The Grotto of Massabielle

You can sense the emotion when you arrive at the Grotto of the Apparitions. This is the “heart” of Lourdes. Inside the Grotto is the source discovered by Bernadette. Nearby, pilgrims can make the “geste de l’eau” (“water gesture”) and fill a few bottles and vials with Lourdes water.

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your visit to the Sanctuary

Above the grotto is the crypt with Bernadette’s reliquary and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
From there, you can enjoy a wonderful view over the Castle and Pyrenean Museum on its rocky spur. Continue with a visit to the Basilica of Saint Pius X. The basilica is unusual, since it is underground. It is shaped like an upturned ship’s hull and can welcome to 25,000 people. It is ranked as one of the biggest in the world. The design of the vault as a single piece and the pillars at each end were made possible through the technique of prestressing concrete, more often used in building bridges.

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