Is Lourdes worth visiting for tourists, as well as pilgrims? Is Lourdes okay to visit if you are not religious? Yes, this is an interesting day trip for curious – and respectful – minds.
Lourdes is deeply religious and serious; and its vast size, notoriety and array of religious sites can be fascinating. Visiting this world-famous religious centre can be an impressive, surprising – and humbling experience.
Lourdes’ first impressions
When you arrive on the outskirts of the town perhaps it’s not what you imagined. As one of the world’s largest spiritual hubs – often cited as having the highest concentration of hotels and lodgings after Paris – the town feels like it is bursting its seams.
The second discombobulating aspect is that when you arrive (from the north), the dominant image is not religious – but military. The impressive Château Fort de Lourdes sits on top of a rocky promontory, ruling majestically over the town.
You start thinking you might be in the wrong place – except the signs say, and the increasing numbers of people in religious clothing – suggest otherwise.
“Mais, c’est normal” (but it’s normal/it’s natural). Remember to expect the unexpected, isn’t that what France is about? Hein (huh)?
Two-hundred million visitors
Lourdes’ fascinating history stems back thousands of years, but it’s been the recent era that has propelled the town into international prominence.
It all started when a young shepherdess, Bernadette Soubirous, experienced eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858 in a cave, now known as the grotto. The town had a population of about 4,000 people then. The apparitions were recognised by the church in 1862. Since the apparitions an estimated 200 million people have visited Lourdes with between four to six million people coming annually.
As a global religious centre, Lourdes suffered during the pandemic. Research published by GIS Études Touristiques, a French higher education research group, revealed: “While the Shrine welcomed 522,720 pilgrims on organised pilgrimage in 2019, to which were added about 500,000 individual pilgrims, only 25,000 pilgrims made the trip to Lourdes, in 2020”.
Visiting the Sanctuary at Lourdes
Head for Boulevard Remi Sempé to access the religious sites, which are in “The Sanctuary”. The Sanctuary, The Sanctuaries of Notre Dame de Lourdes, is a 52-hectare parkland estate built around the Massabielle grotto, the site of the apparitions. The Sanctuary has a staggering 22 places of worship. Its main features are the grotto, the spring and fountains, basilicas, and the two ways of the cross (religious walking routes).
The grotto and miraculous spring
The Gave de Pau (a rather majestic river) runs next to the grotto and water is central to the Lourdes’ story. A miraculous spring emerged during the ninth apparition. This spring now produces about 32,000 litres of water daily at a constant temperature of 12°C . After the spring’s discovery, people came to drink and wash in the water and miraculous healings followed. The spring has become one of the places of pilgrimage at the Sanctuary where people seek healing, and pilgrims collect water from the fountains.
Underground church
The Basilica of Saint Pie X, inaugurated in 1958, a century after the apparitions, is an impressive underground church. As well as being below ground, the space is notable by its size and simple concrete structure. The oval building covers about 12,000m² and has a capacity for 25,000 people.
The Rosary Basilica is a Romano-Byzantine-style church built between 1883 and 1889. The 2,000m² church is in a Greek cross pattern with fifteen side chapels off the main nave and a central dome with stained glass windows.
The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, known as the Upper Church, was built between 1866 and 1872, after a request by the Virgin Mary to Bernadette during the thirteenth apparition for a chapel. Its 70-metre spire and embracing elliptical-shaped ramps and stairways invite pilgrims to enter. This church, with The Rosary Basilica immediately in front of it, is an impressive sight, and has become an embelmatic image of Lourdes.
The Ways of the Cross
There are two Ways of the Cross at the Sanctuary. The first is 1,500m long and has various stations with cast iron figures in the upper part of the Sanctuary. The second is easier to access and has 17 stations in marble.
Humbling experience
It’s a humbling experience to witness the thousands of pilgrims and sick who come here for spiritual guidance and comfort.
What also strikes you about visiting Lourdes is how multicultural and international it is with so many pilgrims drawn from all four corners of the world. Services are being held simultaneously for the faithful in several languages. This creates a special energy that can’t fail to impress – even if you are not a pilgrim.
How to get there from Peyroulat
It’s a gentle 50-minute drive to Lourdes from us across rolling hills, the Ger plain and then onto the edge of the mountains where the town is situated in La Vallée des Gaves.
La Vallée des Gaves is one of the three main valleys into the mountains in the central Pyrenees, and this large valley is a starting point to visit spa towns such as Argelès-Gazost and Cauterets, as well as the natural wonder of Gavarnie. Cauterets and Gavarnie (a UNESCO world heritage site) are also ski resorts.
Coffee and croissant break
Travelling from us to Lourdes is via lovely back roads most of the way, passing by Lac de Gabas, a large reservoir in front of the mountains (with a sailing club). You can stop about halfway in Pontacq, where there is a Saturday morning market, and on other days normally boulangeries and cafes open. You can take a little walk around the walls of this small bastide town.
Other activities near Lourdes
There are several other tourist activities around Lourdes on offer (check for entrance and reservation requirements):
Donjon des aigles: Birds of prey displays set in a medieval castle.
Parc Animalier des Pyrénées: An animal park which includes emblematic animals of the Pyrenees such as bears and marmottes.
Argelès-Gazost: Les Jardins des Bains offers baths and a hammam. This spa is next to a lovely urban park.
Hautcam luge: At Station du Hautacam (Hautacam ski station), the luge has a 700-metre descent, and is accessible to children from 3 years old (but from experience also popular with adults).
Disclaimer: This day trip idea to Lourdes’ blog has been written as a useful information-only resource and we take no liability for any errors, changes or availability of access. Always check opening times and costs. Journey time is estimated using Google maps and personal experience. This being the countryside, sometimes allow for delays caused by tractors!
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