"Lovely Lourdes" Top 5 Page for this destination Lourdes by Maryimelda

Lourdes Travel Guide: 111 reviews and 243 photos

Surprise, surprise..........

The first time I saw Lourdes, I was caught completely by surprise. I was heading for St Jean-Pied-De-Port at the foot of the Pyrenees with a seasoned traveller friend in a rented car in 2002. We had overnighted in Toulouse and as I had never been to Europe before, I had no idea that we would be going so close to Lourdes. My main focus was on Santiago de Compostela and driving along the Camino. It was all I could think about, I was so very excited.
Out of the blue my friend said that we would be passing by the turn off to Lourdes in a few minutes and would I like to stop in and see it. Well of course I wanted to see it, so in we went. What I didn't know was that my friend had planned the stop all along and that we were to stay overnight. I couldn't believe my luck.
I fell in love with this little town in a matter of minutes. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The contrast between the town and its hundreds of souvenir shops (all selling the same stuff) and the Sanctuary where the Grotto is located was absolutely amazing.
I especially love the Candle Light Procession every night. On a clear night with a bigger than usual crowd it is nothing short of spectacular and to the faithful, a very moving experience.
I am a born and bred and practising Catholic, so Lourdes obviously means a lot to me. However, I can understand why so many non-believers don't like it. To them, the commercialism is quite tacky and they have little or no interest in the Basilica or the Grotto or the Sanctuary in general, so a visit to Lourdes to them is a complete waste of time. On the other hand those of us who were brought up hearing about Bernadette and the Lady find the Sanctuary to be a place full of peace, joy and lots of love. The souvenir sellers are not allowed anywhere within the confines of the Sanctuary. I never tire of it and go back there every time I go to Europe.

Peace, Joy and lots of Love........

Thousands of Birthday Candles

When we arrived in Lourdes on my third visit in 2007, Billy was in a far more relaxed frame of mind than he had been in Paris, so I let him loose to explore for himself. He climbed up to the castle and rode the funicular to the top of the Pic de Jer in the Pyrennees and thoroughly enjoyed himself. He had all kinds of stories to tell about the people he met and his adventures without Mum in tow.
For my part I celebrated my birthday in Lourdes and never did anyone have so many birthday candles as I did at the Candlelight Procession. I know that there are many people who don't like Lourdes, but I find it to be a place full of peace and joy and it does my old heart good to spend a day or two there whenever I go to Europe. This time was no different.

You'll love it or loathe it........

Billy's ready for the procession

If you have a special devotion to St Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes, you will love it (especially the Sanctuary), if you don't have that devotion, don't waste your time, you'll hate it. And in defence of the locals who are often criticised for "cashing in" with all their souvenir shops etc, I might remind the knockers that these people have to make a living somehow and after all, they are being invaded by tens of thousands of tourists every day for nine months of every year. Cut them some slack for heaven's sake. It's what they do to survive.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A very peaceful place.
Cons:Not much in the way of good food.
In a nutshell:Another childhood dream comes true.

Last visit to Lourdes: Jun 2007
Intro Updated Apr 4, 2010
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Reviews (7)

Clean and comfortable Hotels (3)

The service was friendly and efficient. We felt very welcome here. It is well located within walking distance of the... more travel advice

The Pic du Jer Things to Do (3)

The Pic du Jer sits atop the Pyrenees overlooking Lourdes, Tarbes and Pau. Obviously the views of all these places are... more travel advice

The Candle Light Procession Things to Do (3)

No one should visit Lourdes without taking part in the Candle Light Procession. This spectacle, seen every night from... more travel advice

The Way of the Cross Things to Do (3)

There are three means of doing the way of the cross in Lourdes, but by far the most popular is what is known as the... more travel advice

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Comments (10)

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IreneMcKay May 14, 2013 at 5:34 AM

Lovely page. I've never been to Lourdes but it looks interesting. Irene
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  Maryimelda May 14, 2013 at 4:39 PM
  
  Yes it's a favourite of mine. Thanks for visiting my Lourdes page, Irene.
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GentleSpirit May 9, 2013 at 6:44 PM

I would love to go here, but unfortunately it would be far too quick on the present itinerary im coming up with
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christine.j Aug 19, 2012 at 6:35 AM

Only a few more days until my mother's third visit there. She's so much looking forward to showing it to my sister and me.I reread your tips to be prepared.Thank you.
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globetrott Mar 21, 2012 at 6:45 PM

An interesting page about a place I wish to visit some day myself !
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Trekki Dec 22, 2011 at 11:03 PM

Oh sweet memories! I was there as a kid and yes, it was very moving and impressive! I should go back!
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easterntrekker Nov 27, 2010 at 10:04 AM

Wonderfulpages.We didn't stay overnight so missed the candlelight procession. Oh well.
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sourbugger Nov 13, 2010 at 1:38 PM

nice little page. cheers. sb.
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kenHuocj Dec 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM

missed my morning flight from Orly, so arrived only mid afternoon, but the short overnight stop was more than i could have wished for. Will visit again ;-)))
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iandsmith Jul 30, 2009 at 12:32 PM

Yes, sadly it would probably be lost a little on me.....a practising atheist. Looks interesting though. Cheers.
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icunme Jul 23, 2009 at 12:27 AM

A must see one day and seems that the Aneto is for me. Thank you for good info.