"Visit the cathedral" Lourdes Things to Do Tip by lomi

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. A visit to this immense cathedral is essential viewing.

It is the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in France and one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the world.

This small Pyrenees village of Lourdes, in France, attract millions of pilgrims annually. This is the site where, in 1858, a young peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous, had several famous 'Virgin Mary' sightings. Today, the cave where she saw 'our lady' is at the base of the basilica, near the river, the mighty cathedral has been built on top of it. The thousands that visit, many in wheelchairs or even rolled in on hospital gurneys, swarm to the cave where Bernadette had her visions, to taste the water from the spring and light a candle, with hopes for a miracle.

Visitors come in search of a spiritual experience or a miraculous healing, by their thousands from Easter to October.

For a stress free visit go out of season. Most of the tacky souvenir shops, and a couple of places to eat are closed .