If you pass near Lourdes, the Notre-Dame Shrine is one of the places to do at least once in your life!
If you pass through Lourdes, then stop to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. It attracts millions of faithful each year, as well as many people coming to look for the miraculous virtues of the blessed water of this source, supposed to cure the sick.
This sanctuary, a place of pilgrimage since the apparitions of 1856, is a magnificent visit to make at least once. In order for your tour to be done at best, here is a small guide with the key points on this field.
History of the Shrine Notre-Dame de Lourdes
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The history of the Shrine Notre-Dame de Lourdes begins when Bernadette Soubirous For the first time, on February 11, 1856, an apparition. The young woman said she saw the white and luminous silhouette of a woman appearing in front of her while she was just going to look for wood.
From that day Bernadette returned several times to the source of the Cave of Lourdes, and from February 11 to July 16, 1856, it was a total of eighteen appearances that she had, all of which were about the luminous silhouette of the Virgin.
Of course, these assertions about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes attracted the curiosity of the Church who rushed to launch an investigation, led by Monsignor Laurence. After four full years of work and discernment, Bishop Laurence declared: We believe that the Immaculate Mary, Mother of God, really appeared at Bernadette Soubirous on February 11, 1858 and the following days, eighteen times, in the cave of Massabielle, near the city of Lourdes; that this apparition takes all the characters of the truth, and that the faithful are founded to believe it certain. »
This declaration recognized the apparitions as authentic by the Church, and thus the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Lourdes becomes the largest Catholic pilgrimage centre in France.
Since then, many works of development have been carried out in order to welcome the faithful as well as the tourists, and since the spring of 2018, the Grotte Project, the Heart of Lourdes has finally been finalized. In particular, it has enabled the establishment of a new bridge to rise in the event of a flood, but also the construction of a new sacristy and the chapels of Lights.
What to see and do at the Shrine Notre-Dame de Lourdes?
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The cave
The cave of Lourdes is the main activity of the estate. According to Bernadette, this is where the Virgin Mary would have appeared to her the first time, and many visitors make the queue to touch the stone there, which brings luck and healing.
The Basilica of Immaculate Conception
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the first one having been built and consecrated on the domain of the Shrine Notre-Dame de Lourdes. This basilica of fifty-one meters long over twenty-one meters wide includes a crypt as well as several chapels, each dedicated to a different Saint such as Saint-Pierre, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint Joseph, Saint Francis of Assisi or Saint Germaine de Pibrac.
You can freely visit it and admire its many works, but also its stained-glass windows, its particular architecture, its chapels and its crypt, or attend one of the messes that take place in it.
The Rosary Basilica
Designed by architect Leopold Hardy and completed in 1899, Basilica of the Rosary is the second to see the day on the domain of the sanctuary.
While it is possible to admire magnificent stained-glass windows in this basilica, as in that of the Immaculate Conception, it should be noted that it is rather known for its mosaics, and especially that of the choir representing the Virgin Mary, as well as the mosaics in the fifteen chapels and illustrating the mysteries of the Rosary.
The Church of St Bernadette
Built in front of the Cave of Lourdes, on the opposite bank, and consecrated in 1988, Saint Bernadette is a modern building designed so that the maximum of natural light can fit into the nave.
In addition, to further increase the brightness of the room, white materials and clear colours were used to make the church. This, unconventional by its exterior and its interior with geometric and modern forms, is to be done absolutely in order to complete your tour to visit the Shrine Notre-Dame de Lourdes.
The pools
During a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Notre-Dame de Lourdes, the passage through the swimming pools of the estate is an essential event for the thousands of faithful going to Lourdes. These pools, resembling large stone baths and sixteen, contain water at 12 °C that is blessed and would be able to treat diseases, both physical and mental.
How to go to the Notre-Dame de Lourdes Shrine?
There are various ways to go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the exact address of it is: 1 Avenue Mgr. Théas, 65108 Lourdes.
Aeroplane + taxi
If you would like to fly to a long distance, you should know that Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées International Airport is located near Lourdes. By leaving this one, simply take the taxi and you will quickly get to the sanctuary, as it is only ten kilometers from the airport.
It is also possible to land at the Pau-Pyrénées Airport, but it is just over forty kilometres from the estate.
Train
Many trains are available to go to the train station in Lourdes to visit the Sanctuary Notre-Dame de Lourdes. From Paris or Tarbes, you can take the TGV to Lourdes, or take one of the direct trains from Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille, Nice, Lyon, Geneva and Hendaye.
The train station is less than two kilometres from the Notre-Dame de Lourdes Sanctuary and you can either walk in about 20 minutes or take a taxi.
Bus
Many tourist buses Yesbus and Flixbus are available to visit Lourdes from many starting cities. In particular, you can book your trip from Paris, Toulouse, Orléans, Bordeaux, Mont-de-Marsan and much more.
Schedules & Rates of the Shrine Notre-Dame de Lourdes
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HORARI
Sanctuary
- Portes St Joseph and St Michel : every day from 5:30 a.m. to midnight
- Door of the meadow : every day from 8 a.m. to midnight
- Crypte Gate Every day from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Pools : every day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
RATES
The entrance to the domain is free , but if you want to visit the Shrine Notre-Dame de Lourdes by taking advantage of many historical anecdotes, then we advise you to appeal to a Local guide or to reserve your place for one group visit domain.
QUESTIONS
- How long does it take to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes?
If you do not wish to attend the various messes that take place in the field, two to three hours should be sufficient to see the entire site.
- Is it true that we have to undress in order to get into the pools?
Yes, you have to remove your city clothes, but the staff will give you a bathrobe.
- Is it true that the source water is miraculous and can cure various diseases?
Nothing proves, at the scientific level, that the water of the source can cure the sick. Nevertheless, 7,000 healing files have been deposited to date in Lourdes, and 69 of them are considered miraculous.
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