Lourdes, Religious pilgrimage site in Hautes-Pyrénées, France
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Toulouse. The town sits on the left bank of the Gave de Pau at an elevation of 1,380 feet (420 meters), surrounded by mountains and crossed by narrow streets in the older center.
An eleventh-century castle dominated the valley for centuries until the apparitions of 1858 transformed the place entirely. Following the reports of Bernadette Soubirous, this small market town became one of the most important religious centers in Europe, drawing millions of visitors each year.
The name comes from a Celtic word for flat summit, which later designated the Roman settlement Lapurdum. Today the streets between March and October fill with pilgrims who walk from the train station to the sanctuaries while reciting prayers or singing hymns.
The best time to visit is in spring or autumn when crowds are somewhat smaller. Most facilities are within walking distance, and wide pathways connect the main locations inside the sanctuaries with the town center.
The Massabielle grotto remained an unused spot where pigs grazed and wood gatherers passed by until 1858. Today the natural spring there flows from the rock at a constant temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius).
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