With 6 million pilgrims visiting Lourdes each year, there is no doubt that it is a place of enormous attraction for those seeking enlightenment through the footsteps of St. Bernadette. The itinerary can be either 3, 4, 5 or 7 nights.
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We recommend a minimum of two whole days in Lourdes to truly experience the Pilgrimage. The town is rather compact and most of the hotels surround the Domain (Sanctuary). Keep in mind that the Pilgrimage season ends at the end of October and after that the town pretty much shuts down.
Many miracles have been attributed to bathing in or drinking the water at Lourdes as well as to participating in the Eucharistic Procession and Adoration. Pilgrims may experience healing in body, mind or spirit and leave with a deeper sense of God's presence and love in their lives.
It is this very water that fills the Baths or Piscines in which pilgrims bathe on pilgrimage. This water is also available at taps throughout the Sanctuary for pilgrims to drink, wash, and bottle at will, above which it reads: “Wash your face and ask God to purify your heart.”
The best time to visit Lourdes runs from June to September, since it is the warmest and driest period of the year. May and October, though rainier, may be fine too, although it can sometimes get cold, especially in the first half of May and in the second half of October.
Lourdes is a place of the journey from sickness to health, spiritual as well as physical; a journey from darkness to light; a journey from the suffering of this earth to the peace of heaven.
A nice day at the lakeA lovely day trip to the lake. Great for swimming and other water sports like paddleboarding, canoeing. Nice walk from the centre of Lourdes.
Every Sunday and every Wednesday between 25th March and 1st November, an International Mass is celebrated at 9:30 a.m. in the underground basilica of Saint Pius X.