Since then, Lourdes has become one of the holiest Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, visited annually by more than five million people who come in search of healing from its sacred waters.
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Lourdes: At a GlanceSince then, Lourdes has become one of the holiest Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, visited annually by more than five million people who come in search of healing from its sacred waters.
The shrine in Lourdes is recognised by the Roman Catholic Church as the site of 18 visions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Since then, Lourdes has been a major site of pilgrimage, especially for Roman Catholics.
Why do people visit the Lourdes Basilica? For a tourist who is interested in visiting a religious tourist destination in Lourdes, then this is a must-do. It is also called the Grotto, and it is a site remembered as where young Miss Soubirous saw the first of her Virgin Mary visions.
Miraculous cures have been associated with Lourdes ever since. Lourdes today is far different from the isolated mountain hamlet of 1858. During the main pilgrimage season that runs from Easter through the end of October, an average of 25,000 pilgrims gather here each day in the shrine located in the center of Lourdes.
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.
The Healing WatersAs Catholics, we see water, tied to the sacredness of Baptism, as a sign. Combined with faith, water can heal. 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.
5 Lourdes Is One Of The Top Christian Pilgrimage SitesLourdes is the top-visited pilgrimage site in France and one of the top pilgrimage sites in the Christian world. It receives around 6 million pilgrims every year who come ot venerate the site.
Since then, Lourdes has become one of the holiest Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, visited annually by more than five million people who come in search of healing from its sacred waters.
The Grotto of Massabielle is a must for all visitors to the Shrine of Lourdes, whether they are ordinary visitors or believers. The visit to the Grotto is silent, most people touch the wall of the Grotto with their fingers in respect or to make a wish or a prayer. Processions are organised too for infirm pilgrims.
The act of drinking water is one of the highlights of the pilgrim's journey to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The volunteers of the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes welcome you and guide you through this important moment linked to the ninth apparition: “Go and drink and wash at the fountain”.
Every year, it is visited by millions of pilgrims , particularly Catholics. They come to Lourdes to see the site of a famous vision experienced by a young girl called Bernadette Soubirous and to be healed by its supposedly miraculous waters.
Ever since, Lourdes water has been supplied to the Sanctuary's taps. It's free of charge and easy to access, and many pilgrims are keen to bring some back home. Its miraculous nature is down to faith. This is not holy water as it's sometimes called: the water from the Spring can only be blessed by a priest.
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.