Lourdes is a worldwide famous pilgrimage city, on the foothill of the Pyrenees. Each year millions of pilgrims come to visit this place and its sanctuaries where Mary appeared to Bernadette de Soubirous at the end of the 19th century.
Whether you are a believer or not, the place is worth the visit.
Lourdes is also along one of the numerous St James routes called the Piemont (foothill) Route.
The Way of St James, or the Camino de Santiago de Compostela is a pilgrimage route running across all of Europe with Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain as their final destination. People have been walking it – as a pilgrimage route –for over a thousand years.
This is the final stage in France before crossing the Pyrenees and reach Spain. The walking tour between the so fervent city of Lourdes and the authentic St-Jean-Pied-de-Port winds its way on the foothills of the Pyrenees, starts in Bearn and ends in the Basque country, both very rich cutural places. by Cécile ( Ici&Là Nature )
Throughout the year, millions of Christians visit the town sanctuaries, ever since the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous at the end of the 19th century.
Walking the Way of St James from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( 8 days ) : Click here . More information : cecile@icietlanature.com.
The first pilgrimage started in 1858.
Massabielle Cave or Grotto is the place where Bernadette said she had seen 18 times the Virgen Mary in 1858. According to her, Mary would have given her the indications to find a water spring which is still considered as miraculous.
This is the third Catholic pilgrimage place in the world after the Vatican and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.
Each year 60 000 disabled out of 6 millions of pilgrims or visitors come from all over the world.
Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( 8 days ) : Click here . More information : cecile@icietlanature.com.
From 19th century up to now, 69 healing were authenticated “miraculous healings”.
Lourdes, the departure city of the Pyrenean foothills route ( 8 days ) : Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port – More information : Click here.
Before these Church-approved apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Lourdes was only a tiny village lost in a Pyrenean valley.
Today, the train station is one of the most frequented of France.
The château fort de Lourdes
Lourdes, the departure city of the Pyrenean foothills route ( 8 days ) : Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port – Click here !
Lourdes, the departure city of the Pyrenean foothills route ( 8 days ) : Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port – More information : Click here.
Le Moulin de Boly : Bernadette’s birthplace.
In Lourdes there are more than 300 hotels, which ranks second behind Paris in terms of hotels number.
Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( 8 days ) : Click here . More information : cecile@icietlanature.com.
Basques espadrilles (rope sandals) are locally made shoes.
Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( 8 days ) : Click here . More information : cecile@icietlanature.com
The Statues Factory
Religious satues factory…
The exhibition room.
Joan of Arc and Saint Louis of France.
The factory can be visited.
Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( 8 days ) : Click here . More information : cecile@icietlanature.com
Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( 8 days ) : Click here . More information : cecile@icietlanature.com
Orthodox Church
Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( 8 days ) : Click here . More information : cecile@icietlanature.com
The hike starts along the Gave of Lourdes (which is the mountain river running through the city)
Lourdes, the departure city of the Pyrenean foothills route ( 8 days ) : Walking from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port – More information : Click here.
Ici & Là Nature : Walking and Cycling tours in France, Spain, Italy.
ICI & LA NATURE PICTURES 
Merci de votre passage par Laïtou autrement dit Roche, petit village qui résonne de la présence de Rimbaud.
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I’d love to the St. James pilgrimage. Your photos are the next best thing. Thanks
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Fascinating — I would have never wandered to your site — much less your roads if you had not visited my blog. Thank you for the visit and this experience.
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Thank you for a great post and I’m travelling through Brittany and the south in September of this year. Really looking forward to visiting France.
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Excellent – as always!
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thanks for bringing me there through your lovely photos. 🙂
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Un puissant merci au webmaster du site
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Thank you for liking “Offbeat Thanksgiving Photos.” You did a great job on this post. I enjoyed looking at the beautiful photos, and I appreciate your description about the history of this famous and mystical place. Well done! 🙂
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Heel hartelijk bedankt, Francina….
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Amazing photos! I have been to France, but not that area. Your photos provide such a richness, that I almost feel that I’ve been there.
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Went there years ago. Stunning photos.
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honeydidyouseethat? , thank.
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Such great photos
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Really nice places, thanks for sharing.
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Beautiful blog…
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The quality of your photography is amazing; this is a lovely report – so too is the Marseilles blog. It’s lovely to see more of “la France profonde” – I miss it!
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I found your photos most interesting. The architecture of the church, etc at Lourdes looks most impressive, though, judging by the photos of the shops that you posted, it all seems very commercialised now. I look forward to seeing the photos you take in the Pyranees.
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Great job with the photos and captions! I felt as close as I could without having actually been there!
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Thank you for he post! I was looking for some information about Lourdes! I want to go my mum. I’ve been in France for two weeks and I coudn’t go to Lourdes. Great great post!
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Interesting post, thank you for sharing.
groetjes, Francina
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