Lourdes France (pronounced Lourdz was included in my family vacation to Europe. My family discussed Lourdes France several times during my early childhood. I knew practically nothing about Lourdes France. Apart from hearing that it was a very religious place. During my family vacation to Europe that impression changed drastically. Visiting Lourdes, France was included in our European vacation. Above all, the visit was part of swing through Europe. It included stops in Paris and London. My family vacation to Europe was a tremendous success. Most of all, it gave me an opportunity to familiarize myself with many European destinations. Although Tropical Destination Vacations specializes in tropical travel destinations. In addition, we sell other attractive destinations.
Location of Lourdes France
Lourdes France is a small market town. It lies in the foothills of the Pyrenees. That is the Southwestern end of France. It is 497 miles south of Paris. In fact, it is very close to the Spanish boarder. There are several ways for a tourist to get there. To be specific, the travel options include rail, car or airplane. The nearest airport is approximately 20 minutes driving from the town center. As a matter of fact, that is a short distance for persons wishing to get there by air. I choose to travel by rail. It was the least expensive for our family vacation to Europe.
In addition, rail also offered the opportunity to see the French countryside. The scenery was very picturesque. Above all, it was littered with numerous huge farms. I came across sunflowers, corn, and vegetables among other crops. Most of all, the sunflower farms were extremely beautiful. There were acres on acres of yellow and green decorating the countryside.
Family Vacation to Europe at Spiritual Grotto
The population of Lourdes France is in the region of 15,000. That number swells drastically due to the large influx of tourists and pilgrims throughout the year. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that a total of 5 million visitors travel to Lourdes annually. Our family vacation to Europe contributed to that figure. The best time to visit is from March to October. On the other hand, the rest of the year is rather cold.
Interestingly Lourdes France has 2 sections. They vastly differ from each other. The international section by the river. It is also referred to as the spiritual section. That area consists of the grotto and churches. The second area is the French portion with its center being the marketplace and the Hotel de Ville.
Our arrival at the train station was incident free. There were several taxis available for the transfer to my hotel. I did arrange the package for our family vacation to Europe. I
was fortunate to book a hotel within walking distance from the grotto. As a result, we were able to walk to the grotto without any difficulty. It is important to get a hotel near the grotto if you are physically challenged . There is a small hill from the train station to the grotto. Please note that the town is friendly to walkers and it is easy to get around the town center. There are an estimated 270 hotels in Lourdes France. It is second only to Paris in hotel density per square hotels hotels
The Apparitions
Lourdes, France is famous for the apparitions of our lady of Lourdes. She appeared in 1858 to Bernadette Salubrious. Since, the area has developed into a major place for Roman Catholic pilgrimages and miraculous healing. According to the Catholic faith, Bernadette saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in the hollow of a rock. No other person saw the vision although people were present with her during some of the lady’s appearances. She drank water in the grotto from a mysterious spring. She dug a hole in the ground. Water gushed from the ground to everyone amazement.
My family vacation to Europe story will continue in a subsequent blog. Look out for Catholic Pilgrimage Destination soon. Meanwhile your family vacation to Europe or pilgrimages to Lourdes France can be booked with Tropical Destinations Vacations. Contact us at 505-999-1039 or by email.
Groto in Lourdes, France