Shrine · Christian
Lourdes
Occitanie, France
Shrine · Christian
Occitanie, France
Lourdes is one of the world's most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites, centred on the Grotto of Massabielle, where a series of Marian apparitions are reported to have occurred in 1858.
Millions of pilgrims visit annually, many seeking healing at the site's spring waters, following the reported apparitions experienced by Bernadette Soubirous, later canonised as a saint.
Following the reported 1858 apparitions, the site rapidly developed into a major pilgrimage destination, with the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes now comprising several churches and facilities to receive large numbers of pilgrims, including many with serious illness.
The pilgrimage season runs roughly April to October, with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (11 February) also drawing pilgrims.