Lourdes, “cite mariale”
At the heart of the Pyrenees, Lourdes welcomes more than 5 million visitors
from all over the world each year.
Its spirituality is apparent, based on its history and supported today by its beautiful site, its historic relics and meditation in its sanctuaria.
Lourdes is not just a small town of 11 February 1859, when Bernadette Soubrous would meet at the side of the Gave La “Dame” who conferred on the town its quality of a city “mariale”...
Today it has 230 hotels which places it in the second tier of hotel towns in France.
Les Hautes Pyrénées (65)
Hautes Pyrenees is not only Lourdes, it is also a department with numerous tourist attractions, from the town of Tarbes and its stud farms, to the Gavarnie comb, the vineyards of Madiran, the Pic du Midi, The “cols” of the Tour de France especially Tourmalet and l'Aspin, the Pyreneen National Park, and the nature reserve of Néouvielle.
It also has many charming valleys, close to the Vallée du Louron and the countryside of the river Neste: the Adour valley with Bagnères de Bigorre, Campan and Payolle, the Gaves valley with Argelès Gazost, Luz St Sauveur and Gavarnie, the Cauterets Valley and the Bridge of Spain, and finally the Val d’Azun in the west of the department.
Download the map of the Hautes Pyrenees
And also...
- le Gers, its walled towns, its Armagnac and numerous festivals notably the world famous Jazz Festival at Marciac. The Gers is less than 1 hour by car from the Vallée du Louron.
- Toulouse,the rose coloured town, less than 2 hours by car.
- Le Pays Basque, a day trip.
- l'Andorre, a little further still.