Cheap Flights to Lourdes

Located at the foot of the Pyrenees, on the Gave de Pau, the town of Lourdes is the second city of pilgrimage in the world after Rome. The town still had only a few thousand people in the nineteenth century and is now home to nearly six million visitors a year. Lourdes has adapted to this new situation and nowadays there are more hotels or shops in the city centre! A visit to the Sanctuary, the heart of Lourdes , is essential to understand why millions of people book flights to Lourdes every year.

The town also paid tribute to Bernadette Soubirous through a course and a museum tracing her life. Beyond this long religious tradition, you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings in which the city is located. Perched on a rocky outcrop, the castle and its museum will tell you more about the arts and popular traditions of the Pyrenees. Moreover, Lourdes is also an excellent starting point for beautiful walks.

Monuments

The town of Lourdes is strongly marked by a long tradition of religious and visiting shrines is necessary to understand its meaning. You will find, among other things, the cave of Massabielle, where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette on numerous occasions and the impressive Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. An inescapable character of Lourdes, Bernadette Soubirous is being honoured through a route in the city depicting her life. Finally, overlooking the city from the top of the rock, the castle will allow you to understand the popular arts and traditions of the Pyrenees.

The Castle of Lourdes

Planted on a rocky outcrop, the castle of Lourdes reigns over the city and dates back to Roman times. The castle was a first class military post for a very long time and many architectural elements are still proving this. The castle owes its impressive look to the three successive lines of defence and its dungeon in which you can enter and enjoy a superb view of Lourdes and the Pyrenees reliefs. The walkway takes you directly to the platform where the artillery stands and where a magnificent view of the Sanctuary and the Pyrenees awaits you.

Museums

Lourdes hosts many museums that are an essential part of the discovery of the city. For example, the Pyrenean museum will allow you to understand the arts and popular traditions of the Pyrenees and understand the meaning of "Pyreneism." The Wax Museum offers a little detour off the original religious sites to better understand them. Finally, several museums are devoted to the history of sanctuaries. The Bernadette Museum, the Museum of the Treasury and the Museum of Miracles immerse tourists into the heart of the incredible destiny of this small town in the Pyrenees that has become worldwide famous.

Sanctuary of Lourdes

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes has been the largest centre of Catholic pilgrimage since Bernadette Soubirous, saw a lady claiming to be the Immaculate Conception, four years after Pope Pius IX proclaimed a dogma related to this. A visit to the Sanctuary is the main reason people from all over the world travel to Lourdes. The first pilgrimage took place in 1858. Without a doubt, Bernadette was soon accompanied by thousands of pilgrims and their number multiplied year by year. Each year, from March to October, shrines welcome pilgrims from all over Europe and even further. The city was transformed by Lourdes pilgrimages, which are now an important source of tourism. Today, the station of Lourdes is one of the busiest in France, and an airport runs jointly with the city of Tarbes serving the area.

Planning a trip to Lourdes can be costly if you are not doing it with some time in advance. Flighthub offers the cheapest flights to Lourdes and by booking them you will be able to have more money for visiting the attractions of the town and upgrade your hotel room.

Top attractions in Lourdes

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes

Lourdes's Our Lady Sanctuary which encompasses the Catholic famous grottoes has long been a favorite among tourists in France. This is a place where people go to seek healing and to meet Our Lady of Lourdes, just as St. Bernadette did in one of the grottoes.