DeborahAnn

From postings here on Fodors and other research I am wondering if Lourdes is worth keeping on our Pyrenees itinerary.

We will be staying at a gite near Pau for one week and originally I thought Lourdes was a major draw in the region; that it offered points of interest to those not on a pilgrimage to the Shrine.

Cadogan Guides gives a very unattractive description of Lourdes, its basilique and the massive amounts of irreverent holy souvenirs and now I question whether we should eliminate it from the itinerary.

The guide I'm using is not current, 1995, so I'm wondering if Lourdes has improved in the past 15 years.

What did you think of Lourdes??? I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks, Deborah

StCirq

I guess if you're a devout Catholic, it holds great meaning, but I thought it was god-awful hideous.

SeaUrchin

I have a friend who returns there every year, always as a part of whatever trip she is taking. She loves it and is a devout Catholic.

Michael

Unless you take the road going over the col d'Aubisque to get to areas such as the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Col de Tourmalet, you will be passing by Lourdes. My long-ago recollection is that the small medieval castle is worth a visit. It contained a museum of Pyrenee folk items (costumes, tools) and had a garden of medicinal plants in its main courtyard. But this might have changed, so look for confirmation of that information.

Michael

This is what I found:

<i>Lourdes' only secular attraction is its castle, poised on a rocky bluff guarding the approaches to the valleys and passes of the central Pyrenees. Briefly an English stronghold in the late fourteenth century, it later became a state prison. Inside, it houses the surprisingly excellent Mus&eacute;e Pyr&eacute;n&eacute;en (guided visits: April–Sept daily 9am–noon &amp; 1.30–6.30pm; Oct–March daily except Tues 9am–noon &amp; 2–6pm; last tour 1hr before closing; &euro;3.20). Its collections include Pyrenean fauna, all sorts of fascinating pastoral and farming gear, and an interesting section on the history of Pyrenean mountaineering. In the rock garden outside are some beautiful models of various Pyrenean styles of house, as well as of the churches of St-Bertrand-de-Comminges and Luz-St-Sauveur</i>

Dukey

The interiors of the various churches in the grotto area hold some interest for their windows, side altar decorations, etc. However there will mainly be folks who are visiting the shrine out of some religious interest I suppose.

Up to the gates of the shrine area there are the usual hotels and many, MANY shops selling religious articles.

In and of itself the town doesn't seem to be all that interesting (I've visited twice). You would probably find Pau to be of more interest, at least parts of it but the countryside and the actual Pyrenees are much prettier and worth a trip IMO.

DeborahAnn

Thank you, this is most helpful.

Thank you also Michael for your post. St. Bertrand de Comminges and Luz St. Sauveur are on my long list of places to visit during the week.

I do not think we will be visiting Lourdes even though I would like to see the costumes in the museum. I never got tired seeing the costumes of Brittany last Sept.

Thanks again, Deborah

Carlux

For me it's very definitely a must NOT See. Commercial, not the least bit inspiring and certainly for me not the least bit holy. God-awful hideous just about covers it.

cls2paris

To each their own. For my mother who is a very devout Catholic, it was one of the highlights in our two week France trip. She found it to be a deeply spiritual experience to walk the stations of the cross and view the shrine. For me, a not so devout Catholic, it wasn't as moving.

StCirq

And my mother, also a devout Catholic, slipped on the steps of the cathedral and broke her hip. Praise the Lord.

kenderina

The landscape around the basilique and the shrine is beautiful, for me that alone deserved the trip.
I'm not a devote catholic, though.I won't call it a must see, but if I was in the area, I will go again.
I would not make a detour being far away from there, but I read you will be near Pau.

Dukey

St. Cirq..was she cured????

Maribel

Hi Deborah Ann,
Just hideous-I agree, a must NOT see.

DeborahAnn

I really appreciate that we can discuss a topic and include viewpoints influenced by both &quot;sacred and saucy&quot;

thank you, as usual there are too many places and not enough time, I'll just have to do some &quot;gleaning&quot;

Deborah

sshephard

StCirq: the irony of your mother's accident at Lourdes gave me the best Fodors laugh I've had in a long time. (But I'm sorry about your mom.)

kerouac

Lourdes is a meaningful stop if you are pious but an absolutely hilarious laugh riot if you are not.

What they sell in the religious souvenir shops defies description.

I'd say a stop in Lourdes is a must, one way or the other.

Michael

If visiting Luz St. Sauveur, stop by the hamlet of Ch&egrave;ze to visit its chapel which is either at the beginning or the end of the hamlet, depending on how you approach the hamlet. When we were there, it appeared locked but the door could be opened without a key.

seafox

DeborahAnn - never second guess your choice to skip it. The place does a great disservice to Catholicism. It's a bad disneyland of faith. There are so many other lovely places for the faithful of all religions to appreciate in France. Michael's suggestion is a good one, you will find many places of faith and peace that are far less theatrical then Lourdes

StCirq

Was she cured? I wish! No, she spent 4 days in a French hospital, where she made the lives of a half-dozen French healthcare professionals absolute hell 24/7, then flew back to the USA, making my father lug a large suitcase of holy water with him in addition to the fancy French wheelchair he had to buy for her.

I'm not particularly religious, but the whole experience left me thinking God has a wicked sense of humor.

travginny

I agree with Seafox: It's a bad disneyland of faith.

I stopped briefly in Lourdes a few years ago and couldn't wait to get away from there. Too commercial. I'll never forget the fluorescent madonnas in the shops.