Discover Lourdes: 14 Fascinating and Fun Facts about France's Spiritual Gem

1. Miracle-Maker since 1858

In a world where divine interventions are rarer than getting picked last in gym class, Lourdes, France, stands tall as a beacon of miraculous hope: Home to 70 confirmed miracles since the visions of Bernadette in 1858, the town's miraculous mantle was most recently refreshed in February 2018.
Source => albomadventures.com

2. Hotel Heaven in Lourdes

If you're searching for a room with a pew, Lourdes is your divine destination: Boasting the highest number of hotels in France, outside of Paris, Lourdes has 143 hotels, offering more than 9,800 rooms for those seeking both spiritual and temporal solace, although COVID-19 has cast its plague-ridden shadow over the once-thriving industry, closing many an establishment.
Source => bbc.com

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3. Flame-Proof Bernadette

You know those candlelit dinners that get out of hand when you accidentally set something on fire? Not the case for Bernadette Soubirous during her Lourdes' vision: On April 7th, 1858, she held a flame up through her fingers for about 15 minutes without a single burn, leaving witnesses and Dr. Dozous—who examined her hand afterwards—utterly baffled and amazed.
Source => corjesusacratissimum.org

4. Award-Winning Green Spaces

Move over, Garden of Eden – there's a new green sanctuary in town: Lourdes, France has been awarded the highest honor of four flowers in the "Ville Fleurie" competition for its impeccably maintained and visually stunning green spaces, making this pilgrimage site angelically eco-friendly.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. H2O or Holy Water?

H2O, Holy Water, or Liquid Miracles? At Lourdes, it's often quite hard to tell which one you've scored: Millions travel to Lourdes, France each year to bathe in the legendary spring water that flows at the Grotto, with many visitors reporting miraculous healings. You can't take home the magic water in creative bottles, but containers of Lourdes Water blessed by local priests are available for purchase, making sure the Grotto's healing reputation continues to spread worldwide.
Source => directfromlourdes.com

6. Saintly Thrill-Seekers Unite

Calling all adventure aficionados and saintly thrill-seekers! Lourdes, France may be known for its holier-than-thou reputation and endless streams of pilgrims, but beware, for it has a "devilishly" good secret up its sleeve: Despite its fame as a Christian pilgrimage site, Lourdes is also a gateway to the great outdoors, with the majestic Pyrenees mountains right at its doorstep. This allows visitors to indulge in adrenaline-pumping activities such as hiking, skiing, and cycling, while basking in the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding landscapes.
Source => tripadvisor.com

7. Holy Grail of Hydration

Lourdes may just be heaven on earth for water enthusiasts seeking a "holy grail" of hydration: This small town in France is home to a miraculous spring discovered by Bernadette in 1858, which pumps out 32,000 gallons of water daily – attracting millions of faith-filled tourists hoping for healing, despite scientific findings showing the water's composition is decidedly unremarkable.
Source => historytoday.com

8. Visions Turned Holy Hotspot

Warning: Statues may cause visions! In Lourdes, France, Bernadette Soubirous' spiritual sightseeing turned into one of the world's holiest hotspots: now attracting around five million pilgrims annually, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes boasts multiple chapels and churches, including the massive Basilica of St. Pius X with a capacity of 25,000 souls, and has been graced by future Pope John XXIII's presence.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Amazon Prime of Miracles

Move over, Amazon Prime: The original Lourdes delivers miracles right to your spiritual doorstep! Since 1858, this French town has been the holy watercooler stop with its own version of one-day shipping: 70 confirmed miracles, all thanks to a 14-year-old peasant girl's divine encounter. And if you happen to miss out on the miracle manifest, you can still join the nightly torch-lit Marian procession since 1872, or fill up your bottle with Lourdes' healing water that flows as freely as Amazon's stronghold on retail markets.
Source => albomadventures.com

10. Unmoisturized Saint

When a body refuses to rest in peace: Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, the nap-averse saint, has been exhumed three times with her body intact and well-preserved, only sporting some seriously unmoisturized skin. She now puts up a show at the Convent of Saint-Gildard in Nevers, France, serving as both an exhibition and a source of relics for veneration.
Source => ewtn.com

11. Divine Bees to Sacred Honey

Peek-a-boo with Mary: France's Lourdes has an uncanny ability to lure in visitors like bees to honey - except, these bees happen to have a taste for divine encounters and miraculous healings! Zut alors! The serious reveal: Lourdes is the fourth most popular Catholic pilgrimage destination, with 6 million annual visitors, the Lourdes Sanctuary housing the Massabielle Grotto, where the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, and a whopping 12,000 hotel rooms with 22,200 beds to cater to the faithful from around the world.
Source => all-andorra.com

12. Arizona's Lourdes Replica

From grotto-to-go to Arizona's pièce de résistance: A one-seventh scale replica of the Lourdes Grotto is being built in Scottsdale, Arizona, costing around $300,000. It features a stone from the original Lourdes grotto, water from the Lourdes fountain, 150 spots for candles, and a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and Sainte-Bernadette – all as a testament to the global devotion towards the sacred site.
Source => euro.dayfr.com

13. A Torch-Lit Affair

In Lourdes, France, they've taken the phrase "carrying a torch for someone" quite literally during the Marian procession: a famous daily event from April to October where thousands of pilgrims march with flaming torches from the Grotto of Apparitions to the Rosary Basilica's esplanade, giving a whole new meaning to that burning love for the Virgin Mary statue leading the way.
Source => en.lourdes-infotourisme.com

14. Batman's Catholic Batcave

Holy smokes, Batman! It seems we've finally found the "Batcave" for devout Catholics worldwide: Lourdes, France is home to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, attracting a whopping 6 million awestruck visitors every year to the grotto where the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 and the miraculous healing waters that flow within.
Source => directfromlourdes.com