# LOURDES : the City of Mary



## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

Wikipedia said:


> Lourdes (Gascon : Lorda) is a town and commune situated in the southwest of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, lying in the first Pyrenean foothills, in southwestern France.
> 
> Lourdes was originally a big market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees. At that time the most prominent feature was the fortified castle which rises up from the centre of the town on a rocky escarpment. Following the claims that there were apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, Lourdes has developed into a major place of Christian pilgrimage. 2008 is the 150th Jubilee of the apparitions, and larger crowds than usual are expected to visit.
> 
> Today Lourdes has a population of around 15,000 inhabitants but is able to take in some 5,000,000 pilgrims and tourists every season. Lourdes has the second greatest number of hotels in France after Paris with about 270 establishments.


Let's begin with pictures of two neighbouring villages : Loubajac and Poueyferré.

- Loubajac :


























































































- Poueyferré :


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

*1. The Rail-Station District*












































































































*2. The Main Street*


















































































































































































The Sanctuaries await us.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Very nice place, and so many hotels. Thanks for sharing.


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## Zitomersky (Jul 13, 2008)

Wait a minute. This isn't a thread about Lourdes, Madonna's daughter, the one with the unibrow ?

I'm disappointed.


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

Bernadette is prettier.


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

*3. The sanctuaries*


























































































































































































































































































































Next : Lourdes under rainy weather as well as the subterranean Basilica.


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

A little addendum to last part :

3a. Rainy day









































3b. The Subterranean Basilica









































Next : we'll leave the sanctuaries and enter the centre-town


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## Il_Milanese (Jan 31, 2006)

Nice reportage!  Are you a fellow catholic? 

Hail Mary!


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## Dequal (Mar 16, 2008)

Lourdes was one of the nicest villages I've visited. The three basilica, the underground basicilia, the holy cave, the castle in the village, I even swimmed in the river (it was 35°C or something xD) and the elevator that goes to the top of that hill (Pic du ???).

Nice trip. Outside of Lourdes there a lot of other things to visit: Cirque de Gavarnie, Pont d'Espagne, ...


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

*4. The centre-town part I*


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## HD (Sep 17, 2003)

very interesting. looks bigger than it is. amazing what tourism can do to a place.


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## Luis_RiodeJaneiro (Jan 21, 2006)

I just loved it ! Thanks for showing !


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Great pictures! As a Catholic, Lourdes means a lot to me. In a way, Lourdes is the "birthplace" of the Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived without Original Sin. The Catholic Church was debating if Mary was born with Original Sin or not at the time, and Mary told the world herself, by telling Bernadette, and that obviously settled the matter.


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

*5. The centre-town part II : the non-touristic part*


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

*6. Leaving Lourdes*



















































































































-->









*Peyrouse :*










































*Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre :*










































































































*End of the tour*


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## sukceno (Jan 11, 2008)

Your pictures are amazing.


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## psyche_ot (Feb 9, 2007)

very nice and holy place..Hope my wife and I will have a pilgrimage there soon.


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## Patachou (Dec 1, 2007)

Nice reportage,


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## Goyazny (Feb 1, 2009)

More than nice reportage. Enjoyed . Thanks.


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## Giri (Jan 28, 2005)

*7. Around Lourdes : Lavedan*

South of Lourdes is the country of Lavedan, heir to one subdivision of the Aquitanian city of Tarbes : Lavetania.



















Let's begin our tour in Espoey (Béarn, département des Pyrénées-Atlantiques) :










The road towards Lourdes is dominated by the Pic du Midi de Bigorre on the left : we enter Bigorre (modern Hautes-Pyrénées).










Since I know too well the entrance of Lourdes, I decide to introduce some variety through Peyrouse.



















I'm now into the mountains. I'm unable to know when I'm in and out. I see them in the distance and then suddenly, I find myself in wooden valleys. There is no transition.



















Peyrouse :



















Bypassing Lourdes through neo-Basque pavillions.




























I'm in Lavedan. It's very large which is quite unusual for Pyrenean standards. A highway was built to access ski resort stations.










I'll visit first one of the 7 valleys of Lavedan : "Dabantaygue" on the right bank of the Gave de Pau. The first village is Préchac :



















Placenames are all in vernacular Gascon in this village : no French variants. This is "Plaça dera Hount" (the "fountain square") for instance.










This from where we come. 










We reach Beaucens (Belsen in 870), quite probably a Basque placename on *beltze=black. The village is known for its dungeon.




























In the distance is Argelès-Gazost, the capital of Lavedan.




























The next village is Villelongue dominated by Mount Viscos (a Basque oronym as well : the root is bisk* - see Biskaia - with a Basco-Aquitania suffix -o(t)z).























































Time to reach another valley named Barège through a rather long talweg.




























Eventually we reach the enlarged part of the valley.










Saligos (a funny linguistic mix on Latin salica + Basque -o(t)z) :










We reach the suburbs of Luz-Saint-Sauveur, the main town in the Barège valley. Fist is Esquièze (from Basque *ezkiazu=limetree) :




























The Bastan valley that we won't visit.










Luz was awfully overcrowded. I did not have the courage to park and take pics of the town. Instead, I headed towards the heights around Luz-Ardiden.



















Luz - a Basque placename based on lohitz=mud - as seen from the heights : one can guess the Pic du Midi de Bigorre with its antenna in the background.










Vizos as seen from Sazos :










Sazos :




























Details of Luz :










And Esquièze :










I then decided that I had to leave Barège in order to get back to Argelès. "Demi-tour".

Sassis :










I eventually reached the third valley on the left bank of the Gave de Pau : l'Arribère de Sent Sabi. The Church of Soulom :










Pierrefitte-Nestalas :




























And then, Saint-Savin :



















Beaucens that we visited earlier on as seen from Saint-Savin :




























Towards Argelès in Lau-Balagnas : Saint-Savin is on the right.



















The Barège valley in my back :










It was fiesta time in Argelès, nearly impossible to park. I headed towards the fourth valley west of Argelès : Azun.










Arras (nothing in common with Arras in Artois !) :



















By then, I had accepted by fate : that valley is a dead end unless I ascend the "Col du Soulor" that will allow me to come back home. Alea jacta est.










I cannot say I liked that feeling. I was gaining altitude. What about my childhood's vertigo ? When I was a child, I nearly collapsed when seeing the Eiffel Tower. This will be a therapy.










Aucun (from Basque *algun : alge + -un) :




























Marsous :










Arrens (from Basque *arraintz=thorny) : here was born Gascony's greatest novelist, Michel Camelat.



















I cannot escape it : I'll have to ascend that pass. The good side is that I don't like to use roads I know too well hence I'll probably enjoy the trip. The bad side is that I don't really like being alone in the mountains at 07:00PM.



















I'm gaining altitude. Looks like my good old vertigo is dead.




























The summit is near with Mount Gabizos : I'm heading towards my home Béarn.




























On my left is Bigorre from where we come.




























Let's begin the descent towards Ferrières (Harrèra in Gascon) :





































After some rocky stretches, the landscape gets greener.










I'm home !










I really miss my defunct Peugeot 309, it was much more stylish.



















Light is now an oddity in Arbéost (from Basque *arbeltze=black rocks)










The three following pics were taken another day : they illustrate what I was too lazy to twice immortalize.

Ferrières :










Arthez d'Asson (from Basque *artetze=pine forest) :



















Eventually I leave the mountains.










Mirepeix, a village in the plain :










The summit in the centre of the pic is Mount Gabizos. I was over there just one hour ago. Corn fields smell like home.


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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## Japanac (Jan 20, 2013)

Very nice photos! kay:
I like the arhitecture! :cheers:


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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## Japanac (Jan 20, 2013)

Great pics, my friend! :cheers:


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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## Japanac (Jan 20, 2013)

I'm impressed with church, cave, mountains and basilica.


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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

quite a charming city, specially the old district, the church and the grotto are awesome
and the surroundings are simply refreshing, with all those grass-covered hills and the farms. and yes, quite a lot of believers.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Amazing, very nice new photos :cheers:


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## karlvan (Jan 31, 2011)

I love those old buildings and the church - very medieval.


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## TimothyR (Feb 17, 2011)

djole13 said:


> ^^ It's really wonderful sanctuary. There is so much peace and happiness when you meet so many people from around the world


Very nice photos. Were you there on a pilgrimage?


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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Amen! :angel:

Anyway, it's great to see some images of one of the most important and celebrated catholic pilgrimage places. Doesn't look bad at all.


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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Awesome, very nice new photos :cheers:


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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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## djole13 (Nov 13, 2013)

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