Lourdes the town and people

Lourdes is a small town situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The town is 420 meteres above sea level and the River Gave de Pau runs through the town. Although Lourdes has just 17000 inhabitants, 5 million visitors go there each year. In the hotel trade, Lourdes is second only to Paris in importance.

There are several narrow streets leading down to the Grotto. These are full of souvenir shops and although these at first seem out of character, they soon become an integral part of the visit to Lourdes.

As in most French towns there are numerous cafes and bars which are open to all ages. The cafe we visited most was the Terrase, where part of the bar was outside literally overhanging the river Gave.

Lourdes castle stands on a rocky peak dominating the town. The castle houses the MUSEE PYRENEEN, the most important Museum of Popular Art and Traditions, and of History in the Pyrenees.