Lourdes

Not strictly Basque country, but part of the nearby Bigorre region, the town of Lourdes is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées and has been one of the great Roman Catholic pilgrimages since the Virgin Mary allegedly revealed herself to a shepherd girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in 1858. Over five million pilgrims visit the town each year, particularly in August, from the Catholic nobility to the poverty-stricken sick and ailing. Pilgrims are sometimes offended by ... More about Lourdes