Lourdes City Map Poster

About Lourdes

Today Lourdes hosts around six million visitors every year from all corners of the world. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes has become one of the most visited sanctuaries in the world, and is part of a larger network known as "Santuaires Notre-Dame de la Paix" (Sanctuaries to Our Lady Of Peace). The Sanctuary was built in place where Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have seen a vision on 11 February 1858. Since then, millions have visited this Catholic pilgrimage site, believing it will heal them miraculously. Many reports on miraculous healings have been claimed by people who visit the grotto including cures for cancer and blindness which cannot be verified by medical records or science; however some cases are documented with X-rays or other documentation such as photographs before and after their visits that show evidence that they were ill prior to their visit but appear cured upon leaving.