Midi-Pyrenees People & Culture

Lourdes is full of people almost year round. If you want to visit the madonna it is better to do it early in the morning. A good souvenir to take home is a bottle full of water from the well.

Be careful at the markets on the way to the grotto itself,. people try to sell crap imitations and won't take no for an answer

Great city, beutiful and nice people

Tres jolie cloitre. Visit as a part of your Camino de Santiago Trip! Do not skip! People are really friendly, architecture is beautiful, there is a great and very informative arboretum. Food is amazing!

I think the big thing to see here is the shrine dedicated to Mary, who appeared to Saint Bernadette many, many moons ago in the grotto. Aside from the shrine is the thousands of people who come in pilgrimage to the site for various reasons. I've only been to this place twice, but both times I've gone, it was foggy-ish, but I could imagine that if it were clear, the natural beauty surrounding the region would be a sight to see!

L'Hospitalet is the last little village in France before you find the tiny country Andorra. This little place has a lovely campsite which is a good base fro hiking around the pyrenees. L'Hospitalet is 1500 meters up, so even in the summer you'll need to prepare for cold nights. It will freeze!

if you reached gavarnie by public transport or hitch-hiking, and you carry a tent, you can hitch a ride (or ask around for one) up to the border pass, and cross into spain by foot. you can walk all the way to torla (spain). a great trekking experience! ofcourse bring food and water...

Beautiful medieval buildings, including some bridges and an exquisite catholic cathedral (I'm not easily impressed by churches, but this one has as beautiful an interior in its own way as the one in Salisbury, UK).

Definitely worth a detour, or even a half-day trip (we were staying in Toulouse and did Carcassonne and Albi in one day, by car; while Carcassonne is the bigger attraction, I liked Albi a lot better).

Expect to have to walk to the sights; there is no place to park (nor, in many cases, to drive) near them.

Stay at the Citea Lourdes -- they have a kitchenette in every room and you can buy food at the local supermarket and cook some of your meals to save money! The hotel is clean, beds are comfortable, and it's located on the bridge by the river, less than a 5 minute walk to the Sanctuaries. We had a balcony facing the river -- great views! You can walk very easily through the town without having to take any public transportation. There are nightly Marian processions at the Sanctuaries/Grotto (except during the Triduum -- great time to visit, less crowds!). You can really feel a great peace and electricity through this town. It's at the foot of the Pyrenees so the views are gorgeous.

A really nice city in France. A wonderful market on Saturday mornings.

L'Hospitalet is the last little village in France before you find the tiny country Andorra. This little place has a lovely campsite which is a good base fro hiking around the pyrenees. L'Hospitalet is 1500 meters up, so even in the summer you'll need to prepare for cold nights. It will freeze!

the best time for pictures of Saint Sernin's Church is early morning