Lourdes 2026: 6 lesser-known places to pray
On pilgrimage, everyone is in search of a spiritual experience. This is experienced during great collective moments and, sometimes, during a solitary stroll.
In Lourdes, spontaneously, the pilgrim heads towards the must-see sites of the site: the cave nestled in the hollow of the rock, where Bernadette saw the Virgin appear; swimming pools*, where you can dive in to be revitalized; mass at the Rosary Basilica; the traditional torchlight procession…
But following the crowd, we sometimes forget that this immense sanctuary offers many other spaces for contemplation. Staying there for several days or coming back encourages you to think outside the box.
From early morning until nightfall, the pilgrim can trace his own route among the multiple chapels or places of meditation that dot this separate space, entirely dedicated to prayer. Some, little known, are to be discovered; others are simply to be visited at different times, against the flow of the faithful.
* These are in reality “bathtubs” filled with water from the spring, where one immerses oneself for a few minutes, during an intense time of prayer.
“Why I like the crypt of the sanctuary: on its right side, a small chapel houses the relics of Saint Bernadette. I like to stay there to pray since I felt close to the young girl there the first time I went there. »
Amélie Rugraff editor at Le Pèlerin
Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. until 1er november.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. until 1er November 2026.
Free access during opening hours of the sanctuary. Guided tour at 9:30 a.m. (except Sundays).
“Why I love the Adoration Chapel: “Come aside and rest,” invites Christ in the Gospel. This is what this chapel allows you to know how to find the entrance to, behind the Sainte-Bernadette church. »
Marie-Yvonne Buss editor-in-chief at Le Pèlerin
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until November 1, 2026.
