The day trips we recommend, less than an hour from the Paternal Home
Lourdes is the gateway to the Hautes-Pyrénées.
Many visitors come for Bernadette, unaware that thirty minutes to an hour's drive away, peaks rising to nearly 3,000 metres, turquoise lakes and a UNESCO-listed cirque are waiting for them.
Here are the sites we recommend to those who extend their stay. For each one, the essentials here, and a full guide to read before you set off.
It is arguably the most breathtaking site in the Pyrenees: an immense rock amphitheatre listed by UNESCO, ringed by walls more than a thousand metres high. At the far end, the Grande Cascade tumbles down nearly four hundred metres, among the highest waterfalls in Europe.
You reach it on foot, along a flat, easy path beside the mountain stream, in a little under an hour's walk.
~1 h from Lourdes · May to September · Allow half a day
Read the full guide: “The Cirque de Gavarnie from Lourdes” (coming soon)
At 2,877 metres, the Pic du Midi is reached by cable car, without the slightest effort. At the top, you discover an astronomical observatory, a 360° panorama over the entire range and a striking silence.
You can even spend the night up there, with dinner at altitude, a starlit sky and sunrise over the Pyrenees.
Cable car from La Mongie, ~1 h from Lourdes · All year round in fine weather · Booking recommended
Read the full guide: “The Pic du Midi de Bigorre: access, opening times, tips” (coming soon)
A high-mountain lake of deep turquoise blue, at 1,725 metres, at the foot of the Vignemale, the highest summit in the French Pyrenees.
From the Pont d'Espagne, you climb up on an easy hour-and-a-half hike, or by chairlift for families. At the water's edge, a mountain refuge serves local dishes overlooking the scenery.
From Cauterets, ~45 min from Lourdes · May to October · Family-friendly
Read the full guide: “The Lac de Gaube and the Pont d'Espagne” (coming soon)
A spa town full of charm, and the gateway to the Pyrenees National Park. People come for the thermal baths, for the waterfalls cascading down the valley, and as a starting point for the great summits.
Its Belle Époque centre, with its old villas and wooden railway station, is worth a stroll in itself.
~40 min from Lourdes · All year round · Ideal as a base camp
Read the full guide: “Cauterets: thermal baths, waterfalls and the National Park” (coming soon)
One of families' favourite visits, and one of the most surprising in the region.
You pass through spectacular galleries combining a walk, a boat ride on an underground lake and a small electric train. Allow about an hour and a half for the visit.
~12 km from Lourdes · April to October · Perfect with children
Read the full guide: “The Bétharram Caves” (coming soon)
The summit overlooking Lourdes, reached directly from the town by a historic funicular. In just a few minutes, you take in the town, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and the whole Pyrenean range in a single glance.
It is the simplest and closest excursion, ideal at the end of the day in clear weather.
Funicular from Lourdes · In fine weather · Allow 2 h
Read the full guide: “The Pic du Jer by funicular” (coming soon)
The legendary pass of the Tour de France, at 2,115 metres, one of the most famous summits in cycling. It is also a splendid scenic road, linking the valleys and leading to the foot of the Pic du Midi.
You can discover it by car, by bike for the sportiest, or with a stop along the way.
~1 h from Lourdes · Open in summer · For lovers of grand landscapes
Read the full guide: “The Col du Tourmalet” (coming soon)
A hilltop medieval village, crowned by a beautiful Romanesque abbey church. It is one of the finest examples of religious art in the Pyrenees, with a magnificent view over the Argelès-Gazost valley.
A short, peaceful detour, between heritage and fresh mountain air.
~20 min from Lourdes · All year round · Heritage + viewpoint
Read the full guide: “Saint-Savin and the Argelès valley” (coming soon)
All these excursions start from Lourdes.
Before taking the road to the summits, take time for the house where it all began: the Maison Paternelle de Sainte Bernadette, in the heart of old Lourdes, four minutes from the Sanctuary.
To plan your days on the spot, follow our itinerary What to do in Lourdes, from 1 to 4 days.
Add Bernadette's family home to your itinerary: a free-flow 15-to-20-minute visit in the heart of Lourdes.
or call us on 05 62 94 22 51