Petit train & museum, Chateau Lourdes

Lourdes is a town in southwestern France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. It’s known for the Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes, or the Domain, a major Catholic pilgrimage site. Each year, millions visit the Grotto of Massabielle (Grotto of the Apparitions) where, in 1858, the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a local woman. In the grotto, pilgrims can drink or bathe in water flowing from a spring.

A huge attraction for many is Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary (French: Notre Dame du Rosaire de Lourdes) is a Catholic church and minor basilica within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Its main theme is a celebration and depiction of the Rosary. The Rosary Basilica is the third of the churches to be completed on the site (after the Crypt and the Upper Basilica). It was designed by architect Leopold Hardy and completed in 1899. It was consecrated in 1901 and has a capacity of 1,500 worshippers. Its style is influenced by Byzantine architecture.
We also visited the Château Fort Musée Pyrénéen. The château fort de Lourdes (Gascon: Castèth de Lorda) is a historic castle located in Lourdes in the Hautes-Pyrénées département of France. It is strategically placed at the entrance to the seven valleys of the Lavedan.

Besieged in 778 by Charlemagne, it became the residence of the Counts of Bigorre in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the 13th century, it passed into the possession of the Counts of Champagne, part of the kingdom of Navarre before coming under the crown of France under Philippe le Bel. It was ceded to the English by the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, before returning to France at the start of the 15th century after two sieges. In the 17th century, the castle became a royal prison, and then a state prison after the French Revolution. It continued in this role until the start of the 20th century, when it became the Pyrenean Museum (Musée Pyrénéen) (1921) which it remains
We had a lovely lunch at a small restaurant- Bill ate a pumpkin quiche type tart as a starter. And CJ ate mushroom soup! Then Bill had veal and salad with potatoes and CJ had trout and lentils with veggies. Deliciously followed by a small scoop of gelato and expresso!
We visited the Petit Lourdes last as cheesy as it sounds it was quite cute and very cool. Miniature version of Lourdes circa 1958, made of masonry & ornamented with bonsai trees & flowers. It took the designer 22 years. He left it to his family and the Grandchildren run the museum today!Baca selengkapnya