where is lourdes france
Lourdes, France. A gentle statue of the Virgin Mary overlooks the Sanctuary at Lourdes. Photo Br Lawrence Lew, OP. Lourdes (pronounced lourde or lourdz) is a small town in the Hautes-PyrÃ©nÃ©es dÃ©partement in southwest France. It is the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in France and one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the world. Lourdes lies 497 miles south of Paris in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains.