| If you're after a slightly more unique French camping | | | | this water. |
| holiday then why not take a pilgrimage to Lourdes. The | | | | During one of the apparitions, The Lady of Lourdes |
| tiny town, located on the foothills of the Pyrenees has | | | | asked that a church be built at the spot of the |
| attracted millions of pilgrims since 1858. | | | | sightings. This church was completed in 1867 and |
| If you're camping in France's Pyrenean mountain range, | | | | should definitely be visited. The overall basilica holds |
| then the famous village of Lourdes is well worth a day | | | | 20,000 people and is regarded as an important |
| trip. The village has received a large number of pilgrims | | | | pilgrimage site. It is one of the largest churches in the |
| since 1858, when a 14-year old peasant girl admitted | | | | world and holds a weekly international mass. If you |
| that she has seen a lady in the cave of Massabielle | | | | want to attend one of these masses whilst camping in |
| whilst out collecting firewood. The woman identified | | | | France then make sure you visit on a Wednesday and |
| herself as "The Immaculate Conception" and similar | | | | Sunday morning, when the English services take place. |
| appearances occurred another seventeen times that | | | | Bernadette's simple childhood home is now a popular |
| year. | | | | place for pilgrims, with the adjoining museum depicting |
| The peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, was later | | | | scenes from the life of the Saint. Her father's home is |
| canonized as a saint and many Catholics believe that | | | | located a few doors down and is open from March to |
| her visions were of the Virgin Mary. It is possible to visit | | | | October. |
| the Grotto de Massabielle, where it all started, as an | | | | If you don't mind visiting somewhere that's slightly more |
| excursion on your French camping holiday, and once | | | | commercialized, whilst on your camping holidays in |
| inside you will be able to view La Source, which | | | | France, then the Musée Grevin is definitely |
| reputedly spouted on February 25, 1858 during the ninth | | | | worth a visit. This attraction has been dubbed a |
| apparition. The water in this spring is collected from | | | | 'religious Madame Tussauds', with scenes of |
| several reservoirs where it can be drunk and, to-date, | | | | Bernadette's life and Leonardo Da Vinci's last supper |
| the Catholic Church has recorded 67 separate | | | | all created in waxwork. |
| miracles which have occurred as a result of drinking | | | | |