Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LA CITADELLE
From the top of rue de la Citadelle, a rough cobblestone path ascends to the
massive citadel itself, from where there's a spectacular panorama of the town and
the surrounding hills. Constructed in 1628, the fort was rebuilt around 1680 by milit-
ary engineers of the Vauban school. Nowadays it serves as a secondary school and
is closed to the public.
If you've a head for heights, descend by the steps signed
escalier poterne
(rear
stairway). Steep and slippery after rain, they plunge beside the moss-covered ram-
parts to
Porte de l'Échauguette
(Watchtower Gate).
Fortress
Information
Tourist office
( 05 59 37 03 57;
www.pyrenees-basque.com
;
place Charles de Gaulle;
9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun Jul & Aug, 9am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Sat Sep-Jun)
Getting There & Away
Train is the best option to travel to or from Bayonne (€9, 1¼ hours, up to five daily)
since the irregular bus service makes a huge detour (and drops you at the station,
rather than the centre of town, despite passing right through it - go figure).
Lourdes
POP 15,700 / ELEVATION 400M
If you've ever wondered what a religious theme park would look like, chances are
it'd turn out pretty close to Lourdes. This provincial town, 43km southeast of Pau,
has been one of the world's most important pilgrimage sites since 1858, when
14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous (1844-79) saw the Virgin Mary in a series of 18
beatific visions, which came to her in a rocky grotto just outside town.
Each year, around 70,000 invalids make the spiritual pilgrimage to Lourdes in the
hope of finding a cure for all manner of afflictions and ailments, and while the town
itself can be a pretty disheartening experience, the sanctuaries themselves are re-
freshingly free of commercial clutter.
Sights
SANCTUAIRES NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES
Sacred Caves
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