Lourdes is a small city located in the Hautes-Pyrénées department of the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southwestern France. It is nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains, offering stunning natural beauty and a peaceful atmosphere. Lourdes is internationally renowned as a major pilgrimage site for Catholics, attracting millions of visitors each year. The city gained prominence in the 19th century when a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto near the Gave de Pau river. Since then, Lourdes has become a place of spiritual significance, with numerous religious sites and activities for pilgrims to engage in.