Location

At the base of the Sanctuary Domain, beside the Gave de Pau

Open

Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

Apparitions

18 apparitions between February and July 1858

Spring flow

Approximately 35,000 litres of water per day

Statue

White Carrara marble, installed 1864

The Grotto of Massabielle is the heart of Lourdes, the rocky cave above the Gave de Pau river where the Virgin Mary appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous 18 times between 8 February and 16 July 1858. Today it is one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, welcoming over 3 million pilgrims annually. Inside the cave, a white marble statue of Our Lady marks the exact spot of the apparitions, while the spring discovered by Bernadette flows continuously nearby.

History of the Apparitions

On 11 February 1858, Bernadette Soubirous was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend when she heard a sound like a gust of wind from the Grotto. Looking inside, she saw a "beautiful lady" dressed in white with a blue sash and a yellow rose on each foot. Over the following months, the apparitions continued 17 more times, with Our Lady eventually identifying herself as the "Immaculate Conception", a dogma defined just four years earlier by Pope Pius IX.

The Miraculous Spring

During the ninth apparition on 25 February, Our Lady told Bernadette to "drink at the spring and wash yourself there." Bernadette scraped at the muddy ground and a spring began to flow, the same spring whose waters have since been attributed to thousands of healings. The water itself is chemically ordinary; it is faith that makes it extraordinary.

Visiting the Grotto

Pilgrims may enter the Grotto and touch the rock wall, which has been worn smooth by millions of hands over 160 years. Mass is celebrated at the open-air altar in front of the cave every morning. The Grotto is particularly atmospheric at night when lit by candlelight. Photography is permitted but mobile phones and cameras must be used with discretion.

Pilgrim Tips

✓Visit between 5:00 and 7:00 for the most profound, quiet experience
✓The rock wall inside can be touched, run your hand along the worn stone as a tactile prayer
✓Bring an empty bottle to fill at the spring taps nearby
✓The Grotto is open in all weathers, it is equally moving in rain