The culturally and romantically rich place like France houses over 100 cathedrals, large monasteries, and shrines for pilgrims who want to connect with their original faith. While it is easy to assume that most popular churches are concentrated in Paris, the truth is that France is full of pilgrimage sites beyond the must-visit destinations. A visit to these sites makes you aware of your spiritual beliefs, allows you to enjoy nature’s beauty, and helps you appreciate architectural marvels at the same time. It is truly a place of diversity built upon a strong foundation of faith. Hence, there is no better way to undertake a pilgrimage tour than by coming here.
If you wonder how to choose the best sites for a holy experience, find a tour operator who can customize your itinerary for a Catholic pilgrimage to France. Some places in the country may offer far more than you expect, both spiritually and culturally.
You have to come to Lourdes for the best religious experience. This beautiful town is in southern France, near Spain. It gives you an opportunity to venerate and celebrate the vision of Saint Bernadette every day. A torchlight procession is held at the shrine. Some visit this place for its spiritual wholeness and healing significance. Many pilgrims also take a holy bath in its waters for solace and spiritual healing.
Rocamadour is a quaint village in Quercy. It is considered among the top pilgrimage sites in France and probably in all of Europe. People visit this village to experience and express their faith in its most meaningful form. Its location is also as picturesque as you can imagine—on a cliff above the Alzou valley. In the 12th century, thousands of pilgrims arrived here for atonement before the Black Virgin. To be here means to experience the different phases of a pilgrimage. Nevertheless, the main shrine in Rocamadour houses a basilica, a couple of chapels, and a crypt. Your visit to this village ends when you climb to the castle perched on the cliff overlooking the mesmerizing Alzou canyon.
Lisieux is the place where pilgrims realize how even small, loving acts elevate the essence of faithfulness. This place is known for St. Thérèse of Lisieux. St. Thérèse was a nun who spent 24 years in this village. She experienced the power of healing and conversion at the age of 15 and wrote about doing small things with love for God. St. Thérèse died young from tuberculosis. After her death, one of the sisters converted her writings into the book “The Story of a Soul.” After canonization in 1925, she was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997. Today, Lisieux features a grand church that can accommodate about 3,000 pilgrims. It is also one of the most attractive painted churches in France.
You just saw that there is more to France beyond Paris—its most acclaimed pilgrimage destination. However, it does not mean you should exclude it. With the help of a reliable tour operator, you can include Paris and other sought-after destinations in France in your pilgrimage tour itinerary in the best possible way.
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