Befestigte Burg von Lourdes

The fortified medieval castle stands on a rocky hill in the very center of the city. It was built at a strategic point at the entrance to the seven valleys of Lavedan. It now houses a museum dedicated to the art, history and traditions of the Pyrenees, with a particular focus on rural areas.

In the reconstructed interiors, you can see a collection of traditional costumes from the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, a collection of 18th-century ceramics and the baroque furnishings of the parish church in Lourdes. In turn, within the walls of the castle, you can see a reconstructed Pyrenean cemetery and a small botanical garden.

The history of the castle dates back to Roman times. Fragments of sculptures and foundations have survived from this period. The present appearance of the castle is the result of the two-time expansion of the fortress, first in the 13th-14th centuries, and then in the 17th-18th centuries.