Château Fort de Lourdes

Le Château Fort et son Musée Pyrénéan
Rue de Bourg
651 000
Lourdes

Tel: 0(033) 562 42 37 37

www.chateaufort-lourdes.fr

Prominently perched on the top of a high rock in the middle of Lourdes, the Château Fort (or stronghold) is virtually impossible for anyone to miss when they arrive in the city. It was certainly the first thing that caught my eye after I had made my way from the train station into the centre of town.

Attracted by this imposing yet fitting monument’s reign over the city, I navigated the streets below, and weaved my way towards the jutting outcrop of rock that is the castle’s base. Easily guided by a constant view of my destination, I found the entrance fairly quickly- a little wooden cabin on the north east side of the castle. I enquired about prices, and found that they were as follows:

Adults: 5 euros
Students: 3 euros
Children: 3 euros
Children under 6: free
Family (of 4): 12 euros

After paying the entrance fee, you have the choice of taking the lift or the stairs up to the castle. Not wanting to miss any views of either the city or the exterior of the castle, and rather liking the idea of the walk up anyway, I took the stairs. Seeing the castle slowly approach as you climb the stairs was a wonderful way of experiencing it for the first time, and I would advise everyone to do so, unless there’s a real reason you need the lift.

After you have reached the castle, you are guided around its interior by white arrows, sometimes formed of mosaic on the floor, other times just painted on the walls. You follow these through a variety of reconstructed rooms, taking you from an 18th century kitchen to a 19th Century bedroom. Some are even complete with models of appropriately dressed people.

Some of the rooms you’re guided through are more museum-like, with glass cabinets of numbered artefacts ranging from ploughs to candle-holders. Amongst the topics of the rooms are: wine-making, agriculture, funeral candles, weaving, Samadet porcelain and Pyrenean costumes. Each display has information boards which I found interesting, but would be of little use to anyone who doesn’t have a fairly good level of French, as they are not available in any other language. There are free 8 page paper leaflets available at the entrance in multiple European languages however, which give you basic information about most of the rooms you are led through.

A highlight of this tour is the view from the defensive platform at the south end of the castle, which gives you a 360 panorama of the city and the mountains. It is far more impressive than the disappointing keep, which, though higher, has no open roof and is therefore not nearly as good for views, as you have to peer out of the small, low windows.

The majority of the courtyard at the base of the keep has been turned into a pleasing botanic garden which works well against the stone of the cobbled floor and surrounding walls, and presents some species of Pyrenean fauna.

Dotted about the botanic garden are delightful little 1/10 scale models of Pyrenean (both French and Spanish) architecture, which kept me entertained for a good while.

I then descended the on the west side of the castle planning to exit on a different side. More wonderful views met me on the steep and sometimes cobbly way down.

I reached the Pyrenean cemetery at the bottom, had a quick glance at the tombstones and sarcophagi, and headed towards the big wooden gate. It was locked. I didn’t mind much as there had been lovely views on the way down, and, on reflection, I probably would have gone down and up again even if I had known I couldn’t get out that way. For anyone who doesn’t want an unnecessary descent and climb however, you have been warned! The real ways of getting back down from the castle are the same as those to get up: the stairs or lift on the east side of the castle.

I climbed back up the slope and, once back in the main courtyard, was spotted by a caretaker who had seen me go down and come up again. Clearly assuming that this a pointless excursion had bothered me, he kindly directed me into the lift on the other side of the castle, and, obviously thinking I was desperately thick too, pushed the down button for me before I had a chance to think up the kindest way to tell him I didn’t want his assistance as I would far rather take the steps back down. Alas.

I would definitely recommend a trip to the castle for anyone visiting Lourdes. At just 5 euros for marvellous views and a visit to a castle, museum and botanic garden all in one, it is well worth the price. I went around the castle in a very relaxed way, reading most information boards, and spent just under 2 hours there. You would be pretty hard pushed to try and spend more than 2 and a half hours I think, but trying to fit the castle into say an hour however, would be both stressful and wasteful in my opinion.