24th Sept - Climb the Fortress Day and explore some more of the Sanctuary

Beautiful sunny blue sky greeted us after we eventually dragged ourselves out of the apartment.
The Fortress overlooking Lourdes had been beckoning for 3 years so this was it.  It is built on a rock left by retreating glaciers 130,000 years ago and the Romans first used it around 300 AD.  Charlemagne then got the Saracens out of it after the crafty Bishop of Puy-en-Velay suggested Murat the Muslim leader could stay there if he converted.  The starving man jumped at the chance to end the misery of his people and the Saracen was baptised under the name of Lours which became the owns name of Lourdes.  Thus the fortress followed in the footsteps of the famous castle in the Czech Republic, the mighty Hrad Hukvaldy, which never fell.

This photo taken from the Sanctuary but our apartment is directly behind it just a couple of minutes walk away.

Fabulous views to the east from the Keep accessible from this tower stair case guarded by this man.



La view

The Chateau at the top held many relics and artifacts from the centuries past and it also held a display of art from a couple of local people who lived over 250 years ago.

The view back toward the Sanctuary was enhanced by a Dutch woman.

 

The view from out apartment of the fortress turret and we saw out window from there also, which has the blue shutters to the left of Hotel La Fontaine.

 

 

e walked won the river and got our first view to the east.

We spent the rest of the day and night aT the Sanctuary.