Midi Pyrenees Attractions

Lourdes's Our Lady Sanctuary which encompasses the Catholic famous grottoes has long been a favorite among tourists in France. This is a place where people go to seek healing and to meet Our Lady of Lourdes, just as St. Bernadette did in one of the grottoes.

The story goes that Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year old French peasant girl, was able to see and converse with Mary, Jesus' mother, eighteen times in 1858. These visions occurred in a niche at the Massabielle grotto. Bernadette also said that the Virgin Mary directed her to a spring, a spring that did not exist before. She then asked Bernadette to take a drink from the spring. The Virgin Mary also asked Bernadette to tell the local priest to build a chapel for her.

Since then, this spring has been believed to contain healing water. And millions have lined up to get a taste of this water. Also, there are quite a number of those who have drank of this water who claimed healing from various sicknesses such as cancer, blindness and so much more...

Toulouse, France is home to the Saint Sernin Basilica, which is among the grandest, largest and most fabulous in the Western World. Its magnificent splendor never fails to draw "oohs and aahs" from those who are blessed to visit it. Saint Sernin Basilica's sheer size and utter architectural beauty are qualities that have that irresistible ability to draw people into itself. You cannot simply resist coming in for a visit.

Some parts, such as the choir, was built as early as the late 11th century. However, the basilica itself was completed during the 13th century. Sadly, it fell into ruins until Viollet-le-Duc had it restored during the 19th century. But these "renovations" are also undergoing renovations at the moment, as the desire is to restore the basilica to its original appearance.

The Saint Sernin Basilica was built in honor of Saturnin, who is the city's first bishop...

Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France, was built in the 17th century. It also has the distinction of being the world's oldest working canal. It is also counted as one of France's engineering marvels. Because of its significance to the engineering world, as well as to the history and culture of France, the canal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

It is essentially divided into two parts – the 211 kilometer-long Royal Languedoc Canal, which spans Marseille and Toulouse and the 200 kilometer-long Garonne Lateral Canal, which spans the length from Toulouse up to Castets-en-Dorthe. The entire canal is now called Canal du Midi. It was previously called the Canal des Deux Mers (which is French means "Canal of two seas") as this connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Talk about building the canal has existed for quite some time, as people felt the need for a shortcut between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic...