Miraculous Lourdes (pop. 18,000) gained its fame in 1848, when the young Bernadette Soubirous had a vision of the Virgin Mary near the grotto of Massabiel Rock. Since then, pilgrims (about 4 million annually) have flocked to the town in hopes of a miraculous cure for their ailments. Few nonpilgrims bother to go to Lourdes -- it's a rather gray town, well off the beaten tourist trail -- but the basilica and underground setting of the shrine are spectacular. The area surrounding the grotto, church, castle and museum should also be visited (ignore the numerous souvenir shops). It also makes a good starting point for a trip through the Pyrenees. The nearby town of Pau (30 mi/50 km northwest) has a fabulous castle with a beautiful courtyard, museum, tapestries and tortoise-shell cradle (Henry IV was born in the castle).