Fodor's Expert Review National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes

Surrounded by shaded walkways and trickling brooks, the National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes is a meditative spot for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, in use since 1805. The grotto itself is a re-creation (from about 1875) of the spot in France where Bernadette Soubirous saw visions of the Virgin Mary. Today it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually who come to pray or ask for healing. Many leave photographs, flowers, or handwritten prayers and take spring water from the grotto. The paved paths are safe for children, the elderly, or disabled.