Sanctuaire de Beauraing

Description

This is what Mary asked underneath the hawthorn on December 23rd 1932. She thus gave her incentives for appearing at Beauraing. To the question: “Why do you come here?” She answered, “that you come here on pilgrimage.” As a response to her request more than 20 pilgrimage routes have been marked. They are called the Golden Heart Routes. They were inaugurated on April 13 2013 during a celebration presided by Bishop of Namur, Rémy Vancottem. The shortest route is some hundred metres long, that which, the five children who saw the Virgin, took the first evening of the apparitions. The Castels route that is 4 kilometres long is indicated by arrows. The longest routes are about ten kilometres. They may be taken on foot or by bicycle…The four routes given on the map here below are very accessible. They are 7 to 16km long. The Houyet route (in blue) (14km) is the most traditional. Since the beginning pilgrims took this route regularly and still today, it is taken monthly by groups of pilgrims on foot the first Saturdays and the second and third Sundays of high season (from March to November), and the second Sundays of the month on the colder season. It is always possible to join in foot pilgrimages already organized. The green routes (Wancennes) (7km) and in red (Martouzin) (9km)- along with the Castels and Focant routes (18km)- are loops that begin and end at the Sanctuaries: therefore upon arrival it is not necessary to foresee transportation to the departing site. The yellow route leaves from Givet in France and is approximately 16km.