Even if you are not a religious person, you cannot escape the holiness and spirituality that surround you at the Shrine of our Lady of Fatima and the three shepherds to whom she appeared in 1917.The homes of the children and their graves are a must see!~ And if you have time to attend a mass at Fatima, please do so. One cannot be blessed too much in this day and age.
Is holy and quiet . The Sanctuary is great , the old and the new . Burn a candle and pray . Look at the tree where our Virgen appeard and well is momentless in time .
We visited this Jan end and it was under major renovations and we could not go in the church. As per the security guard, it will open around dec 2015. Please check before making your trip. Beautiful little town with great lunch.
It was being renovated at the time of my visit so could only visit the tombs of the children. That said it was a very nice feeling.
Fatima is between Porto and Lisbon, and readily accessible from the main highways. The main claim to fame is the vision of the Virgin Mary to three young children, which was repeated again with many witnesses. The site has been developed into a major tourist attraction, and has been expanded with a very large open area, paved and lit. This is where the pope holds his audiences when he visits, and also where the pilgrims walk on the knees (over a carpeted walkway) to get to the shrine. There are exhibits around the plaza and several hotels and restaurants in the town.
Just being there was wonderful. Grew up knowing the story and finally being able to be part of it was great. The place is doing some renovations but that didn't take away from most things. I went on a week day so hardly anyone was there which was good.
This was the complete opposite of what I thought it would be. Instead of being something peaceful, it was a sea of people. Granted, we went on a Sunday. There is shop after shop of religious souvenirs lining the streets on the way to the shrine. The souvenirs were beautiful and definitely different than in all other towns. For me, it was all a little too much of a tourist attraction.
The most peaceful place in Portugal. I live near the shrine, and its my favourite spot to have a quite time. Best time to be is winter during week, there are visitors, but no as many as on weekends!
I found the whole experience really interesting and a bit shocking. It was sad to me because it seemed like such a big money-making thing for the catholic church. There are shops all over just outside of the cathedral selling trinkets and candles that you can burn. I was shocked at how huge the place was. They built a new church that seats over 8000 people. It was worth the visit just because it was so interesting.
It was very moving to witness the long lines of pilgrims on their knees as they approached the site of the miracle. The Cathedral itself is beautiful. If you plan to attend a mass in the square, bring a camp chair or cushion to sit on. The candlelight procession is a "Must see!"