The Limburg town of Eijsden is a border town with Belgium on the River Maas. It is believed that there was already settlement here in Roman times, namely at the beginning of the common era.
At Breusterstraat 27, near the Rijksweg, lies the park of the former Ursuline convent. This convent was built in 1855 and replaced in 1899. Nowadays, the large complex houses a museum, among other things. At the back of the park stands a Lourdes Grotto, which was built in 1880. This grotto is therefore one of the oldest in the Netherlands and was re-established in 1984 during the reconstruction of the park.
The grotto is made of natural stone, which originates from a marl quarry and is over 4 metres wide and almost 4 metres high. The special feature of the Lourdes grotto is that there are actually two grottoes. In one space stands a statue of Bernadette Soubirous and in the other, higher niche, the Virgin Mary of Lourdes is depicted. Both statues are 70 centimetres high.
