"Belga-Cars – Lourdes, les Pyrénées vous attendent" is a striking original travel and transport poster from around 1940, capturing the spirit of European postwar tourism and pilgrimage in the French Pyrenees. Issued by Belga-Cars, a Belgian transport company based in Lourdes, this multilingual poster served as a promotional tool for organized excursions to one of France’s most iconic spiritual and natural destinations.
Rendered in rich colors and stylized realism, the composition presents a scenic vista of Lourdes—with its majestic Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes dominating the landscape. The basilica rises elegantly against a dramatic alpine backdrop, surrounded by dense pine forests and snowy peaks of the Pyrenees, evoking both grandeur and serenity.
In the foreground, a sleek vintage Belga-Cars tour bus takes center stage, painted in muted blue tones with vibrant red interior seats visible through large panoramic windows. The vehicle is parked as if inviting viewers to step aboard for a journey into the sublime.
The poster’s lower panel is bordered by four columns of text, each offering the same welcoming message—“Lourdes, the Pyrenees are waiting for you”—in French, Dutch, English, and German, emphasizing the international appeal of Lourdes as a destination for faith, leisure, and nature. Printed in Brussels by G. van Smeets, this piece exemplifies the elegance of interwar and wartime graphic design, blending tourism with a subtle touch of Art Deco modernism.
Whether admired for its historical value, travel heritage, or its beautifully illustrated vision of cross-border tourism, this circa 1940 Belga-Cars poster is a rare gem that transports the viewer to a time when discovery, devotion, and scenic travel merged on the open road.
Tourism - Religion - Transport - France
The Pyrenees await you
Printed by A. Smeets in Brussels
Good condition, minor restorations
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