Our Lady Of Lourdes Grotto, New York

Deep into the Bronx lies this serene shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes that one would expect to find somewhere in the European countryside rather than in one of the world's most populous urban areas. Built in 1929, at the request of the pastor of the nearby St. Lucy's Roman Catholic Church, the small stone grotto quickly became the object of pilgrimages from not only New Yorkers, but people from across the United States. Even today, the faithfuls swear by the healing properties of the water.