Among the most delightful and lively of French cities and one of the very best places to visit in France, Lille blends wonderful architecture and historic treasures with fantastic art museums and galleries, family attractions, excellent shopping and gastronomic experiences galore.
Lille by Janine Marsh, journalist
You can get the perfect overview of Lille from the UNESCO-listed town-hall belfry with its 360° vista; access to its 104-metre summit is by steps, or by steps and then lift. Perfect for a romantic city break as well as for those travelling with kids, this compelling city is centred on Vieux Lille and its Grand’Place (or Place du Général-de-Gaulle) with its superb array of buildings ranging in date from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
The Grand'Place
Among eight listed historic monuments here, the 17th-century Stock Exchange stands in pride of place, comprised of 24 identical little houses set around a courtyard where you can watch chess games in progress. Indeed, the Grand’Place started life as a medieval wheat market and is still the city’s natural meeting place and a focal-point for its vibrant program of celebrations and events, including Europe’s largest flea-market, the Grande Braderie, each first weekend of September.
Despite its rich history as part of French Flanders, Lille doesn’t live in the past…
Lille, monuments
Modern-day treasures to discover include the Cathédrale de la Treille with its marble facade, completed in 1999, and the Lille Metropole Musée d’art Moderne in Villeneuve d’Ascq (a 20-minute drive east of Lille itself) with its unique-in-Europe focus on 20th- and 21st-century modern art, contemporary art and outsider art or art brut.
Meanwhile, the Palais des Beaux-Arts includes masterpieces from all eras, from antiquity to the 20th century, with the later collections including works by Picasso and Fernand Léger. One of France’s earliest museums, established under Napoleon I, the Palais is also one of the country’s largest art museums.
Lille is also famous for its books – the courtyard of the Stock Exchange hosts a number of second-hand book stalls, while Furet de Nord on the Grand’Place is believed to be no less than Europe’s biggest bookstore.
And Lille’s street art is also an integral part of the modern cityscape – pick up a map at the tourist office to find the most stunning examples.
Younger visitors won’t feel short-changed by what Lille has to offer…
The city’s Musée d’histoire Naturelle is packed with fascinating displays from the natural world in its Zoology and Geology zones and its Insectarium, complete with live specimens. Somewhat larger creatures can be encountered in all their glory at the free-to-visit Zoo de Lille, home to more than 100 species, from meerkats to rhinos. Don’t miss, at the zoo entrance, France’s only monument to carrier pigeons (ones that lost their lives while serving in World War I).
The zoo is situated in the city’s biggest green space, the Parc de la Citadelle, where you’ll also find woodlands to explore and the well-preserved 17th-century Citadelle de Lille by military engineer Vauban. The canalised River Deule encircling the park offers boat rides that allow you a fascinating sight in to the city’s industrial heritage.
Wazemmes Market
With so many things to see and do in Lille, it’s easy to forget that this is a place to experience simple pleasures and soak up some French art de vivre – whether it’s people-watching from one of the many café terraces, enjoying delicious regional specialites in one of the city’s fantastic restaurants, or simply wandering its narrow cobbled streets.
Every corner brings a new discovery, from stone angels marking the divisions between houses to cannonballs embedded in walls bearing witness to the Austrian attack of 1792. Browsing the markets and shops is another of Lille’s attractions, from the cosmopolitan Marché de Wazemmes with its mixture of regional produce and bric-à-brac to an array of retro boutiques, including Nostalgie and La Mère Veille.
Useful information
Tourist Board Information of Lille
Palais Rihour
F-59000 Lille
Tel. from abroad: +33 359 579 400
Tel. from France: 0891 56 2004 (0,225€ TTC / mn)
Refine the search
1 result(s)
