The big question: What should you see in Lille? The simple answer: Everything. If that’s not realistic, then here are some things for your ‘do not miss’ list.
If you have limited time, plan your visits by district.
What should you see in Lille first?
Start with the Old Town (la Vieille Ville). It’s a mixture of traditional buildings and the latest bars and restaurants.
A popular meeting place in Lille is the Main Square (Grande Place), also known as Place du Général de Gaulle.The square is surrounded by stunning 17th century architecture and some modern buildings. It has several important historical sites.
In the centre of the square is the Column of the Goddess, a memorial to the Siege of 1792, when the people of Lille defended themselves against the Austrians. There is now a modern fountain built around the column.
Also in the Main Square is the Old Stock Exchange (La Vieille Bourse), built from 1652 to 1653 and undoubtedly the town’s finest building. It’s made up of 24 small houses around an arched courtyard. Inside, there’s a second-hand book market and spaces where people play chess; it’s also used for entertainment.
The Théâtre du Nord is in The Grand Garde, the former housing for soldiers assigned to sentry duty. It is also on Place du Général de Gaulle.
In the centre of the Old Town is the Hospice Comtesse Museum, a former town hospital, built in the mid-13th century. It served that purpose until 1939. It now holds collections of art, sculpture and tapestries.
The Porte de Gand monument is an ornate gateway, once part of Lille’s defensive walls, built in the early 17th century; the outer face still has the original decoration. It is now used as a restaurant.
In the northern part of the Old Town is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille – a relatively modern building, started in the mid 19th century and built to hold the important statue ‘Our Lady of the Trellis’, which also inspired its design and its name. It became Lille’s Cathedral in 1913.
Close to the Cathedral is the house where Charles de Gaulle was born, in 1890. It is now Charles De Gaulle’s Birthplace And Museum and it presents aspects of life in the late 19th century, as well as exhibits about General de Gaulle’s life and work.
Don’t miss the Fine Arts Museum (Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille). It was built in the late 19th century and renovated in the 1990s. You’ll rarely see a more impressive palace. It is also said to be one of France’s richest and most prestigious museums, with a huge collection of art treasures.
What should you see in Lille next?
If you still have time and energy, there’s plenty more to see….
- Porte de Paris. This is a monument to the capture of Lille by Louis XIV in 1667. It is a Triumphal Arch, built in the late 17th century and similar to Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. Its sculpted decorations were designed to express the Sun King’s power and splendour
- The Town Hall. Its 104-metre high belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can climb it if you think you can manage 400 steps. If you want an easier way to see the magnificent view, there’s a lift after the first 100 steps
- The Opera House is a stunning early 20th century building in the Neo-Classical style
- The Citadel. This is a pentagon-shaped walled fortress, formerly part of Lille’s defensive structures. It is surrounded by parkland, and still in use by the military. You can walk around the outside, but tours of the interior must be booked
- The Natural History Museum has an excellent collection of more than 250,000 items. It was established in 1822 and moved to its present site in the University district in 1902
- Palais Rihour. It was built in the mid 15th century, as a palace for Philippe Le Bon, Duke of Burgundy. After many expansions and renovations, it now has a mix of architectural styles. Today it is the Tourist Information Office in Lille.
Parks and gardens
Jardin Vauban is close to the Citadel. It’s a romantic English-style garden, established in the mid-19th century, with lawns, flowers and trees, statues, ponds and a waterfall. There’s also a puppet theatre which is popular with children.
The Garden of Giants is a huge parkland with more than 45, 000 types of plants, in three different sections. Its name refers to the sculptures and bushes shaped into giant animals, and human faces. It’s an interesting place to go for a walk.
What should you see in Lille if you enjoy shopping?
The Wazemmes Market (Marché de Wazemmes) is one of the largest in France. It has open air stalls on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and a covered food market the rest of the week. Buy your fresh produce, clothing, bric a brac and much more.
The Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange) is one of the most beautiful market settings we’ve seen. There’s a book market there, with stalls arranged around the central courtyard. It’s open every day except Monday.
You’ll find smaller, traditional shops in old Lille. It’s pleasure just to walk around there.
If you like bigger shopping centres, go to Les Tanneurs, a commercial centre in northeastern Lille. Or try the huge Westfield Euralille, in the city centre.
On the first Sunday in September each year, there’s the Grande Braderie de Lille – the largest antique and flea market in Europe. It gets crowded!
See more Francy That! suggestions about Places To Go.
Information
Hints
What should you see in Lille, if you can’t quite make up your mind what your priorities are?
Buy a Lille City Pass. It gives you access to so many things, and saves you heaps of money. That way you can see a lot more – no risk.
Or take one of the tours (see below) for an orientation to the city.
LOCATION: Hauts-de-France, near the border with Belgium.
DISTANCE FROM PARIS: 200 km (124 miles) to the north.
POPULATION: 232,000+
NEAREST AIRPORT: Lille-Lesquin Airport (LIL) for domestic and limited international flights; about 10 km (6 miles) south of the city centre.
NEAREST TRAIN STATION: Gare de Lille-Flandres, centrally located; Gare de Lille-Europe, primarily for international routes, including the Eurostar to London.
TOURIST INFORMATION: Palais Rihour, Place Rihour.
MARKETS: Marche Wazemmes (Place de la Nouvelle Aventure); The Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange) book market; Marché Place Vanhoenacker.
MUST SEE: the Old Town; Place du Général de Gaulle; Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille; Lille Citadel; the Hospice Comtesse Museum.
