Visit Lille
Take the opportunity to spend a couple of days in an amazing city
With more than 226,000 inhabitants, Lille, in conjunction with the associated towns, Hellemmes and Lomme, constitutes the largest city in the North of France. At the heart of an agglomeration of 85 municipalities, Lille, with its French and Belgian neighbours, is part of a cross-border metropolis of 1.9 million inhabitants in the centre of a Euro-Region.
Lille is partner city to Köln.
Heritage and history
Ten centuries of history have left their mark on the city !
Classified as a city of "Art et Histoire" since 2004, Lille has conserved a large number of buildings and monuments, both secular and religious, which remain as signs of its illustrious past. These include the Citadelle park and fortress, a beautiful example of 17th century military architecture, designed by Vauban; the Vieille Bourse, a reminder of the Spanish occupation of the region as well as the marriage of the French and Flemish cultures; the Grand Place, focal point of life in Lille, with its "Déesse" statue, symbolising the resistance against the Austrians in 1792; the Porte de Paris; and also the rue de la Monnaie where coins were minted so many years ago…
Keep your eyes open and you will see sculpted angels adorning the façades of buildings, often made of pink brickwork and white stone, as well as carefully chiselled names and signs made by ancient craftsmen. The Palais Rihour, the former residence of the Dukes of Burgundy, was destroyed by fire in 1916. Today, there remains only a small part of the palace, which houses the Tourist Office.
Lille, a surprise around every corner ! (PDF)
For a virtual visit of Lille:
http://www.mairie-lille.fr/en/actualites/lille-virtual-visit
In addition, Lille has a number of renowned museums:
- Palais des beaux-Arts (Fine Arts Museum)
- Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse (Countess Jeanne de Flandres Museum)
- Museum d’Histoire Naturelle et de Géologie (Natural History and Geology Museum)
- Maison natale Charles de Gaulle (Charles de Gaulle birthplace)
- Musée des Canonniers (First Gunners Battalion Museum)
- Musée de l’Institut Pasteur (Pasteur Institute Museum)
► Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille. Museum of Fine Arts of Lille
The Palais des Beaux-Arts of Lille, one of the premier museums in France, houses in its imposing 19th-century building collections of European paintings, a Prints and Drawings Room, a collection of Antiquities, a mediaeval and Renaissance collection, 17th- and 18th-century ceramics, 19th-century French sculptures and 18th-century scale models.
The collections of the Palais des Beaux-Arts are the object of worldwide renown and provide a comprehensive panorama of the great artistic movements of Europe from the 12th to the 20th century.
More at: http://www.pba-lille.fr/spip.php?article168#
Address: Palais des Beaux-Arts - Place de la République – 59000 Lille
Opening hours: Closed on Tuesday; Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 to 18:00; Monday: 14:00 to 18:00.
► Tour the city !
Several tours are available from the Tourist Office
► Minibus tour
Every day, every hour, all year long! (Except on January 1st, May 1st, the 1st week-end of September and December 25th).
What could be nicer than to tour the city comfortably seated in a minibus ?
Equipped with an audiovisual system in 8 languages (French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese), the City Tour offers views of the city’s main sites and monuments, from its origins to the most modern districts.
The minibus is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.
Every hour from 10.00 is to 5.00 pm (except at 1.00 pm). Duration: 50 minutes
Full price: 10€; Students, people under 18 and jobseekers: 8€
Free for children fewer than 6.
Free with City Pass. Click here to make your reservation.
► Old Lille English walking tour
This itinerary allows the discovery of the city's heritage, history and lifestyle through its main sites and monuments. These include the Palais Rihour, the Vieille Bourse, the Cathedral Notre-Dame de la Treille and the Hospice Comtesse, a reminder of the city's Flemish past. The buildings show the architectural diversity of the city.
Saturdays throughout the year at 10:15 AM
Departure from the Tourist Office, Place Rihour.
Duration: 2h
Full price: 9€; Reduced price: 7.50€; Free for children Under 6.
Free with City Pass. Click here to make your reservation.
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