Lille Things To Do

Place du General de Gaulle, Grand Place
Located right in the centre of the city, this is the main meeting place for everybody in Lille. In the summer months, the tables of the numerous restaurants, cafes and bars spill out onto the streets. For several days at the end of April the annual flower market transforms the square into a huge field of blossom and at Christmas it transforms into a fairytale grotto with a gigantic ferris wheel.

The Goddess, Place du General de Gualle
Designed by architect Charles Benvignat and erected in 1845, the column in the middle of the square commemorates the Austrian siege of Lille in September 1792. In her right hand the Goddess holds the fuse which fired the old cannons and her left points to the inscription on the pedestal, the refusal of the Mayor to surrender the town.

Place Rihour
Situated next to the Place du General de Gaulle these squares are linked by a seamless run of restaurants, cafes and bars.

Palais Rihour, Place Rihour
The 15th century palace of the Dukes of Burgundy which was started in 1453 and completed 20 years later became the cities Town Hall. A fire destroyed the building and today only the ceremonial stairway and two chapels remain. The lower chapel now houses the Tourism Office and the upper chapel built in honour of Duke Philip with its trefoil windows and vaulted ceilings can be see by making a prior appointment.

Chamber de Commerce et d'Industrie, Place du Theatre
Originally housed in the Vieille Bourse, the stock exchange soon outgrew the capacity of the buildings which lead to the construction of the Chamber de Commerce. Designed by architect by Louis Cordonnier who built the stock exchange in Amsterdam, the neo-Flemish building with 76m high belfry was unveiled in 1921.

Le Rang du Beauregard, Place du Theatre
Also in the Place du Theatre is Le Rang du Beauregard, a terrace of three private houses and shops. They are typical of the architecture in Lille in the late 17th century, after legislation had been passed that all new buildings had to conform to a standardised plan so as not to detract from the newly built Vielle Bourse. This legislation accounts for the remarkable similarity of many of the buildings in and around the Grand Place, with the only differences in decoration, ornamentation and colour.

La Vieille Bourse, Place du General de Gaulle
Undoubtedly one of the finest buildings in the city, La Vieille Bourse was built between 1652 and 1653 to house the stock exchange and comprises of 24 identical houses built around a courtyard. The builder, Julien Destrez, was a sculptor and carpenter and this is reflected in the exquisite decoration. The sculpted Lions of Flanders can be seen guarding over each entrance. Today, after much renovation, the cloister is occupied by bookstalls and flower market.

Town Hall and Belfry, Place Roger Salengro
Built in 1924, it took four years to complete the town hall replacing the one destroyed by fire in the Place Rihour. The design, inspired by gabled Flemish houses includes a 104 metre high tower which is supported by two sculpted giants, Lyderic and Phinaert, legendary founders of the city. The tower, accessible by lift, offers fantastic panoramic views over the city. There is an impressive central hall studded with floral pillars and displays of art work throughout the stairways, corridors and meeting rooms, including a superb fresco by the Icelandic painter Erro, telling the story of the town in the form of a strip cartoon.

Vieux Lille
The cities oldest district has been painstakingly restored and the winding cobbled streets are now filled with restaurants, antique shops, jewellers and boutiques. The buildings built from brick and white stone display beautifully sculptured cherubs and other ornamentation. A stroll round this beautiful district is not to be missed and the tourist office located in Place Rihour offer details of walking tours taking in the streets and most impressive houses.

Opera House, Place du Theatre
The first theatre on this spot was destroyed by fire in 1903. It was rebuilt in Louis XVI style by Louis Cordonnier who also designed the Chmber of Commerce. It is beautifully decorated both inside and out with amongst others, sculptures of Apollo and the Muses.

La Maison Coilliot, 14 Rue Fleurus
Although you are unable to go inside, the exterior of this fabulous house is worth a look if you are a fan of art nouveau. Monsieur Coilliot commissioned one of the art nouveau leaders Hector Guimard, who was the architect of the Paris metro, to design this house. His trademark enamel lettering and whiplash lines established this house as an art nouveau gem.

Cathedrale Notre Dame de la Treille, Place Gilleson
Foundation stones for the cathedral were laid in 1854 on the site of the old castle of the Counts of Flanders. Work continued and the chapel and apse were completed in 1897. Although the first bishop arrived in 1913, work continued on slowly and was then abandoned in 1947. The project was finally completed in 1999 when architect P L Carlier designed the façade with artist Kijno commissioned to make the rose window and sculpture George Jeanclos made the stunning entrance doors.

La Citadelle, Avenue du 42eme, Regiment d'Infantrie
Built by military architect Vauban, by order of Louis XIV, and constructed in record time, the Citadelle used 16 million bricks, three million stone blocks and 70,000 sandstone foundations. Its massive ramparts were built to absorb the impact of artillery fire and the walks 4m thick. It was modelled on a small town with five bastions one at each point of the star and five half moon fortifications the design of which inspired the US Pentagon. Its main entrance gate is the Porte Royale which its Latin inscribed façade. It still houses up to 1,000 soldiers but it is still possible to visit on a guided tour details of which are available at the Tourist Office.

La Porte de Paris, Place Simon Vollant
The most impressive of the three gates of the city takes the structure of an Arc de Triomphe and was built between 1685 and 1692 in honour of Louis XIV who captured Lille for the French. The architect Simon Vollant included sculptures of Mars symbolising War and Hercules symbolising Strength expressing the power and magnificence of the victorious king. The ramparts were demolished in 1858 giving the gate its circular shape with landscaped moat garden.

La Porte de Roubaix, Rue de Roubaix
Built in 1620 when Lille was still part of the Spanish Netherlands, this gate formed part of the city wall. The channel allowing the drawbridge to be raised and lowered and crenellations are reminders that this building was used for defensive purposes.

La Porte de Gand, Rue de Gand
The Porte de Gand was erected during the Spanish occupation and the outward facing side has lost its decoration and battlements but from the city side there are multicoloured brick patterns above the archways and stone-framed windows. The defensive walls were strengthened yet again in the 17th century and the remains can be seen in the gardens outside the gate.

St Maurice Church, Rue de Paris
This gothic church dates back to the 15th century but additions were still being made right up until the middle of the 19th century. It has five naves, each the same height, as well as a tower. The church houses numerous paintings by Lille artists of the 17th and 18th centuries as well as a memorial to all British Commonwealth soldiers who fought for France's freedom. Superb organ recitals are held on Sundays throughout the Summer, details of which are available from the Tourist Office located on Place Rihour.

Distillerie Claeyssens, 1 Rue de la Distillerie, Wambrechies
The Claeyssens Distillery has been producing "genievre" gin since 1817 and still uses the original wooden machinery built nearly 200 years ago. Visitors are escorted round and see the process in producing the juniper gin, from the ingenious contraptions that sift the grains and mill the flour to the heating, cooling and distilling of the spirit. The tour is followed by a tasting session and a chance to visit the distillery shop. The distillery is accessible from Lille city centre either by bus (No 9) or the Sunday barge which travels along the River Deule from Lille to the distillery.  Combined boat trip and distillery tour tickets are available.

Parks and Gardens

Bois de Boulogne/Citadel Leisure Park
Covering fifty hectares, this is the largest park and green space in the city. Enveloping the Citadelle and surrounded by the canal of the River Deule the park has the cities zoo, children's playground and picturesque walks along the banks of the canal.

Le Jardin Vauban, Boulevard Vauban
At the end of the Boulevard de la Liberte and opposite the Citadelle on the other side of the canal, is the Jardin Vauban designed in 1865 by the head gardener of Paris, Barillet Deschamps. The park is a delight with trees that date back centuries, flowers, a grotto, waterfall and beautifully neat lawns. In the centre of the park, Monsieur Rameau's former goat house is now an enchanting marionette theatre open during the summer months.

Le Jardin des Plantes
Spread over 11 hectares Le Jardin des Plantes offers a monumental rose garden with waterfalls, tropical glasshouse which has a top floor reached by three staircases giving a picturesque view over the vast collection of tropical and exotic plants. The Orangerie allows for the conservation of Mediterranean plants, including palm trees and eucalyptus during the winter months. The open air collection of tropical trees and bushes is arranged according to geographical origin.

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