What to do in Lille?

-The Vieux-Lille district and its flamboyant architecture There’s no better a way to really get a feel for a new place than visiting its historic centre and seeing its history first-hand. This unmissable district of Lille whisks away the visitor into a maze of beautiful little squares and cobbled streets, lined with 17th century monuments and stone and brick façades.

-The Grand’Place, a favourite haunt for the locals This square in the city centre is also known as the Place du Général de Gaulle. In the Middle Ages, this square was devoted to trade, as we can see by the presence of the Vieille Bourse (old stock exchange). You’ll also see the Grand Garde building, built in 1717, and the Column of the Goddess to commemorate the siege of 1792. Definitely unmissable.

-Villa Cavrois in Croix, an iconic creation from architect Robert Mallet-Stevens To stay on the theme of architecture, we recommend visiting the Villa Cavrois, designed by French modernist architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for Paul Cavrois, a textile industrialist from northern France. Villa Cavrois was listed as a Historic Monument in 1990 and completely restored in the early 2000s.

-La Piscine - André Diligent Museum of Art and Industry Head to Roubaix to visit La Piscine - André Diligent Museum of Art and Industry. The museum, which opened in 2001, occupies the site of Roubaix’s former Art Deco swimming pool. A unique showcase for the many applied art collections (sketches, textiles, ceramics), as well as ancient sculptures and paintings.

-The Cathedral of Notre Dame de la Treille The Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Lille is believed to be the first keep built by the counts of Flanders. Construction of this example of Gothic Revival architecture began in 1854 and was completed in 1947. The magnificent façade is much more recent. It was built in 1999 and designed by architects Pierre-Louis Carlier and Peter Rice. Artist Ladislas Kijno created the rose window, and the portal was built by sculptor Georges Jeanclos. This is definitely an amazing visit to add to your list!

-The Vieille Bourse, one of the most beautiful monuments built by Destrée

If you find yourself wandering around the Grand’Place, make sure you stop off here, at the Vieille Bourse. This former stock exchange building was built by Julien Destrée between 1652 and 1653. There are 24 identical houses surrounding a cloister. Every detail of the construction illustrates the lavish Flemish Renaissance style.

-The Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille Art lovers, make sure you take the time to visit this museum, with one of the most extensive collections in France! You can expect to see paintings by Courbet, Rubens, Goya, Delacroix, sculptures by Rodin, Claudel and Carpeaux, 17th and 18th century ceramics, artists’ sketches and ancient three-dimensional models of fortified towns in the local area.

-The Citadel of Lille The last stop on this architectural tour of Lille is the Citadel, a relic of the fortified past of the city and local area. This masterpiece by the Marquis de Vauban, built at the request of Louis XIV, boasts a star-shaped design and resembles a little town surrounded by five bastions. The Citadel is a part of Vauban’s “Pré Carré” defence system which involved 28 fortified towns. For a sneak peek of your visit, why not go on the virtual tour of the Citadel? Just click here.

-Come to Lille’s street market, an unmissable event! Thousand (even millions!) of people flock to Lille every year to the famous ‘braderie’ (street market), which takes place the first weekend in September. Over 10,000 exhibitors take part in this huge flea market. This is heaven-on-earth for visitors in search of a bargain, and the festive atmosphere and mussels & chips make it even more enjoyable!

-Explore the Saint-Sauveur Moulins district Spectacular street art can be found hidden all over Lille and the surrounding area, and the majority of these artworks are created during the International Biennial of Wall Art. Several of these creations can be found in the Saint-Sauveur Moulins district. To find out more about these artworks and make sure you don’t miss any of them, you can also go on a guided tour organised by the Collectif Renart.

-Visit the Halles de Wazemmes Time for a gourmet experience at the Halles de Wazemmes (indoor market), to pick up fresh, top-quality products, enjoy a freshly made smoothie or taste one of the homemade dishes, all while admiring this beautiful indoor market hall.

-Go behind the scenes at the Opéra de Lille with a lecturer Calling all sopranos, tenors and other music lovers! Even better than a simple concert, you can get an all-round experience by going on a behind-the-scenes guided tour of Lille Opera House with a lecturer before then enjoying the concert. You’ll need to make a booking with Lille Tourist Office to go on one of these guided tours. Otherwise, you can also just come and admire the magnificent Neo-Classical façade of the Lille Opera House.

-Hop on an authentic Dutch bike and ride around Lille On this two-hour guided tour with a guide from Grand Huit you’ll be riding one of the superb Dutch bikes or even a tandem! The theme: “Lille along the water’s edge”. The idea is to explore some of the city’s little-known places and also a dozen must-sees.

-Taste some of Lille’s specialities on a walking tour You can expect a great atmosphere and delicious discoveries on this three-hour gourmet walking tour, with six stops. The tour is led by a guide from “Food Mood Tour” who will tell you all about the city. Participants will be taken on a tour of six restaurants which have been selected for their creative, homemade dishes, made using local products. You’re in for a treat!

-Picnic in the grounds of the Citadel, Lille’s biggest area of greenery After visiting the Citadel, head into the 110-hectare park that surrounds the monument for a walk, to take part in one of the treasure hunts or even the high-ropes adventure park! It is also an ideal place to have a picnic in the great outdoors or take advantage of the food and drinks sold there at lunchtime.

-Fly in a hot-air balloon up over Lille If you are more of an adventurer, we recommend flying in a hot-air balloon up over Lille, for a truly unforgettable experience! The flight is about an hour long, which is long enough to explore the whole city from a completely new angle, and really embrace this magical experience.