About the city of Lille
Lille is capital of the Nord Department and Hauts de France region. It is 15 kilometres from the Belgian border and 219 kilometres North of Paris. The medieval town changed hands many times until it finally became French in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht. It is also the birthplace of General Charles de Gaulle. Modern Lille is a thriving university city with up to 100,000 students and it is also a major European transport hub (along with the neighbouring towns of Tourcoing and Roubaix) with its proximity to the northern countries of the EU. Lille also is regarded as an important cultural capital in Northern France.
Getting to Lille
As a major travel hub, Lille is well served by road and rail. There is a regional airport 11 kms to the south of the city with a journey time of 20 minutes by shuttle bus. Most destinations are within mainland France but there are some holiday destinations catered for within Europe and North Africa.
There are two train stations in Lille. The oldest in the centre of town is Gare de Lille Flandres providing services to local destinations and Paris Gare du Nord (Journey time – one hour). The modern station, Lille Europe, is the stop for Eurostar and Thalys trains running high speed trains to London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and the South of France. The two stations are connected by the Metro system.
Gare de Lille Flandres
I drove to Lille up the A1 from Paris and stayed at the Ibis Styles (Parc Europe, 340 Bis Avenue de la Marne, Marcq en Baroeul). The hotel was just north of Lille, a few hundred metres off the A22 / E17. Although it was in the middle of a soulless business park, it was easy to find and had a tram stop (Chateau Rouge, on the Tourcoing line) less than 10 minutes’ walk away. The hotel was not busy, another advantage of being out of town and was well up to speed with the COVID-19 hygiene precautions.
The tram into Lille from Chateau Rouge took about 20 minutes and cost 1.60€.
In the past I had assumed Lille was a grim industrial city so was pleasantly surprised to find a clean city centre with wide streets leading away from the station. The Tourist Information office (Palais Rehour, Place Rehour) is 10 minutes’ walk from the station. The Old Town is to the north of the Boulevard de la Liberté and it was quite easy to walk to the places of interest.
La Grande Place and Vielle Bourse (Place Charles De Gaulle) is a good place to start . A large square with cafés and shops surrounding it. Reminiscent of Orléans to a certain degree with a statue of a Goddess in the centre. The Vielle Bourse is a beautiful building on the site of the old stock exchange. It now is host to book sellers and various activities to the summer months.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame (Place Gilleson) is a relatively new building compared to some of the other cathedrals in France. Although built in the Gothic style, the building as it stands today was started in 1859 and finished in 1999.
Beffroi de Lille (215 Rue de Paris) The Belfry of Lille is a 15-minute walk from the square and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Standing 104 metres tall, there are excellent views of the city and surrounding area from the top. Although there is an elevator, there are still 100 steps to climb before you reach it! Reminds me very much of Bruges.
Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse (32 Rue de la Monnaie) is a 10-minute walk north of the square. The old hospital which was founded in the 12th century, has been converted into a modern and expansive space documenting the history of Lille from the 16th century to the present day.
Palais de Beaux - Arts (Place de la République) is the biggest art museum outside Paris with over 2000 works on display. Flemish and Dutch collections along with French pieces are prominent.
Outside the Old Town, Citadelle de Lille is a 25-minute walk from the main square where you will find the citadel itself, a zoo and a 110-hectare park which is the biggest green space in the city. Another 25 minutes’ walk over the river, you will come to Braderie de Lille, which is said to have the biggest flea market in Europe every summer.
For a refreshment stop before going to catch the tram, I stopped by the 3 Brasseurs (22 Place de la Gare). The café is just outside the station and has a great range of beers (including a delicious raspberry beer) and a varied food menu with both traditional and ‘faster’ food. The outside area is good to sit with a beer and watch the world go by.
Should you get the chance, Lille is well worth a visit with its blend of Flemish architecture and French way of life. I was not disappointed.
Rue Pierre Mauroy
Everyone travelling to Albi or France from the UK should check Foreign Office travel advice for France.
