Things to do in Lille

Situated to the north of France, Lille is the fourth largest city of France. It is a melting pot of French and Nordic culture, with a host of interesting places in and around Lille that can make your trip unforgettable. Lille Things To Do can include any of the following:

Place du General de Gaulle / Grand Place, Lille

Place du General de Gaullle, more commonly known as the Grand Place, is the main square of Lille. The huge square is surrounded by Flemish-style houses that are very old, but well preserved. The best among the houses in Grand Place is Villa Bourse. Built in 17th century as a stock exchange site, this building is a Flemish masterpiece. Presently it houses a flower and book market.

At the center of the square is a fountain with a statue of La Colonne de la Desse (Pillar of the Goddess). The statue commemorates the bravery of the locals against the Austrians in 1792. There is also a building with a golden statue atop and a beautiful Flemish step gable called the Art Deco Building. The ground floor of the building has now been transformed into a shopping centre.

Don't miss out on the imposing structure of "Theatre du Nord" in the Grand Place. It houses one of the largest bookshops in Europe. The whole area is pedestrian, so you can roam freely, sit down on the benches of the fountain, watch people go by, and appreciate the architectural marvels of Nords.

Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille

Palais des Beaux-arts deLille, or the Lille Palace of Fine Arts, is the largest French museum outside of Paris. The first museum was built during the reign of Napolean I in a confiscated church. The collection included paintings which were collected during the revolution by Joseph Watteau and his son Francois Watteau. The Palais des Beaux-arts deLille formally opened in 1809, and was merged with the collections of Jean-Baptiste Wicar in 1866. The construction of the current buliding started aorund 1885 and was completed in 1892. The building was in a very poor state by the end of the 20th century, and was renovated in 1997. This museum has the second largest collection of paintings in France, after the Louvre in Paris. The Palais des Beaux-arts deLille features paintings of almost all the great French painters including Raphael, Donatello, Tissot, Rubens, Goya, and Jean-Baptiste Chardin.

Cathedrale Notre Dame de la Treille, Place Gilleson

Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille de Lille is a Roman Catholic cathedral and basilica. The cathedral, which began construction in the second half of 19th century, has the neo-Gothic style prominent in its appearance. The new façade of the church, which was completed only recently in 1999, is completely different. The translucent marbles and steel wire construction is a treat for the eyes. Don't miss the oppurtunity to view the cathedral at night, when it is lit from within. The church has a good collection of the ceramic works of Picasso.

Citadel of Lille

Citadel of Lille, often refered to as the "queen of citadels," was designed by the famous Military architect Vauban on the order of Louis XIV. This massive and heavy structure was the main guarding tower on the Belgian border, and can still house 1000 soldiers. The walls of the citadel are so thick that it can absorb artillery fires. This design was later used for the construction of the US Pentagon.