Tourism Lille

Lille is the biggest city in the northern of France. It is the capital of the Nord département as well as of Nord-Pas de Calais region, it is located on the Deûle River, close to the Belgium's border.

Lille surprises many visitors with its impressive architecture, the winding streets of its beautifully restored old town and numerous restaurants where quality and quantity go hand in hand. It boasts some vibrant and prosperous commercial areas, modern residential squares, a large university, a brand-new subway system, and a very serious attitude to culture, reflected in a busy music and arts scene and some great museums.

Place Charles de Gaulle has many beautiful historic houses, like the neo-Flemish headquarters of local newspaper La Voix du Nord, and a fountain with a goddess column. Place Rihour, surrounded by restaurants, houses the tourist information centre inside, the Palais Rihour. The town hall is worth a look and can be combined with a visit to the Porte de Paris. The Opera and the Chamber of Commerce are located close together and offer magnificent sights, especially at night. Take a walk through the old town, and enjoy the quiet, cobblestone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, restaurants, and the modern Cathédrale Notre Dame de la Treille.

More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the visit. A bit farther from the city centre is la Citadelle, an interesting example of defensive military architecture, built by Vauban, a famous French military architect, under the reign of Louis XIV