Lille Travel Guide

About Lille

If Paris is the sophisticated doyenne of France, then Lille is its edgy, fashionable younger sister. Flirting with the border of Belgium, Lille tantalises with its Flemish roots, excellent museums, great food and beer, and the world-renowned Grande Braderie (Europe's biggest flea market and main hunting ground for vintage lovers), which takes place every year on the first weekend of September.

The city, known as Ryssel in Flemish, is the capital of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, making it the hub of northern France. Its thriving cultural scene goes hand-in-hand with a young population which swells with students from ENSAIT, France's top fashion university in nearby Roubaix.

Once a cloth-producing industrial powerhouse, the textile industry crisis of the 1970s saw Lille come apart at the seams, but it shrugged off its troubles with Gallic flair, responding with typical innovation to turn the city's fortunes around.

Thanks to a vibrant regeneration, Lille has gone from strength to strength and it now has a reputation as one of France's cultural hubs. Its pulsating creativity and industrial background has often drawn comparisons with Manchester, the UK's industrial northern city of music scene renown, but now it's taking on its own designs.

The centre of Lille can roughly be divided into three main sections: Vieux Lille (the old town), Grand-Place (around the Place Général de Gaulle), and the République – Saint-Sauveur quarter. Beyond the centre, but still in the Lille metropolitan area and easily accessible on the metro network, are the towns of Villeneuve d'Ascq (where the LaM museum holds France's greatest modern art collection outside Paris) and Roubaix, which is home to ENSAIT as well as the stunning La Piscine art museum (formerly an Art Deco swimming pool).

After the Eurostar connection to London was opened in 1994, France's coolest secret was out to the world, and that was before the war paint went on as Lille was made European Capital of Culture in 2004. Look out Paris, Lille is France's new femme fatale.

Key facts

Population:

226,800 (2005)

Latitude:

50.640131

Longitude:

3.068168

A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

Book Accommodation

Featured Hotels

Hôtel Brueghel

Overlooking the gothic St Maurice Church, this delightful, old fashioned hotel is a gem. Check out the wood-panelled lobby and the tiny lift that whisks guests up to the 66 simple and small rooms, all featuring rustic Flemish furnishings.

Hôtel de la Treille

Perfectly located between rue de la Monnaie, Lille's prime shopping street, and rue de Gand, packed with bars and restaurants, this 40-room hotel offers very good value for money.

Hôtel des Tours

A business class hotel located in the heart of Old Lille in a very calm, peaceful and historic setting. There are 64 small rooms decorated in a contemporary style and equipped with direct-dial phone and minibar. There is also a large car park and a business centre.

L'Hermitage Gantois

This chic boutique hotel is housed in a beautifully renovated 15th-century hospice and successfully blends medieval features (such as the delightful courtyards and the chapel) with minimalist contemporary design. There are 67 well-equipped rooms and suites (some featuring period furniture), several meeting rooms and salons, a plush (but affordable) restaurant and a bar.

Crowne Plaza

Overlooking the Lille Europe station this hotel has 120 bright rooms many with panoramic views of the city. The Crowne Plaza also boasts a restaurant and bar and five meeting rooms accommodating up to 100 people.

Introducing Lille

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