Lille
Culture Capital of Europe
General Information
Other Name: -, District: NA, State: North Calais, France
Area: 0 -
Languages Spoken: French
Long Distance Code: -
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: March to June and September-December
International Access: -Description
Lille is a city in northern France.Lille is the fourth biggest city in France, with about 220,000 inhabitants. It is the center of a large industrial area with a population of around a million, in which the textile, chemical and engineering industries predominate.A beautiful historic city in northern France, Lille is one of the popular tourist destinations in France.Lille is renowned for its interesting narrow streets and cobbled squares, lined with old houses, beautiful mansions, and chic boutiques, cafes and restaurants.Major tourist attractions in Lille include the La Vieille Ville (the Old Town), Place Général de Gaulle, Vieille Bourse, and Musée des Beaux-Arts.Location
-Climate
Temperate oceanic climate.
The Center Commercial Euralille or Euralille Shopping Center is another must visit tourist attraction in Lille. It was built by famous town planner Rem Koolhaas in 1994, between the Eurostar and Lille Flandres stations. The shopping complex houses a hypermarket with over 120 shops, restaurants and cafes.
The fascinating old town of Lille, La Vieille Ville is popular among tourists for its interesting narrow streets and old Flemish town houses. It''s a nice place for strolling or enjoying delicious cuisines and beverages at a cafe.
The museum of fine arts, on the south side of the Place de la Liberté in Lille, is one of the richest museums in France. It has a celebrated collection of paintings by Flemish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and French masters, including works by Goya, Rubens, Van Dyck, Delacroix, Courbet, Monet, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as sculpture, applied and decorative art, folk art and some 3,000 Italian and French drawings.
Something different that appeals particularly to the mechanically minded is Lille''s museum devoted to windmills. Situated on the highway to Roubaix the site boasts two preserved, working pivoting windmills which visitors can watch in operation grinding corn, as well as a museum.
A modern architectural wonder, Lille''s cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary is an imposing homogenous structure, begun as a basilica in 1854 in 13th century Gothic style.
Enjoyed by children, Lille''s natural history museum has been drawing the crowds since it opened in 1822. Featuring interesting displays of extinct species, two huge whale skeletons, insectariums and geology collections, the museum is both educational and fun.
Travel back in time with a visit to Lille''s living museum, which is a recreation of a local village in days of yore. The site covers 10 hectares and visitors can explore thatched cottages, traditional farmhouses, seed barns and rural craft workshops.