What does Lille have to offer?
Authenticity. Beauty. Convenience. Lille is a medium sized city nestled snugly next to the Belgian border.
Old Town
For the relatively small size of Lille, its’ Old Town district is impressive. Black-
cobblestone streets weave through endless rows of renaissance, baroque and gothic buildings leading to the grand Place General-De-Gaulle, the main market square.
Unlike many of the world’s Old Towns, Lille’s is not saturated with tourist traps and unattractive souvenir shops. Instead, you’ll find countless inviting local shops and cute cafes.
Just down the street from the main square is the stunning gothic Church of Saint-Maurice. This was one of the first sights that my trusty travel companion and I stumbled across.
I remember curiously stepping inside, being enchanted by the echoes of a choir. Despite having seen many beautiful churches in my time, this one truly left a mark in my memory. I was awe-struck by the incredible architecture both inside and out. As is the case in all of Lille, it was undisturbed by tourists, but rather, preserved in its’ authenticity.
Parks
Lille hosts many small and large parks that are absolutely beautiful and pristine. Whether
these are small decorated green areas in residential zones, or the massive Parc de la
Citadelle that surrounds the still in use citadel, all are truly splendid. They offer countless walking paths, resting areas, and cafes. The Parc de la Citadelle is also home to the Lille Zoo and a small amusement park. There is even a monument for the courier pigeons that served in the Great War!
The Citadel
The Lille Citadelle is an impressive five-point fortress in the middle of the city. Surrounded by canals and just outside of the Old Town, the walk to the fortress from the main square is delightful. The outer walls of the citadel are overgrown and partially ruined, which creates a spectacular ambience. However, the inner part of the fort is still in military service and is a base for joint NATO operations.
Museum of Fine Arts
The Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille is a grand art museum, often referred to as a “little
Louvre”. Just a short walk from the Old Town, the museum is located at a square that hosts a couple of palaces and even more beautiful architecture. We were equally excited by the splendor of the Palais des Beaux-Arts itself, as well as by the impressive collection of art, including a couple of Monet pieces (for which I was particularly excited).
Cuisine
For fans of croissants and breads, everyone knows that France will not disappoint. We enjoyed a delicious sit-down lunch at “We Are Ara”, where we were able to indulge in some vegetarian cuisine. This is a convenient choice when you’re looking for a laid-back sit-down meal in the Old Town.
For a quick coffee and croissant, we visited Au Lion Belge, where we met a furry French friend.
We always enjoyed very kind service and delicious food at each place we ate.
Accommodations
We stayed at an affordable, but very nice little place called the Hotel Ambassadeur. We were
amazed that despite being less expensive than our accommodations in Belgium (which is a story for another day), our room was far nicer, clean, and in a very convenient location. It appeared as if the hotel was recently renovated. We were delighted with our stay, to say the least.
Planning your trip
Lille’s location is extremely convenient for air and rail travel. We used the French railway SNCF which offers incredibly fast service to a wide range of cities regionally and internationally (our journey from Brussels to Lille took 35 minutes and cost about 40 Euro). We flew into Charleroi-Brussels airport which has convenient buses traveling to and from different cities in the area, including Lille and Brussels.
I would highly recommend taking advantage of Lille’s location and the convenience of intercity transit. This is an incredible place to start or end a trip that includes Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, and or Germany.
Our trip took us to Belgium (Brussels) and Lille and took a total of four days. For longer trips, I would recommend Lille - Brussels/Antwerp - Rotterdam/Amsterdam or Lille, Liege, Luxemburg, with the option of a day trip or overnight trip to Germany.
We would recommend 1-2 nights in Lille to get a feel for the city while saving time for other attractions across the region.
Remember to scout out tickets to Brussels Charleroi airport from budget airlines if you’d like to save on airfare.
Comentarii