*A rendezvous with discovery!
The best way to discover Lille, is by getting lost! Obligatory place of departure: The Grand' Place (Large Square)..
A few metres away, the 'Vieille Bourse' (Old Stock Exchange) dating from the 17th century.
A little further away, stand the majestic Opera House, which will reopen for Lille 2004 and the belfry of the Chamber of Commerce,
symbol of power and independence amongst the rich towns of the North.
Before moving on, pause at the 'Furêt du Nord',
the largest bookshop in the world! With more than 7,000 m2. Cross the road and you will find yourself in the 'Vieux-Lille'
(Old Town of Lille). You will enjoy wandering over the cobblestones, head high,
discovering the old stone buildings and architectural masterpieces: a coat of arms here, a sculpture there.
Second-hand booksellers, antique dealers and major ready-to-wear clothing companies have taken up residence here,
whilst taking care to respect the authenticity of the place. However, it is already time to move on,
other treasures are awaiting you: le Palais des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts), 'l'Hospice Comtesse'
(former hospital, now a museum), the Citadel… Lille is all this and much more besides!
* Lille by day…
Lille becomes a vast commercial centre for the great joy of shopping enthusiasts! Rendezvous in the historical centre of the town,
where luxury boutiques and particularly charming shops await you :the 'Pâtisserie Méert' (cake shop),
supplier since 1761 of royalty all over the world you will enjoy savouring tasty waffles filled with Madagascar vanilla.
A little further on, pedestrian streets overflow every weekend with window-shopping enthusiasts and of course the large
shopping centres (Euralille, les Tanneurs, V2 in Villeneuve d'Ascq…). At lunchtime, stop on one of the terraces around the Grand'
Place and order a potje'vlesch - a delicious veal, rabbit, fowl and pork terrine - accompanied by a local beer.
Since you will need to gather all your strength to pace up and down the 150 factory shops in Roubaix…
After all that, just remember, the evening is only just beginning : nice restaurants : the 'Huîtrière'.
This superb Art deco fishmonger overlooks an opulent lounge, a high place for Lille gastronomy.
More intimate, 'la Petite Cour', more traditional, the not to be missed 'Aux Moules' and the 'Bistrot de Pierrot'.
And now let's give way to the joys of partying!: for concerts, the National Orchestra of Lille will delight the keenest
music lovers,
the 'Aéronef' will more than satisfy fans of alternative music, not to mention of course the numerous cafés-concerts that
bring rhythm into nights in Lille, the numerous theatres and show halls…
Absolutely not to be missed:
A walk through the old town between 'le Palais Rihour' and 'l'îlot Comtesse'
The old Stock Exchange with its Flemish-Renaissance style and interior courtyard
The 'Hospice Comtesse' museum
The house where General de Gaulle was born
The 'Hotel de Ville' (town hall) and its belfry
The citadel in Vauban
The market in Wazemmes. Every Sunday morning experience this genuine festival of flavours and colours!
The tower blocks in the ultra modern Euralille quarter
The Fine Arts museum, 2nd museum in France after the Louvre.
For gastronomy: Méert waffles, beer brewed on the spot, potje' vlesch (a delicious veal, rabbit, fowl and pork terrine),
carbonade (beef stew in a beer sauce), waterzoï
a dish made from different types of fish and vegetables), mussels and chips, lily flowers made out of chocolate,
'babelute' sweets…
L'Usine and the McArthur Glen Centre in Roubaix and Espace Grand Rue': over 150 shops
at factory prices!www.mcarthurglen.com
For more information : www.lilletourism.com
Lille 2004 Cultural Capital of Europe
Lille is Cultural Capital of Europe in 2004: 12 months of festivals, exhibitions, spectacles and metamorphoses.
It promises to be an auspicious year, one dedicated to artists, to creativity in all its forms and colours. An invitation to dreams, encounters, festivities and a new art of living open to Europe and the whole world. A thousand artistic projects waiting to be discovered.
It will be a special moment for discovering this town and region, vibrant with passion and enthusiasm, in a unique historic setting. Just an hour away from Paris, one hour forty minutes from london and forty minutes from Brussels, Lille is opening itself to extreme levels of mobility.
More than 80 exhibitions: Rubens, Watteau, Ingres, Poussin, Matisse, Picasso, Robots!, Cars of the Future, Flower Power… Hundreds of plays and shows: Shakespeare, Mozart, Haendel, Peter Brook, William Forsythe, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Bill T. Jones… and a new Lille Opera. Discover Lille 2004 with the Pass Lille 2004 Libre Accès:
Free access to exhibitions, to 30 sites, to the urban transports network, to the Express Regional Train throughout the region with a 3 days Pass Libre Accès, free glass of champagne in 25 gastronomic restaurants in Lille, free one-hour visit of Lille, Old Lille and metamorphoses.
