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A lively blend of ancient & modern, Lille is one of France's best-kept secrets with a delightful Old Town of cobbled streets and exuberant Flemish architecture. The main square, Grand Plave du General de Gaulle, is surrounded by flamboyant facades in a glorious mix of architectural styles; and as Lille is a university city there's a thriving nightlife with numerous restaurants and bars. With a population of close to one million, Lille offers theatres, cinemas, an opera house,  and a philharmonic concert hall, all located near the campus of Le Catho.

Starting from the triangular Euralille by the TGV/Eurostar station you have the choice of shopping or strolling into the centre of Lille. The city is one hour away from Paris by TGV (train a grande vitesse), 3 hours from Lyon, France's second largest city, and 3 hours from London by way of the newly opened Chunnel (tunnel sous la Manche).

The belfry of the Nouvelle Bourse offers spectacular views - if you can climb the 104 steps. Relax in one of the numerous cafes and sip some of the Flemish beers for which this area is famous. The fortifications around the old city have been destroyed, but the majestic archway, the Porte de Paris (1682), still stands.

Churches include the Gothic church of St. Maurice, and the 16^th-century church of St. Catherine. The 17^th-century old exchange building is in the Flemish style. A bronze statue of Napoleon is cast from guns captured at Austerlitz, where he defeated the Austrians and Russians in 1805.

The Catholic University of Lille - also called "La Catho" - is the largest private university in France. The city has many different academic colleges, including language, business, engineering and industrial engineering.

The shops are a bargain-hunters paradise; Lille offers excellent shopping with many fine boutiques as well as larger department stores. Shops and sights are open 09.00 - 18.00 Monday to Saturday.

The city has hotels to cater for all tastes but if you are visiting for the day leave your car in the suburbs, preferably at the ends of the Metro lines (St. Philibert or 4 Cantons) and utilise the cheap public transport. The Val Metro shuttles are unmanned so don't hang about while embarking/disembarking. 

Built between 1889 and 1892 the Fine Arts Museum (Palais des Beaux-Arts) is one of the finest art galleries in Europe and second in size only to the Louvre in France. The museum has one of the best collections of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.