Highlights
Away from the gleaming glass of Euralille, more traditional sights beckon around the elegant expanse of the Grand' Place and the age-old streets of Lille Old Town.
At the heart of Lille are three grand squares, home to the classical Opéra, the 17th-century baroque Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange) and Palais Rihour with its fairytale turrets.
Discover Flemish Old Masters and medieval treasures at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, and antique tapestries and furnishings at the 13th-century convent of the Musée de l'Hospice Comtesse. Louis XIV's prized fortress La Citadelle, built by the great military architect Vauban, first governor of Lille, is set amid 50 hectares of parkland, including the city zoo. Modern Lille spills over the old city walls and now, with trams and two metro lines, embraces Roubaix, home of the imaginative La Piscine - Museum of Art & Industry, and Tourcoing with its annual jazz festival.
Pick up the one, two or three-day Lille Métropole City Pass from tourist offices and hotels for reduced admission to monuments and museums as well as unlimited use of public transport. Major museums offer free admission on the first Sunday of each month.
