Things To Do In Lille, France: Must-see places & Walking Tour

After visiting all countries in Europe, I decided I needed to go deeper and explore more regions of it, especially in large countries. And one of those countries is France, a former empire of the great continent we live on, and a modern country that offers great stories, food and, believe it or not, friendly locals. 

After driving to France, the first spot I chose for a couple of nights to recover from such a long road trip (Romania to France) was Lille. 

The location of Lille is convenient too, as it’s very close to the border with Belgium (which is notoriously expensive for no apparent reason). 

I originally planned to stay in Ghent or Bruges, but hotel prices were simply outrageous, and I couldn’t justify paying that much. So instead of that, I stayed for 2 nights in Lille, and managed to explore this underrated city in France at a more leisurely pace. 

Things to do in Lille, France (Map):

Self walking tour in Lille, France

Most of the attractions in Lille are close to each other, and mostly in the centre of the city. 

That’s why I created this Google Map with all of the interesting points, which you can use directly on your phone. 

If you don’t have roaming on your phone, remember to get Airalo (use code NEWTOAIRALO15 to get 15% as a new customer), because it will be so much easier to navigate Lille if you have an internet connection on your phone. 

Here’s the itinerary for the Lille self-walking tour (I’ll give you some insights on each one):

• Beffroi de Lille
• Palais des Beaux Arts
• Place du Général de Gaulle
• La Vieille Bourse (famous flea market in Lille, France)
• Beffroi de la Chambre de Commerce
• Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille Cathedral
• Beer and snack stop

Beffroi de Lille (City Hall Belfry)

While this place cannot be visited with your dog, I recommend visiting the city’s Art Deco belfry to get the best panoramic view of Lille. It was built between 1924 and 1932, designed by Émile Dubuisson, as part of Lille’s post–World War I reconstruction.

This 104-meter-tall belfry is the tallest civilian belfry in Europe, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille

In 1801, Napoleon I signed a decree to open this museum as a way to encourage culture and art. The museum opened in 1809. It was first housed in a church, and later moved into this Baroque-revival palace, which was finished in 1892. It is among the earliest provincial museums in France.

If you have the time and desire to immerse yourself in an art museum, then I advise you to check it out. The Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille was declared a historic monument in 1975. It’s home to over 72,000 artworks, displayed on a surface of 22,000 square meters. This is the second-largest art museum in France, after the famous Louvre Museum in Paris. 

I find that there aren’t any queues here in Lille, but that’s not the case for the Louvre. If you want to visit Paris and the Louvre, then you must read my guide on how to plan your visit to the Louvre. 

Place du Général de Gaulle (Grand’Place)

Next you’ll visit the main square of Lille, the Grand’Place, which dates back to the 13th-14th centuries. In 1944, it was renamed after Lille’s native son, Charles de Gaulle, but locals simply call it Grand’Place. 

In the centre of the square, you’ll see the Column of the Goddess, erected in 1842, commemorating Lille’s citizens’ heroism during the siege of 1792. 

La Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange)

Right next to the square is the old stock exchange. It was classified as a historic monument in 1921. 

The 1653 Flemish Renaissance-style building is actually a quadrangle of 24 identical houses enclosing a richly ornamented courtyard. 

There you’ll find the famous Lille flea market (a second-hand market for books, posters, vinyls and more). I was there on a Sunday, and the market in the courtyard was buzzing. 

While this is quite a popular spot, you can still take some pictures inside the courtyard, 

We were able to take our small dog with us, because we carried him, and nobody seemed bothered. 

Beffroi de la Chambre de Commerce

There are two entrances to the stock exchange, as we exited on the opposite side, where the 1924 Chamber of Commerce belfry stands. 

You can’t miss this Flemish Gothic 76-meter tower, as it is visible even from the Grand’Place. I liked this small square better than Grand’Place, and locals were chilling here and on the steps of the theatre. 

Unfortunately, you can only admire the tower from the ground, as the public is not allowed to visit it (that’s why I recommended the city belfry for the views). 

Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille Cathedral

The unusual cathedral of Lille is built on a former feudal mound. The first stone was laid in 1854. But it has a tumultuous history, and its construction spanned almost 145 years. And that’s why this Gothic revival cathedral has a modern facade, which was only completed in 1999. 

The architect of the modern façade is Pierre-Louis Carlier (who worked together with engineer Peter Rice) and he designed it to blend the modern white marble into the Gothic revival aesthetic.

Today, there are still mixed opinions about it, and locals refer to it as the “fridge door”. I get it, I wasn’t sure what kind of church this was either when I first saw it.

Even with the weird modern face, the Lille Cathedral is a spot for pilgrimage.

The statue of Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille was venerated for miracles from the 13th century, including restoring sight and other reported miracles (this is the statue of Our Lady, located in the very back chapel behind the altar). You’ll see many people praying at that chapel. Please be respectful and don’t do any weird touristy gestures (like pointing a camera in people’s faces). 

I also saw a schedule for cultural events. Sometimes, the cathedral it is used for concerts, as I imagine it offers great acoustics. 

Where to have a beer in Lille?

Because it was a Sunday when I visited Lille, many places were closed, but the restaurants and bars in the centre of Lille were serving customers. Because we (my boyfriend, dog and I) were tired after all this walking around, we stopped at one of the bars near the cathedral called Beer Square. 

We found a nice selection of beers and ciders, but also waffle-based snacks (and I had the absolute best salmon/avocado waffle ever there). 

I don’t know if we were lucky to find this spot, but Lille has a reputation as the Beer Capital of France” (that’s probably due to its proximity to Belgium). So you will find hundreds of breweries in Lille. Another option around the cathedral would have been La Capsule, with even more options for tab beers. 

All in all, I loved Lille, as it didn’t feel crowded and touristy, but more like locals enjoying their city. Locals spoke a bit of English, and we were able to communicate, order beer and food and have a great time. 

I’m glad I stopped for a couple of days to explore Lille and the surrounding gems of Northern France. I have specific blogs and videos for each part of this trip.

And then I finally reached the coastal resort Mers-les-Bains, a famous French 19th-century holiday resort, from where I continued exploring parts of Normandy, including medieval towns like the popular Rouen.

I also filmed this entire walking tour of Lille, and you can find it on my YouTube channel.