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| Lille really deserves its title of City of Heritage and Art | |||
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 esides its colourful Flemish architecture and its narrow ornamented facades (of which the Vieille Bourse is a prime example), Lille has a rich and varied heritage. This is a welcoming and lively place to visit with a surprise around every corner and undeniably one of the cultural capitals of Europe. There you can see the Grand Place, the old city, the Town Hall and its belfry, the Fine Arts Museum and much much more!
With 220,000 inhabitants, Lille is part of an urban community of 87 towns, with more than 1 million inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in France. Its huge cultural diversity and its dynamism have contributed to the city's nomination of the 2004 "European Capital of Culture" so many buildings have been restored to celebrate this fact. 
French classical style houses sit alongside the eclectism of "grands boulevards " or even the Maison Folie - these former factories (textile, brewery) that are experiencing a start as new cultural and meeting centers. The charming cobbled streets of the old city and its lovely gabled houses are what many visitors remember from a first visit to Lille.
It has a charming and discerningly restored old quarter, known as Vieux Lille, with winding cobbled streets and a gamut of good value for money restaurants. There is a new métro system in the town, and a buzzing art and music scene, both of which testify to the city's determination to move forward and take positive steps to abandon its depressing image. Even though Lille is France's fifth largest city, it is quite possible to walk around it without taking the métro or relying on buses. Most of the main attractions are contained within a fairly small area of the city. 
The flea market in the courtyard of the Ancienne Bourse (old exchange building) sells books and flowers every afternoon, and makes you feel as if you have stepped into a Roman market scene. Just around the corner is the Baroque style Opéra building, which was built in the early twentieth century and refurbished for the 2004 celebrations. Next >> Lille Weather: | |||
