Discover Lille with a city break

Paris may be the first place you think of a city break in France, but if you are looking for refinement, stylish shops and a host of cultural attractions Lille is the place to go.

Located in the north-east of France, Lille is just an hour and 40 minutes away from London with Eurostar.

Its proximity to the Belgium's border also means Lille is an excellent place to get a feel for all things Belgian - from Belgian beers and Flemish restaurants to Flemish-style architecture and design.

The city centre is easy to get around on foot, and the international station - Gare Lille Europe - is a good place as any to start exploring.

Walking across the bridge towards the town centre you immediately come up to the city's other main station Gare Lille Flandre, and the main shopping street Rue Faidherbe, both which often get taken over by the cultural goings on in the city.

During the recent Lille3000
arts festival, the wide boulevard was lined with sculptures of gigantic Indian elephants, and a light installation depicting Bombay covered the front of the station.

At the end of the Faidherbe are the impressive sights and shops of Lille's old town, which has several interlinked squares.

The Place du theatre, which is lined by boutiques and grand buildings also has some good good cafes close to the imposing Vieille Bourse, formerly the commercial centre of the town, built in 1910.

Around the square are many good quality chocolate shops, a huge book shop (Furet du Nord) that is very good for stationery and coffee table books and a wine merchants (Nicolas) where you can find excellent taster-packs of top French wines.

Many art lovers visit the city's Palais des Beaux Arts as it has a large collection of works ranging from modern installations to 16th-century paintings in a grand building dating from 1892.

Also worth visiting is the Tri Postal gallery, close to the railways stations, which was formerly the city's postal sorting office and hosts temporary exhibitions of modern art.

For more information on visiting Lille see /www.lilletourism.com/uk