The Best Things to do in Lille – France.
I moved to Lille when I was 18 because I started university. I was a bit scared at first because I’m from a small city. But after you get used to taking the metro and find your favourite spots, it just feels like home.
In this article I’m going to share my favourite spots with you, and the bes t things to do in Lille so you can have fun in this beautiful city.
La piscine museum (Roubaix)
This is probably my favourite museum, it is so huge and there’s so many different things to see, they have art from every period. There is always a fun temporary exhibition, always interesting to see. But the best is the architecture. It is located in a former pool, there’s a beautiful stained glass and rows of statues around the water. They also have a place to eat or have a drink, and a small garden. If you really want to see everything I think you could spend three hours.
It costs only between 11€ and 9€ and it’s open Monday to Thursday (11am-6pm), Friday (11am-20pm) and Saturday and Sunday (1pm-6pm)
Don’t forget that a lot of museums are often free on the first Sunday of the month. During the heatwaves it was actually free everyday so people cool chill out inside. I had a great memory just walking around the museum with my friends.
La Wilderie – Café and plants shop
Located near the Grand Place, this is my favourite café in Lille, they always have new seasonal drinks and their matcha is one of the best I’ve tried. Whether it’s winter and I want to warm up with a hot chocolate or summer enjoying a cocktail outside surrounded by plants, this place never disappoints. I really recommend their banana bread.
They also serve food for lunch, the menu only has 4 options because they only cook local and seasonal veggies. Why do I love this place so much ? because it’s also a plant shop. I can’t help but buy one everytime.
Elizabeth’s café
If you like tea, England, books and carrot cake. This is the place you’ve been looking for. It’s very cosy and their pastries are sooo goood! I often go there with friends after school. They have a ton of choices of pasteries, everything looks so good. I want to try everything.
It ‘s located in the Rue Basse, just next to the Rue Esquermoise where you can do a bit of shopping and taste the famous Méert Waffles. The Vieux Lille district is perfect to stroll and run into cute little shops. If I only had one afternoon in Lille, that’s what I would do, shopping and coffee !
La nouvelle librairie VO
If you want to buy books in English, Spanish, or even Japanese. This is where you should go. They have so many books in VO, from fantasies to biographies to classics. They have everything, trust me. And you could always order with them a book you couldn’t find, the employees are really nice and helpful. This place even have a LGBT section 😉
It is a 10min walk from the city center.
LaM museum ( Villeneuve d’Ascq)
I would recommend visiting it only if the temporary exhibition interests you because the rest of the museum is pretty small. I went there to see an exhibition on Kandinsky, another one on Anselm Kiefer. So always check out the exhibitions !
You can take the metro, get off at Pont de Bois station and then take the L6 bus or walk 30minutes. This one is free for people under 26 but if you’re older the price goes down to 9€ instead of 11€ if you took public transportation.
Just next to the museum you have the Parc du Héron, one of the biggest parks in Lille. If you want a bit of nature; it is perfect.
Le quai du Wault and la Citadelle
La Citadelle is a huge parc in form of a star, it is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Built in the 17th century by the famous military engineer Vauban under the orders of Louis XIV, it is often referred to as the “Queen of Citadels.” Although the fortress is still used by the French Army and cannot be fully visited, the surrounding park is open to the public and is one of the best places to walk, jog, or enjoy a picnic in Lille.
During my walks around Lille it became one of my favourite spot to escape the busy city center. It is best for nature lovers, picnics and cyclist. The nearby canals make it the perfect spot for a peacefull afternoon.
It is free and opened all year round. It is a 15 min walk from the city center. There is also a Zoo next to it, it’s not expensive at all (around 3€ if you are a student).
Le Jardin des plantes and café de l’Orangerie
I always go there during spring, to enjoy a book or have a picinic with friends. This parc has beautiful gardens, a fountain, It’s also a great place if you like to run, the loop makes 1.5km. But there are so many paths you can take. If you have kids there is also a playground area.
And what I particularly like is to visit the botanic greenhouse. It is free and opens every afternoon from Tuesday to Saturday.
Just next to the greehouses, you can find the Orangerie cafe, they serve local drinks and food. It is decorated with antique chairs and couch, I love this vintage look ! They also organize little concerts on weekends, where artists come to play their new songs. It’s always fun to discover new people.
To go there you have to take the M1 and get out at Porte de Douai station.
Le Biglemoi
This is another bookshop I really like, it’s in Lille Fives (two stops from the Lille flandres train station). They have a great selection of books, and a huge section around politics (feminism, LGBT, colonialism…) They also serve coffee and softs drinks. I like to go there to study, it really helps me to focus.
Lille is a city full of surprise their is always a lot going on, many events, I actually recommend you to check the tourism office. In september there is the braderie de Lille this huge flea market that atracts thousands of people, there is also the fun fair. And if you like theater or opera, you wont be dissapointed, it’s always nice to go see a play, The conservatoire often do free representations. So stay tuned!
Don’t forget to check this article about the best restaurants in Lille. (to add later)
Thank you for reading this article, I hope you’ll like those places and maybe I’ll meet you there !