Lille - a city known for its Palais des beaux-arts.

Lille is a French city located near the border with Belgium. It is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region and the tenth most populous city in the country, with a population of about 236,000. Lille is the historic capital of Flanders. It is known for the extraordinary friendliness of its residents and as the city of Charles de Gaulle and a city of students - four universities are based here.

Lille - sights and attractions

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Lille impresses with its architecture, colorful facades of buildings, charming streets, as well as a multitude of green areas. What, above all, is worth seeing there?

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La Grand'Place in Lille

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This square, which forms the heart of Lille, is also known as General de Gaulle Square. It is surrounded by 17th-century townhouses, with a fountain and a monument to the city's defenders located in the center. One of the biggest attractions here is the Old Stock Exchange building from 1653, where markets were still struck until the early 20th century. It consists of 24 premises connected by an arcaded courtyard, and the exterior catches the eye with its beautiful, richly decorated facade and high roof with a tower.

Cathedral of Notre-Dame de la Treille

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This temple was built in neo-Gothic style in the second half of the 19th century, but over the years it has been frequently rebuilt so that it no longer resembles the original design. It definitely looks better inside - its monumental pillars, numerous chapels and the 12th-century statue of Our Lady of Treille are worth seeing.

Lille Town Hall

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This building was constructed in 1932 in the Flemish style. It has a bell tower once used to warn residents of dangers. City Hall is the seat of the city's administration, but tourists can climb its tall tower for panoramic views of Lille.

The Citadel of Lille

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The citadel was built in the 17th century on the orders of Louis XIV. It was considered the queen of citadels at the time. The structure is shaped like a five-armed whistle, with a drawbridge leading to its main entrance. Right next to the citadel is a park with a playground and a zoo.

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Museum of Fine Arts in Lille

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This museum was founded in 1809 on Napoleon's initiative and is one of the oldest museums in France, as well as one of the largest. It is well worth a visit for the works of Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Monet, Rodin and many other well-known and respected painters, illustrators and sculptors. In addition, the museum has a large collection of models of French, Belgian and Dutch cities.

The Antiques Market

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Every year on the first weekend of September, Lille hosts Europe's largest flea market - La Braderie. That's when a total of nearly 100 kilometers of streets in the city are closed to traffic and piled with various antiques, antiques, clothes or second-hand books and lots of other trinkets. Anyone can put their stuff up for sale, and the stands are divided by types of products so as to make it easier to find the most interesting ones. The number of vendors on La Braderie reaches 10,000, and the number of buyers, up to 2 million. Local restaurateurs also benefit. It is a tradition then to serve mussels with fries and competition between establishments for the largest number of mussel shells left by customers after the meal.