All our hotels in Lille

All walking tours of Lille should start on the majestic Place du Général de Gaulle (more commonly known as the Grand'Place) in lively Vieux-Lille (Old Lille), where intricate neoclassical façades mingle with an assortment of gabled edifices showing Flemish influences – while all looks authentic, in fact much of this grandiose architecture was restored after WWI. To local residents, the Grand'Place is a focal point of Lille life. It's where they come to chat on café terraces spreading across the square, overlooked by several landmarks including the 17th-century Lille Old Bourse and an ornate edifice that has now metamorphosed into the Théâtre du Nord, with its repertoire of modern drama and dance. Steps away through cobbled streets packed with designer shops is Notre-Dame de la Treille cathedral, noted for its serene, neo-Gothic interior. Work on the cathedral began in the 1850s, but it was only finally completed some 140 years later with the addition of a white-marble façade topped by a glittering rose window to its otherwise unassuming exterior. It's surrounded by red-brick, gabled houses built in typically Flemish style. Another mighty Vieux-Lille icon is the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, erected in the late 19th century and today containing an improbably large collection of European art that could keep you coming back for several days. You'll also find the Charles de Gaulle Birthplace Museum in Vieux-Lille, where the life and times of the much-feted former president are showcased through displays of family mementos and furniture, plus a multimedia centre highlighting his political career. When you've explored all the secret corners of the Vieux-Lille at ground level, we suggest you climb to the top of the UNESCO-listed Beffroi de Lille for magical panoramas over this historic city centre. If it's time for some fresh air after all that high culture, take a moment out in the 17th-century, star-shaped Citadelle de Lille and its surrounding parkland. Just on the western edge of Vieux-Lille, this family-friendly spot started life as an army barracks and is now home to turtles, parrots and meerkats in the Zoo Lille and kids' amusement rides at Cita-Parc.

Just a 10-minute stroll from Vieux-Lille, Euralille offers up another world. This thrumming contemporary business district, Eurostar rail hub and busy shopping centre combined is chock-full of defiantly contemporary buildings designed by star architects including Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas. The area is watched over by Yayoi Kusama's gigantic and colourful "Shangri-La Tulips" sculpture, and exciting venues that showcase the area's renaissance include Le Tri Postal, where avant-garde art exhibitions are held in a former post office building. You can find more thought-provoking exhibitions in suburbia too, and we recommend a visit to Lille's largely residential Villeneuve-d'Ascq to tour the futuristic LaM: set in one of Europe's largest outdoor sculpture parks, the gallery's undulating white walls hide a sensational collection of modern works by artists including Modigliani, Picasso and Klee. Another must-see sight out of the centre is La Piscine Museum in Roubaix – an art deco swimming pool transformed into a beautifully laid out sculpture gallery. Closer to the magnificent Vieux-Lille than Villeneuve-d'Ascq, and very different in character to both, cosmopolitan and formerly industrial Wazemmes centres on its namesake red-brick market hall, where stalls are laden with flowers, Lille's speciality potjevleesch (a hearty meat terrine) and square blocks of pungent Maroilles cheese. The bustling Sunday flea market on the square outside is another big draw in this ever-transforming district, where narrow streets reveal Asian fast-food spots and Arab cafés serving up couscous and mint tea.

The Franco-Flemish influence in Lille is reflected in its cuisine; sitting side by side with French brasseries are typically Flemish taverns known as estaminets. They serve Flemish specialities like mussels and arbonnade flamande stew – both cooked in beer – waterzoiï (fish or chicken stew) and crisp waffles for a street snack. As well as unearthing cosy eateries in Vieux-Lille, try restaurants on rue des Bouchers, Lille's latest foodie hotspot. But Lille's best restaurants are not all about traditional French or Flemish cooking. Wazemmes is known for Oriental and Middle Eastern delicacies, and thanks to the city's multicultural population, you can find all sorts of world cuisines tucked among vegetarian cafes and "zinc" bars serving up pastis. Lille, like most of northern France, is known for its beer – another Flemish influence – rather than wine, so across the city you can sample Trappist, Tripel and Lambic brews from just over the border in Belgium.