A city on the French-Belgian border. It is an important cultural and academic center that boasts many valuable monuments. There is also the largest French art museum outside of Paris, the Palais des beaux-arts.
The location on the border of Flanders, near the Netherlands and close to the English Channel has meant that Lille architecture has a lot of influence from other countries that are not very common in France. Above all, Gothic brick and Renaissance, characteristic of the Netherlands, developed here. Walking through the streets of the city, you can see many tenements and public buildings built in this way. You can also see some interesting buildings from the early twentieth century, including the city hall built in the style of art deco.
The Lille art museum, Palais des beaux-arts, founded by Napoleon Bonaparte is based. His collections include works by Rubens, Delacroix, van Gogh and Monet.
Today's Lille is primarily a scientific and academic center. The local botanical garden belongs to the local university.
The most important event taking place in Lille is the annual Braderie de Lille, which dates back to the 12th century. This is a great fair, during which you can buy food products from around the world, as well as take part in concerts, performances and outdoor events.
