Culture and History in Lille for Tour de France 2025 Visitors

Welcome
Culture Vultures

Major Museums and Art Galleries in Lille

If you need a culture fix the Palais des Beaux Arts [art gallery] is world class. As is La Piscine in Roubaix; my favourite. If you have time and transport, it’s accessible by rail, the Louvre-Lens (in Lens, an old mining town, south of Lille) is spectacular. Really. The LaM (Lille Métropole Musée d’art moderne, d’art contemporain et d’art brut) is great.

Historic Sites and Landmarks in Lille

Villa Cavrois, halfway between Lille and Roubaix, is an Art Deco masterpiece. If you stand looking at the Le Moulin d’Or bar on Place Théâtre, you can see cannonballs embedded in the walls, from some long-ago siege. Close by, the old stock exchange – La Vieille Bourse – now houses a well-known second-hand book market and an art installation that’s part of the Lille3000 festival; good for old Miroir de Cyclisme magazines.Other galleries/events spaces of note are the Tripostale, by Gare Lille-Flandres and Gare Saint Saveur.

Events and Exhibitions in Lille

I suspect there will be various events planned to mark the Tour’s visit to the city, so I’ll add them as and when I hear about things.

The Louvre-Lens. Truly world class!

Villa Cavrois. Art Deco masterpiece designed by a British architect



Place de la Republique – home to the Fan Zone in July

Walking Around the Citadel and Outdoor Spaces

If you want to do a nice walk to clear your heads (!) the area around the Citadel (an old Vauban-built military base still used by the French military; and by rumour US special forces) is your place! There are lots of good bars and restaurants dotted along the various waterways. Also, a small zoo. It’s part of my Lille Top 10.

Opéra de Lille on Place du Théâtre

Vauban-designed Citadelle de Lille

Cinemas and Modern Entertainment

There are a few cinemas. The UGC on Rue de Béthune is best for VOSTF (Version Originale Sous-Titres Français).

Video Gaming and Escape Games

For a different type of ‘culture’ head to the huge video gaming/bowling attraction, Follow Park, rue Pierre Mauroy in the centre.

I am told there are various escape games on offer. Plus other large gaming centres.

Want to pair culture with good food? Check out our guide to restaurants & cafés in Lille for Tour de France fans.

The recently opened Follow Park video games/bowling/food and drink complex

Discover WW1 and WW2 Memorials near Lille

You’re obviously very close to lots of The Western Front. To the north, Ypres is a good starting point; the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate each evening is very moving. Too many sites to mention, many of them unforgettable.

Key WW1 and WW2 Memorials and Cemeteries

South you get to places like Vimy Ridge, with its stunning Canadian war memorial, Notre Dame de Lorette/Ring of Remembrance, France’s largest military cemetery.

Cambrai Tank 1917 is a quirky museum dedicated to one man’s, eventually successful, quest to locate a buried First World War tank

There are CWGC graveyards everywhere. If you head to The Somme, find the road from Peronne to Albert, there are dozens of things to see including the enormous Theipval Monument.

Tyne Cot CWGC cemetery is not too far away. There’s an Australian WW1 museum in Fromelles.

There’s quite a large CWGC section in the Lille Sud cemetery. And various monuments dedicated to various First and Second World War events and figures.

If you’re staying a few days and have transport, other places on the stages, or close to them, worth a visit include Arras, Boulogne, Dunkirk, Valenciennes, Le Touquet, Hardelot-Plage, Etaples and Cassell (lovely hilltop town, rumoured to be on the hill that the Grand Old Duke of York marched his men up and down!). If you’re in Cassell be sure to visit the stunning gardens at Jardins du Mont des Recollets.

Battlefields and Museums Nearby

The Opale Coast south of Calais is spectacular. Be sure to try the seafood in one of the lovely coastal towns and villages. My favourite is Audresselles, where you can also visit the Batterie Todt, a spectacularly preserved part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, housing a museum.

Cycling and Cultural Highlights Near Lille

The Tour of Flanders Centre in Oudenaarde is well worth a visit if you want to stay cycling-focused!

Belgian Towns Worth Visiting

Tournai is a nice Belgian town. Further afield: Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp are not too far. The Waterloo Battlefield is just over an hour away, as is Agincourt (both have museums and various places to visit). There’s a mining museum in Lewarde.

CWGC cemeteries everywhere!

Cambrai Tank 1917 museum

Tour of Flanders centre

On the road from Bapaume-Albert

DISCOVER LILLE

Lille, the vibrant capital of Flanders, is known for its stunning architecture, rich history, and welcoming atmosphere. Explore the charming old town, indulge in delicious French cuisine, and experience a unique mix of French and Flemish cultures.

