Travel Eye on Lille (France)

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Overview:

The industrial north of France may not seem an obvious tourist destination, but Lille is a hidden gem - though rather less of a secret now with the high-speed Eurostar links from London, Ashford in Kent, Brussels and Paris. Close to the border with Belgium, the city combines French and Flemish influences - not only in art and architecture, but also in language (the local dialect has many Flemish words) and cuisine.

Eating is a serious business here, and dinners can last well into the night. Like their Belgian neighbours, the locals love to eat moules-frites (mussels and chips) and they can be seen feasting in the many restaurants crammed round the edges of the city's pretty squares. Similarly, beer is more popular in Lille than wine.

Despite its roots as a traditional market town, Lille is lively and forward-thinking. The city's beautiful historic centre - Vieux Lille - is small enough to walk around with ease, with crooked cobbled streets and 17th-century buildings.

In contrast is the 21st-century modernism of the Euralille district, a commercial and shopping complex that has mushroomed up around the Eurostar connection and Lille University.

Locality:

Situated in the North of France, Lille is only about 100 miles from Dover making it an ideal weekend break for British tourists.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to:

A Flemish flavour and a taste for mussels characterize Lille's cuisine. The main area for cafés, brasseries and restaurants is around place Rihour and along rue de Béthune. Rue Royale has a selection of fairly pricey but generally very good ethnic eateries, from Cambodian to Japanese. The best general area for cheap restaurants is the student quarter along the Solférino and rue Masséna.

The cafés around the Grande-Place and place Rihour are always buzzing with life. Rue de Paris has lots of tacky, loud, crushed bars raging at all hours, while rue Basse and nearby place Louise-de-Bettignies have some trendier spots.

Bars are thick on the ground in rues Solférino and Masséna, and attract a young crowd. Art and music events are always worth checking up on - there's a particularly lively jazz scene. Pick up a copy of the free weekly listings magazine , Sortir , from the tourist office, or look in the local paper, La Voix du Nord .