Things to see in Lille

As Lille's only UNESCO-listed monument, the belfry of the Hôtel de Ville town hall stands proud at a height of 104m (341 ft) above the city streets. It was completed in 1931 and added to the World Heritage List in 2005. It's said that when it was built, the belfry needed as many as 270 cement piles to support its weight, outstripping that of the Eiffel Tower. Today visitors need to climb the 100 steps and then step into the lift to reach the top, where a 360° panoramic view awaits. Book through the tourist office.

Tue-Sun 0930-1300 and 1400-1730.

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Set against a backdrop of vast green space and bordered by lakes, this key museum in Villeneuve d'Ascq is something of a breathtaking sight. It reopened in 2010 under its new LaM moniker with striking white walls to emphasise its re-birth. It now has more than 4,500 examples of work on display, including art from Picasso and Modigliani among others. The surrounding parkland is also home to sculptures by Jacques Lipchitz and Alexander Calder, to name but a few.

Tue-Sun 1000-1800.

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If you only have time to do one thing when in Lille, make it the old town. Cobblestoned streets and old Flemish town houses (now home to exclusive boutiques) make for a pleasant stroll in a part of Lille barely changed in centuries. Meander along the winding backstreets and soak up the atmosphere and history of the city. Vieux Lille is particularly lively on Sundays, when the market takes place, but it's just as rewarding to take a seat at a café and watch life go by. If you're feeling more culturally inclined, the modern façade and gothic interiors of the nearby cathedral are fascinating to explore.

Daily 24 hours.

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Lille's most famous son, Général Charles de Gaulle, rose to fame as the leader of the Free French forces in exile in London during WWII. He became President of France in the 1950s, when he brought stability to a divided country, which was struggling to adjust to the post-war situation. The house where he was born in 1890 is now a museum and was in fact his grandparents' house. Though not technically where he grew up, Maison Natale Charles de Gaulle still gives a good idea of what life was like for the young de Gaulle, with historic exhibits including his christening gown, as well as family photos and memorabilia.

Wed-Sat 1000-1200 and 1400-1700 (Sep-Jun); Wed-Sun 1330-1700 and 1400-1700 (Jul-Aug).

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Widely acclaimed as France's second best museum after Le Louvre, the Palais des Beaux Arts is housed in a Belle Époque palace in the République – Saint-Sauveur quarter. The impressive collection includes paintings by many a master such as Donatello, Raphael, Rubens, van Dyck, Rembrandt, El Greco, David and Toulouse-Lautrec. If you want to find out more about the displays, there's a helpful iPod audio guide system available for visitors, which is included in the entry fee, though proof of identity is required before use.

Mon 1400-1800, Wed-Sun 1000-1800.

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Standing at the foot of this impressive behemoth gives some idea of how newcomers to the city must have felt after its construction in the 17th century. The famed military engineer Vauban was responsible for its creation at the request of King Louis XIV, and today the citadel continues to be occupied by the military. The result features Vauban's signature starburst shaped tower, with five towers joined by ramparts, accessed by either the Porte Dauphine or the Porte Royale. Although occupied by the army, it's still possible to visit by a guided tour from the tourist office. Take proof of identity for security purposes.

The Citadel can only be visited as part of a guided tour (in French only) organised by Office de Tourisme de Lille.

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Lille's main square is now an attractive pedestrian area overlooked by the Voix du Nord building (home of the North's leading newspaper, once the journal of the French Resistance in WWII). La Vieille Bourse (the Old Exchange), a centre where Flemish merchants traded their famous high-quality cloth, is on the left. Nowadays its vaulted courtyard ceilings overlook fondly-cherished stalls of secondhand books and vintage cinema posters. The Column commemorates the siege of Lille by the Austrians in 1792, and as a key part of Lille's landscape it also serves as an unofficial meeting point for residents and visitors alike.

Daily 24 hours.

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