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It is without doubt the finest monument in the city.

The decision to build it was made in 1651, to offer a home for tradesmen and financiers, who, up until then, usually met in the open air. The project was entrusted to architect Julien Destrée in 1652 – 1653.

It appears to be one whole building, but in fact is made up of twenty-four identical houses, built at the expense of twenty-four merchants. They form a quadrilateral around an arched courtyard, whose peaceful atmosphere contrasts with the bustle of the surrounding streets.

The abundant sculpted décor of the multicoloured facades offers an infinite variety of pilasters animated by Atlases and Caryatids. Above the windows, the arched or triangular pediments are adorned with rotund cartouches, garlands of flowers and plump fruits in the Flemish Renaissance style.

The inner courtyard of the “Vieille Bourse” is open every afternoon from Tuesday to Sunday. It houses a second-hand book market and, sometimes, chess players. Tango evenings take place here on Sundays from 7:00PM to 10:00PM, from July to September.

Place du Général de Gaulle (Grand Place)

In 1907, following the fire at the theatre, the Lille architect Louis-Marie Cordonnier was given the task of building an Opera House, in the style of those built by Charles Garnier in Paris and Monte Carlo.

Built just before the First World War, it was inaugurated by the Germans in 1914, then a second time by the French in 1923.

On the pediment above the facade, Apollo surrounded by his muses is the work of sculptor Hippolyte Lefebvre. On the left, the allegory of Music is by Amédée Cordonnier, while on the right, that of Tragedy is by Hector Lemaire. Reopened in December 2003 after six years of restoration, the interior contains a monumental staircase and a sumptuous décor in the Louis XVI style made of marble, stucco, bronze, gold and sparkling crystals.

The Italian-style auditorium is one of the last examples built in France and can hold 1136 spectators. 

Apart from  scheduled performances, the Opera House may be visited during three “open day” sessions organised each season.

Founded in 1701 by Louis XIV, the institution sat in various places in the city until industrial growth required a new building to be erected. It is situated at the beginning of Boulevard Carnot, opened in 1909 by engineer Alfred Mongy to connect Lille to Roubaix and Tourcoing.

As with the Opera house, the chosen architect was Louis-Marie Cordonnier from Lille, who had just finished building the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Here, he used a neo-regionalist style inspired by the Beauregard row (1687) just opposite.

The belfry, 76 metres high, symbolises the power of the merchant cities.

In 1667, the Lille City Council wanted to create uniformity in new buildings to ensure that they were in harmony with existing buildings, particularly the “Vieille Bourse”. Rules were imposed on owners; new buildings had to be aligned with their neighbours and follow a standard blueprint design of three floors over a huge cellar, with an attic above. Only stone and brick were authorised.

With its simple lines dominated by a vertical momentum and its discreet decoration of cartouches with angels’ heads, scrolls and cornucopias, the set of row houses built in 1687 by Simon Vollant represents a synthesis of 17^th Century Frnech style and local tradition. A few cannon balls can be seen stuck in the facades, a souvenir of the siege of Lille by the Austrians in 1792.

Designed by the architect Emile Dubuisson, the town hall's size and the ingenious nature of its layout give it an impressive appearance. Built between 1924 and 1932 under Mayor Roger Salengro, it combines the heritage of local traditions (triangular gables, use of different colours, mullioned or basket-handle windows) and modernity through the use of concrete for the structure and décor.

The building is centred around a 143 metres long gallery divided into three aisles by two series of columns with Art Nouveau motifs. More generally, the major aspects of the décor have Art Deco influences.

The staircases, corridors and council rooms are adorned with a fine collection of contemporary art. A fresco by the Icelandic artist Erro tells the eventful history of the city in comic strip form.

The belfry was built between 1929 and 1931 and inaugurated in 1932. It was the first building in France over 100 metres high to be made entirely of reinforced concrete. At 104 metres, it is the highest belfry in the region. Designed to be a true “Flanders skyscraper”, it is both a symbol of communal freedom and a landmark for the entire Lille Metropolitan area. At its base are sculptures of the giants who founded the city, Lydéric and Phinaert. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since September 2005, along with 22 other belfries in Northern France.

The Town Hall is open Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Guided visits of the belfry take place on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM (reservation required at the Tourist Office. No visit from September 1st to 11th).

In 1853 in Lille, Alexandre Desrousseaux composed L’canchon dormoire (literally Lullaby), which became famous under the name “P’tit Quinquin”. Using the local dialect, it tells the touching story of a poor lace-maker from the Saint-Sauveur district who is trying to get her baby Narcisse to sleep.

The monument in the Square Foch is a recent replica of the original, which is on display at the Town Hall. It is the work of sculptor Eugène Desplechin (1902).

For the lille2004 European Capital of Culture year, 12 “Maisons Folie” were created throughout the Nord-Pas de Calais region and in Belgium.

These newly redesigned venues in former industrial buildings, in the heart of each district, are used by artists, associations and inhabitants as places where people can meet, create and exchange ideas. They offer exhibition areas, rehearsal rooms, artists’ residences, auditoriums, etc.

In Lille, abandoned industrial buildings were renovated to house the two “Maisons Folie”. The Wazemmes district's "Maison Folie" was a former spinning mill, to which was added a contemporary wing by the Dutch architectural group NOX, on the lines of a waving metallic shell. The former factory’s vaulted brick basement now houses oriental baths. In the Moulins district, a former brewery and malt factory was used. Its buildings, arranged around a central courtyard, bear witness to the attention given to architectural detail on 19^th century industrial buildings.