Beyond the conference, what to do in Lille?

1.      Discover the city and its surroundings

Lille offers several atmospheres to walkers, depending on the neighborhoods visited and the time of day. For shopping activities, you can let yourself be tempted by the narrow streets of the Vieux-Lille district. Starting from the Grand-Place, you can join the shopping streets and take a gourmet break in the restaurants of the rue de Gand in particular. If you prefer the atmosphere of a popular market, you can stroll through the Wazemmes market, which is held on Thursdays and Sunday mornings on the Place de la nouvelle aventure. For an evening out, you will find bars and nightclubs in the area around rue Masséna and boulevard Solférino. If you are looking for more green space, a walk around the Citadelle Vauban is just a stone's throw from the city centre. A fifteen-minute ride by public transport will take you to the Parc du Héron, which offers a marked route around lakes.

2.      Cultural activities

In addition to strolling through the streets, the city also offers many places for cultural activities. The former wasteland of the Saint-Sauveur station is a popular place to relax and discover near the Jean-Baptiste Lebas Park. The city is also home to various Maisons Folies, which liven up the life of the neighbourhoods and offer their own programme. The Palais des Beaux-Arts located on the Place de la République is worth a visit for its very rich permanent collections and its special temporary exhibitions. About the history of the city, the Hospice Comtesse Museum allows you to learn more in a charming setting.

In Villeneuve d'Ascq, the LAM will present its Modern Art collections. Less than half an hour from the centre of Lille, in Roubaix, you can also discover the Musée de la Piscine in a magnificent Art Deco setting. In Croix, the Villa Cavrois will guarantee architecture buffs an amazing visit to one of the most beautiful achievements of modern architecture in the region. On a regional level, it may also be tempting to go and discover the history of mining via the Musée de la Mine in Lewarde. In the mining basin, the Louvre-Lens Museum can also attract attention, in the shadow of the Félix Bollaert Stadium. The region was largely marked by the conflicts of the 20th century, and it still bears the scars of the two World Wars in its architecture, in the remains (the Blockhaus which populate the Côte d'Opale) but also in the museums (see in particular the Coupole in Helfaut): people interested in remembrance tourism will find many ideas for outings in the region.

Lille has also many live performance venues, including the Opera (aerial visit of the Opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSJv6llbrV8), the Théâtre du Nord, the Théâtre Sébastopol, the concert halls of the Aéronef, the Zénith, the Splendid,... Don't hesitate to consult their programme if you ever want to take advantage of your visit to Lille to discover artists passing through the region.

3.      Taking a step further...

At the crossroads of Europe, Lille is located in the immediate vicinity of several European capitals: Brussels, Paris or London can be reached easily thanks to the High Speed Trains (TGV), which make the journey in 35 minutes, 1 hour and 1 hour 20 respectively.

The Hauts de France region can also be worth the diversions or detours. On the coast, the towns of Dunkirk (30 minutes by TGV), Calais (30 minutes by TGV) or Boulogne (1 hour by TGV) are easily accessible. They are starting points to discover the Dunes of Flanders (Dunkerque), the Cap Blanc Nez and the balcony it constitutes on the cliffs of Dover (Calais), or the charming fishing villages of the Boulonnais (Audresselles, Wissant,...). The Regional Express Trains (TER) can also take you to discover inland Flanders. With a stop in Bailleul or Cassel, you can discover the atmosphere of the traditional estaminets or go for an adventure by climbing the Flanders Mountains. The town of Saint-Omer can also be a good destination for people who want to discover the three dimensions of the Audomarois marshland (wild marshland, cultivated marshland, inhabited marshland). The railway network can also direct you to many other interesting destinations, with the cities of Arras (its Grand Place, its Boves), Amiens (its hortillonnages), Cambrai, Douai or Valenciennes. Belgium is also within easy reach from Lille. Trips to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp or Liège are possible in less than 2 hours.