Apartment Hotels in Lille
Lille: a down-to-earth city in northern France
Lille is the fifth-biggest city in France. Still, Lille, a city of around 230.000 inhabitants, represents a very calm city. It is located on the northern French boarder with Belgium and is the capital of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region and thus has a strong administrative function in Nord. Its influence of the Flemish culture distinguishes the inhabitants of the region from the rest of France. In general, people staying in our apartment hotels in Lille will experience a warm welcome in the city.
Sightseeing near the apartment hotels in Lille
Lille is different – not only according to its residents, but also according to our guests in the apartment hotels in Lille. Lille is very down-to-earth and does not feel the need to impress, although lots of beautiful monuments and buildings make Lille a very impressive city. Located in the very north of France on the boarder to Belgium, Lille distinguishes itself from the rest of the country. Although Louis XIV captured Lille in 1667, Lille always remained its calm character. No traffic jams, neat shops and relaxed people make this city a very calm one.
People doing sightseeing near our apartment hotels in Lille will be amazed by the city’s beauty and charm. The buildings in Lille tell a story about the city’s past. The 13th century building L’Hospice Comtesse is a charitable hospital with Flemish interiors. The timber-raftered interiors also remind people visiting this building of Lille’s former power in the textile-industry. The Grand Place in the center of the old town is probably Lille’s main landmark. The former stock exchange (Vielle Bourse) is probably the most interesting building there. It was built in the 17th century and also reminds guests in our apartment hotels in Lille of the city’s Flemish origin.
If you walk on to Place du Théâtre people staying in our apartment hotels in Lille will be amazed by the wedding-cake confection of the Opera House. It was built to resemble the wedding-cake confection in Paris. The Palais des Beaux-Arts is another important landmark, as it holds the second-largest art collection in France. The art collection presents a wide range of works – from medieval artists to impressionists.
Lille: the birthplace of Charles de Gaulles
Charles de Gaulles, future president of France, was born in Lille in the year of 1890 in his maternal grandparents home. He is one of the most famous sons of Lille. His birthplace is bourgeois. It seems like the residents of Lille are proud of this fact, as it resembles Lille’s calm and down-to-earth character. Guests in our apartment hotels in Lille will experience this as well.
Image: Grand Place near the apartment hotels in Lille
Restaurants in Lille
Although our apartment hotels in Lille offer a fully equipped kitchen to their guests, many visitors sometimes also want to grab lunch or dinner outside their apartment hotel. That’s fair enough, especially in Lille. Lille offers lots of neat restaurants. We highly recommend the following ones to our guests staying in our apartment hotels in Lille:
Tous le jours dimanche
This restaurant resembles Lille’s character. It is very laid-back and next to a couple of great dishes, such as lasagne or smoked ham ciabiatta, you can grab a book and relax during your lunch break. We highly recommend this neat restaurant to everyone staying in our apartment hotels in Lille.
Address: 13 rue Masurel
Telephone: +33 328 360 592
Website: Tripadvisor
Chez la Vielle
This cosy restaurant is specialized in the Flemish cuisine and thus, transports part of Lille’s identity. People staying in our apartment hotels in Lille should definitely try the carbonnade flamanade (beef stewed in beer) or potjevleesh (potted meat of pork, rabbit, chicken and veal). If you feel like eating typical food from Lille, then Chez la Vielle is definitely a great pick!
Address: 60 rue de Gand
Telephone: +33 328 364 006
Website: Chez la Vielle
Doing Groceries in Lille
After a long day of sightseeing or work, guests in our apartment hotels in Lille feel like cooking. Luckily, most apartments come with a fully equipped kitchen. All you need to do is buy your ingredients and then you are ready to cook. In Lille there are various supermarkets, bakeries and butchers. Cooks in our apartment hotels in Lille will easily find all the necessary ingredients there. Still, if you want to experience the local food and culture we highly recommend going to one of the markets in Lille. We highly recommend the following one to our guests in the apartment hotels in Lille:
Marche du Concert
The Marche du Concert is a great market in Lille. People staying in our apartment hotels in Lille should check it out to prepare their favorite meal in their aparthotel. You will find everything ranging from mushrooms, cheese, meat, spices, marmalades, etc., on small food stands. This is the perfect opportunity for local producers to sell their high-quality food. If you just want to grab a snack during the day, this market also offers the opportunity to do so. The market is open Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 7am to 2pm.
Address: Place du Concert
Website: Lille Tourisme
Activities near the apartment hotels in Lille
Many guests in our apartment hotels in Lille come here for business purposes, meaning that they follow a professional endeavor in Lille. However, many tourists also stay in our cosy apartment hotels in Lille to discover the beautiful city. Independent of their travel purpose, people visiting Lille want to plan activities. This is the reason why we recommend the following activities to our guests in Lille.
Visit of the Citadelle
As already mentioned, the city center of Lille does not compare to other French cities of this size, as everything is very calm. If you still want to head out of the city to gain distraction we highly recommend everyone staying in our apartment hotels in Lille to visit the Citadelle. The Citadelle is a star shaped fortress designed by Vauban in 1667. It served as a protection for the northern French boarders. Even though it is still in use, the fortress is a natural spectacle. And the best thing about it: the city center is only 15 minutes away. We wish all our guests in the apartment hotels in Lille a pleasant trip to the Citadelle!