I really enjoyed this military area and zoo. Also really enjoyed Oasis Lille Citadelle. Great food…read moreand drinks!

be careful...i didn't know this was an active military area…read more.. i sorta ignored the humvees on the road until this french DND: do not disturb sign stopped me OOPS!~ luckily i found another entrance to the citadel through a park area with that said, i *stumbled* upon my favorite historical building in lille! the famed architect vauban nicknamed it "QUEEN of citadels" ~*~ the expansive grounds is a pentagon shaped built in the 1600s...these days there are loads of forests and riverways that surround/run through this place there are a number of dirt and paved routes that intersect this entire place i just kept thinking all my marathon friends would LOVE to run here~ ~*~ suggested activities: exercise picnic family time~ ~*~ PS. if you're lucky, you might randomly run into the resident yak! ;p

From the owner: Pour se mettre au vert' Le square Foch, avec son immense statue équestre de l'illustre Maréchal,…read moreoffre un cadre fleuri et boisé idéal pour venir se poser quelques instant sur ses bancs. On peut y admirer la statue du P'tit Quinquin, qui rappelle la célèbre berceuse d'Alexandre Desroussaux.

It's a great place to have a walk or a ride. If you turn…read morehungry after that, you have the possibility to get some energy from the Qanta restaurant. It's also ideal for running around the lake or on the little hills on the side. If your legs follow your heart, you can run through the forest and pass by the LAM to finish the ring.

The zoo in Lille is something quite fun to do when in Lille. Admission is free which is awesome…read morefor one thing. There is a cool selection of random animals including porcupines, guinea pigs, monkeys, lamas, and more. My favorite was the peacocks that just walk around zoo wherever they please. This is not the most amazing zoo of course, but it's fun and somewhere that you can be with locals and not feel like such a tourist.

The real highlight here is the Gibbons. Whether running and swinging athletically or marking their…read moreterritory with such an unusual sound I originally though must come from a large bird, these little guys are fascinating. So much so that I came back to the zoo again during my visit. And I would have come back a third time if they hadn't closed for the winter. But they reopen again soon and I would recommend a visit. The zoo is not extensivebut it is free entry so it is never going to compete with larger zoos. They have some really cool animals though. Besides the gibbons I loved the cute and adorable Mouse Deer, which can be found in the tropical section. My first thought was what is a baby dear doing in here? I had no idea this was the fully grown animal. The red panda is cool toonot at all like the pandas you may be more familiar with though. Well worth a visit if you are in Lille. The place is free and fairly central. There is real no excuse not to. The only downside was the amount of English school trips that seemed to be skulking around.

From the owner: Un îlot de calme et de verdure Derrière l'Hôtel de Ville, ce tout petit square très fleuri et…read moreparticulièrement bien aménagé a le rare mérite d'être vraiment calme. De plus, on peut profiter d'un arrêt dans ce lieu pour admirer la charmante chapelle du Fort du Réduit qui est visible du square.