From the owner: En plein centre Cette église de style gothique fut édifié en cinq siècles! Elle est composée de…read morecinq nefs de hauteur égale (ce qui est rare)et ornée d'une dizaine de toiles de dimension importante de Van Oost et d'une petite toile anonyme plus ancienne représentant Saint Maurice.

From the owner: Une église toute en rondeurs Cette église, inscrite dans l'enceinte établie par Vauban après 1667,…read moredoit sa silhouette curieuse à un espace central circulaire entouré de bas-côtés en forme d'anneau. Surprenante, elle mélange renaissance flamande (décoration du ch'ur), Grèce antique (élévation de la coupole, ordres doriques et ioniques) et style baroque (ailes de la façade).

After we had dropped off our bags we decided to go for a bit of a wander around Lille and, and we…read morehad previously walked past this rather large church so we decided to step inside to have a look around. Well, as you can expect this place was pretty impressive, but then again this is something that I have basically come to expect of most churches in on the continent, especially the larger ones. In a way this was similar to many of the other cathedrals that I had wondered into, but that didn't mean that it was any less stunning. Like many of these older Cathedrals the architecture was stunning, as was the interior art and decorations. It was a fantastic place to spend some time.

From the owner: Au C'ur de la ville 'uvre de Jules Batigny, cette église catholique fut construite entre 1875 et…read more1926. A l'intérieur, on peut notamment admirer une splendide chaire et, dans la chapelle inaugurée en juin 1890, de magnifiques vitraux classés monuments historiques, exécutés à Chartres d'après les dessins du peintre valenciennois H.Crauck.

Well, this was different - it was a cathedral, but one designed using modern architectural…read moretechniques, and designing the interior art using modern art techniques. I have to admit that it does break away from the norm that you tend to see scattered across the continent, and a part of me was wondering whether it was rebuilt due to the original building being destroyed in the war. Well, it seemed as if this wasn't necessarily the case, and rather it was basically somewhat new building that was developed on its own. Personally, I didn't like it, but that was because I wasn't really all that sure of what to expect, but also because I tend to prefer the traditional buildings.

From the owner: Piquante alliance du gothique et du contemporain Edifiée au XIXème siècle sur le modèle de…read morel'édifice gothique idéal, cette cathédrale attendit plus d'un siècle pour se voir dotée de sa façade. Celle-ci, originale et novatrice, est constituée de marbre tenu par un réseau de haubans métalliques et orné d'une rosace de l'artiste Ladislas Kijno.

In Lille, one of the more touristy places is Notre Dame de la Treille, but Égliste Saint Maurice…read moreis, in my opinion, way more beautiful and way more interesting and authentic. Walking in you'll feel like you've gone back in time. Each stained glass window and work of art has a detailed history and they have done a very nice job of making sure each visitor understands it all. I cannot recommend enough making a stop in here and just taking a look around. I stumbled upon this by accident while walking, and I am so glad that I went in (and I'm not a very religious person!)

From the owner: Une église champêtre? Si l'église Saint Maurice des Champs, élevée en 1860, tourne le dos à sa…read morevoisine Notre-Dame de Fives, c'est en raison d'une vieille querelle de quartiers. En effet, Fives, à dominante ouvrière, et Saint Maurice, quartier résidentiel, ne faisaient pas bon ménage et ne voulaient pas mélanger leurs paroissiens.

From the owner: Classé monument historique Cette église dédiée à Sainte Catherine d'Alexandrie, a abrité tout au…read morelong du XIXème siècle la statue de Notre-Dame de la Treille. C'est un édifice à l'architecture de type "hallekerke" comme de nombreuses églises flamandes: trois nefs d'égale hauteur et absence de transept. L'Eglise Sainte CAtherine accueille souvent des concerts classiques.

Since it carries the name Bourse it suggests that this used to the the former stock exchange,…read morethough considering that were are now in France I would have thought that the Stock Exchange would have been located in Paris. However, what this place actually is is a market place, and when we wandered through here on Sunday discovered that all of the regional booksellers had descended upon the town to begin selling their wares. Basically you could find quite a number of second-hand French books as well as numerous posters and other things (such as records). There are also a number of shops around the outside that are basically regular shops, but if you are looking for a bargain then definitely step inside and have a bit of a look around.

A brilliant building to check out in the middle of Lille. Inside there is also a book market and…read moresome art works sold which is quite a wonderful use of space in the Old Stock Exchange!