* Lille: Capital of French Flanders

The old and the new rub shoulders in the lovely city of Lille. Group travel in the ancient capital of French Flanders, then centre of textile manufacturing and coal mining in the 18th century. Lille has emerged from its industrial past to become Northern France’s largest metropolis with a rich cultural heritage and a delightfully restored and rejuvenated town centre.

3 days / 245 km

Ref: 11B219

Dates

February , March , April , May , June , July , August , September , October , November , December

D1 Lewarde Mining Centre (120 km)

Lunch of the group in Lewarde. Visit the historic Mining Centre with a retired miner as your guide, and plunge into the history of coal-mining in the North. Dinner of the group and overnight.

D2 Lille and the Flanders Hills (100 km)

Guided tour of Lille starting in the historic centre with its lovely old buildings around the Grand’Place, and going on to the Euralille district, home to an ultra-modern business centre and shopping complex right by the Eurostar terminal, Lille Europe. The Corbusier viaduct leading from the station overlooks the wide-open spaces of the Matisse Park. Local style lunch then on via the Flanders hills to Bailleul to admire the Flemish architecture and visit a local brewery for some beer tasting. Dinner of the group and overnight.

D3 Flanders Textile Museum (25 km)

Direction Roubaix to visit the Flanders Textile Museum and discover two centuries’ history of textile making in the company of former weavers. Lunch of the group.