60-Second Geography

Lille, France

Lille with Back-Roads Touring

• Lille is located near the northernmost tip of France, between the English Channel and the country of Belgium. It has the fifth largest metropolitan population of France, with approximately 1,015,744 residents. The city has gone through many changes over the years. It was invaded by the Vikings around 830 AD, a place of battle in 1054, ruled by Jeanne Countess of Flanders around 1214, taken by the Nazis in 1914, and freed by Allied forces in 1918. Modern Lille is a hub for textile production and the fashion industry, currently on the rise to becoming the fashion capital of the world. Though most sites that will be mentioned in this article are within walking distance of where the traveler is likely staying, the metro is reliable and easy to follow.

• The sites travelers must see in Lille are numerous. Its city centre is a must for the traveler to check out. The main square in the city centre, the Place du General de Gaulle, is surrounded by historic houses and contains a fountain with a large goddess in the center. The Flemish architecture, a creative and solid style with minimal flash, combines with a hint of French flare in the two to three story houses stacked next each other. This area dubbed the old city, the Le Vieux Lille, the traveler will find history, boutiques, art galleries, cafes and restaurants.

• Just outside the city of Lille, the traveler will find the remnants and markers of World War I. This great war took a toll on front that held back Nazi forces, and the traveler can see for themselves the memorials and battlefields that honor the dead. Ypres, northwest of Lille in Belgium, the traveler will find the In Flanders Fields Museum. This museum stands to educate people about the price of peace and war, with exhibits that tell the story of the invasion and subsequent liberation of the area from Nazi forces. Also around Ypres are battlefields that the traveler can see firsthand. Fromelles, west of Lille in France, is an area that maintains the Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery. This cemetery is the final resting place of 250 British and Australian soldiers who died on July 19, 1916 in the Battle of Fromelles. Further southwest of Lille is the small town of Villers-Bretonneux, home to the National War Museum. This museum and memorial is a military cemetery honoring Australians that died defending Villers-Bretonneux from the Nazis in 1916-1918. There is no better way to honor the fallen of the first great war than to see and learn about why they gave their lives for future peace – not to mention the culture, food, and good times of touring the Flemish-influenced parts of northern France.

Lille is a city on the rise, as young people bring a cultural wake newness to a historically forgotten city. The people are considered to be generous and warm, making the backdrop of beautiful buildings all the more pleasurable to visit. That’s why Back-Roads Touring wants to show the traveler Lille and the “back-roads” of France’s overlooked areas.

The Australian War Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux commemorates the battle of 24/25 April 1918, when Australian and Commonwealth Soldiers liberated the town. In front of it lie the graves of over 770 Australian soldiers, as well as those of other Commonwealth soldiers. Since 2008 it has been the site of the special ANZAC Day dawn service. Experience this unique event on our six-day ANZAC tour departing 23 April 2019 and join fellow countrymen and local townspeople to remember those who fought during the Great War at one its most poignant sites.

THE BACK-ROADS DIFFERENCE

Take time to pay your respects at relatives’ graves. Witness the ANZAC Day Dawn Service on April departures. Hear the Last Post at Ypres.

This WWI Battlefields tour allows visitors to see the major areas of British and Commonwealth involvement across the Western Front. Most importantly, the trip offers flexibility to ensure that visitors from all countries will see the memorials to their country’s fallen.

THE BACK-ROADS DIFFERENCE

Take time to pay your respects at relatives’ graves. Tour Vimy Ridge trenches and tunnels. Hear the Last Post at Ypres.