Lille City Guide - Excursions

Roubaix: Roubaix, now the centre of mail-order shopping, is the former heart of the French textiles industry. It used to be known as the ‘city of 1,000 chimneys' and many of the old factories still stand. Don't miss La Piscine, 23 rue de l'Espérance (tel: (03) 2069 2360), a delightful art museum located in the former art deco swimming pool: the museum includes collections of paintings, sculptures, drawings, textiles, fashion, design and ceramics. Shopoholics can visit L'Usine (The Factory) a massive bargain shopping mall selling well known brands of discounts of up to 60%. For more information, contact Office du Tourisme de Roubaix, 12 place de la Liberté (tel: (03) 2065 3190; website: www.roubaixtourism.net).

Musée d'Art Moderne Lille Métropole: Located in Villeneuve d'Ascq, this is a striking museum (the building looks like a construction of Lego bricks) set in a private compound in the middle of a lovely urban park. Opened in 1983, it was designed by the architect Roland Simounet to house a prestigious collection donated in 1979 to the city of Lille by Jean Masurel, a Northern textile factory owner and patron of several modern artists from the 1950s on. Works by Léger, Derain, Braque, Picasso, Modigliani, Miró, Masson and Klee, to name but a few. 1 allée du Musée (tel: (03) 2019 6868; website: www.nordnet.fr/mam).