Tramway de Lille

The Tramway de Lille is a tramway system located around the city of Lille, France. It is often called the Mongy, after Alfred Mongy, the engineer who created the the interurban lines that make up the current system.

The current tram system consists of two interurban tram lines, connecting central Lille to the nearby communities of Roubaix and Tourcoing, and has 45 stops. The lines were built at the same time as the boulevards linking Lille to its two neighbours, and the lines run on reserved track within the boulevards for most of their length.

The first tram line in Lille was built 1874, and the electrification of the town system started in 1897. The current interurban lines were built in 1909. While most urban lines in Lille were abandoned after 1950, the Mongy remained in service as the backbone of the public transport network of the TCC, the predecessor of Transpole. Whilst the expansion of the Metro initially threatened the trams, they were kept in service.

The line originally terminated in the street outside the Opera House in Lille, but was diverted into a tunnel and underground terminus at the Gare de Lille-Flandres, thus offering interchange with both lines of the Metro. The line was renovated between 1991 and 1994, and new low floor trams were provided. The lines are built to metre gauge and are electrifed at 750 volts DC.

The tram system is operated by Transpole, the public transport operator for the Lille Métropole. Transpole also operates the Lille Metro (a two line underground and elevated VAL system) and 68 urban bus routes, all of which share a common ticketing system.

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A Long Weekend in Lille

For those seeking the French experience for a few days we found Lille to be a good choice. It is neither so large as to be impersonal nor so small as to lack facilities. It is but two hours by Eurostar from London to Gare Lille Europe. The Metro station is nearby and provides a fast service to much of the town. It also connects to the comfortable overground tram service.

Lille had its early beginnings in 1030 as a little town surrounding the castle of Buc. It suffered hostilities during the 13th and 14th centuries having been destroyed, rebuilt, besieged and retaken. By the end of the 14th century the town came under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Burgundy and prospered until 1667 when it was besieged by the French in war with Spain. Further reversals occurred in the 20th century but now it is a peaceful and prosperous town

We made an early visit to the tourist office by Gare Rihour for maps and services. It is open from 9.30 until 6.30 PM except Sundays and Bank holidays when it closes at 5 PM. The Lille Métropole City Pass, which includes day tickets for the metro, tram and bus services, costs 18 euros for one day, 30 euros for two days and 45 euros for three days. The Pass provides entrance to some 32 tourist sites and reduced admission to theaters. To make the purchase worthwhile be sure that at least two are open on the days you travel. Alternatively a one day travel pass costs 3.50 euros. Minibus tours of the city (included in the pass) leave outside the tourist office on the hour. A two hour guided tour of the Old City leaves at 2.30 PM on Saturdays.

The Palais des Beaux Arts is a short walk away. It is near the station of that name, and is considered the second most important Fine Arts Museum in France, after the Louvre. It is a nineteenth century building with extensive galleries containing an impressive array of paintings. Artists include Rubens, Goya and Van Dyck amongst many others. A large collection of 17th and 18th century ceramics from many European countries is housed in the basement. A further gallery is devoted to 19th century French sculpture. An unusual feature is the set of 18th century models of the countryside during various phases of the town's development.

We relaxed at a cafe in the nearby pedestrian precinct. It was welcome after touring the museum. It is the place to watch the world go by. If the cafes are full then the restaurants will serve you coffee except at lunchtime.

From the Citadel it is a short walk to the river. We had to wait for the riverboat tour, which was included in our City pass and so visited the nearby zoo, admission was free. The boat, which started from the lock, did not arrive until a few minutes before the advertised time. The hour-long tour takes you past the zoo and on to the Canal de la Deûle where commercial shipping still operates.

The Conservatoire de Lille by Rue Colos is opposite the Palais de Justice. In consideration of the public providing an audience, recitals by the students are free. The program of events is posted on the notice board; it may be necessary to book a ticket for popular events. We were lucky to attend a free concert given by the Conservatoire at the Theater Sébastopol in Rue Solférino. It was evidently an occasion to give students practical experience. It was a popular occasion, justified by the very high standard of the orchestra.

On the other side of the Palais de Justice is The Musée de l'Hospice Comtesse. It was formerly a hospital founded in 1237 by Jeanne de Constantinople. It now displays work by Flemish, Dutch and French artists.

The shopping precinct by the station has more than 140 boutiques, restaurants and snack bars, and a hypermarket, but in old Lille we found little courtyards, vaulted cellars and terrace cafes. The Flemish town houses in pink brick and white stone are home to many famous names in haute couture and fashion.

There are numerous restaurants offering food of every nationality. The excellent guide to restaurants, bars and discothèques is free from the tourist office. We went on an offer, by a national newspaper in conjunction with Eurostar, which included a selection of hotels.

Copyright Derrick Grover
A selection of photographs of Lille can be found at: http://www.trv.demon.co.uk/plil.htm
Further topics and photographs at: http://www.travoto.com

Derrick Grover has travelled extensively. His experiences of backpacking round the world in the 1960's have given way to the more comfortable modes of travel reflected in his various published articles. He is also an experienced photographer and supplies high quality images to support his writing. He has had 39 photographs published to date. Panoramic photographs are produced by meshing several standard photographs together.

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The Citadel of Lille

The Citadel of Lille (French: Citadelle de Lille; Dutch: Citadel van Rijsel) is a pentagon-shaped citadel of the city wall ofLille, in France. It was built around 1668. It hosts the Corps de réaction rapide France.

Dubbed "Queen of the citadels" (Reine des citadelles) by Vauban, it is one of the most notable citadels designed by Vauban. The citadel was part of a double line of fortified towns of Gravelines, Dunkirk and Maubeuge-Rocroi. It was famous pré carré ("square field"), conceived by Vauban comprising 28 fortified cities.

Starting from Lille, Vauban supervised the construction of the many citadels and channels of the North, which controlled the border between France and Belgium.

Why not hire a car?

The best way to get to Lille is via rail connection from Brussels, London or Paris. You could also fly in but the airport is largely for domestic flights though it does have connections to Munich, Milan and Venice.

Once here though, the easiest way to get around and explore the surrounding countryside is to hire a car. The city has 2 subway lines that largely connect the city centre to the suburbs and there are buses to both Roubaix and Tourcoing. Other than this there are no significant public transport options in the area.

Just remember driving is on the right and priority goes to drivers entering a junction from the right. Most of the roads you will come across are of the highest quality and the motorways can be tolled but are a very efficient way of travelling between cities. You could choose to travel off the motorway and this can be rewarded with breathtaking countryside scenery but some roads are a bit like mazes so its best to be prepared with maps and/or a GPS system.

Mairead Foley writes for http://www.Novacarhire.com/ where you can book car hire at airports, ferry ports, rail stations, cities and towns all over the world.

Visit Novacarhire.com for all you need to know before you take to the roads in France, like where to go and what to see with your car hire. Book your Car hire Lille now.

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What to see in the Lille area?

Lille lies in the 4th largest metropolitan area in France. This area is made up of Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing, as well as their suburbs. Tourcoing is an interesting place to visit with such sights as the Church of Saint Christopher, which dates from the 15th/16th century and is considered an excellent example of Neo-Gothic architecture; it also has an 80 metre tall bell tower with 80 bells.

Lille is the capital of the Nord Department which stretches from the northern tip of France as far as Picardy, along the Belgian border.

Dunkirk is located just a short 80km drive from Lille along the E42. It has a very strategic location and as the 3rd largest port in France has changed hands numerous times throughout history. During WWII roughly 1/3 of a million French and British troops escaped across the English Channel to safety. This is sometimes referred to as the Miracle of Dunkirk. As well as having a rich heritage, Dunkirk has fantastic shopping options and is well worth a day trip.

Just a few dozen kilometres along the coast is Calais. This is the closest point between France and the Island of Great Britain which is just a mere 32 kms away. If you're lucky on a clear day you can even see the White Cliffs of Dover! Calais is a popular spot for British tourists as it's easy to get to by both ferry and via the Channel Tunnel - and the tax is lower as well.

Other towns worth visiting in the Nord Department include the commune of Valenciennes, located about 40km in the other direction. It's home to the Dodenne Tower, the La Maison Espagnole and the Notre-Dame du Saint-Cordon. Also to the south there is Douai which is worth visiting solely for the Bell Tower which was built in the 14th century.

You could always nip over the border and visit Belgium. This part of Belgium is home to cities such as Mons (host town of the Doudou Festival held annually on Trinity Sunday) and Charleroi. And since the area is French speaking make sure you keep your French phrase book handy!

By Mairead Foley
Mairead Foley writes for http://www.Novacarhire.com/ where you can book car hire at airports, ferry ports, rail stations, cities and towns all over the world.

Visit Novacarhire.com for all you need to know before you take to the roads in France, like where to go and what to see with your car hire. Book your Car hire Lille now.

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Driving in Lille, France

Lille is a vibrant and modern city - the fourth largest in France and the main city in the region to the north of Paris. The rail connection and the Industrial Revolution really helped establish Lille as a developed city and the large coal deposits and textile industry contributed as well.

Large sections of the city were destroyed during WWI and later during the great depression the city's population took a major hit economically. In WWII the Lille was captured very early in the war and again was very quickly liberated after D-Day. Today the city has one of the largest student populations in France. There are many universities with different disciplines and it's a popular place for foreign students. It was the birthplace of Charles de Gaulle in 1890 and, today, there's a university in the city named after him.

There's much to see and do in the city centre including a descent number of museums to wander around. These include the Musée des Beaux-Arts (the second largest fine arts museum in France after the Louvre), the Museum of Natural History (home to a large collection of mammals, insects and fossils), the Musée de l'Hospice Comtesse (formerly a hospital but is now an art museum) and the Musée d'Art et d' Industrie de Roubaix: La Piscine (modern art museum displayed in an Art Deco setting).

The historic centre of Lille (Old Quarter or Vieux Lille) is well worth checking out with its narrow, winding cobblestone streets, chic little cafes and restaurants. It's also home to the Cathédrale Notre Dame de la Treille.

Lillie also boasts some beautifully set squares, the largest of which is Place du Général-de-Gaulle (aka Grand place). Here you'll find the fountain, La Grande Déesse and a number of historic houses surround the square including the HQ of the Flemish newspaper La Voix du Nord.

Another square located nearby is the Place du Théâtre which is home to many fantastic historic buildings such as the Opera House and the Chamber of Commerce. Located between the Place du Théâtre and the Grand'place is the La Vieille Bourse - the site of the former commercial exchange. Other squares worth visiting include the Place Rihour, where the tourist information centre is located.

One of the most impressive features of the city is la Citadelle. This was built by Louis XIV and its main entrance is situated opposite the historic centre.

Lille is also a shopper's paradise. Like all other major European cities it has loads of department stores as well as quaint little French boutiques.

By Mairead Fole

Mairead Foley writes for http://www.Novacarhire.com/ where you can book car hire at airports, ferry ports, rail stations, cities and towns all over the world.

Visit Novacarhire.com for all you need to know before you take to the roads in France, like where to go and what to see with your car hire. Book your Car hire Lille now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mairead_Foley

Photo of the Vieille Bourse in Lille, France. (view from the Grand Place )