Visit Lille · Rainy day
What to do in Lille when it rains
Most of the best places in Lille are under cover. And if the rain really won't ease, the spa is a quarter of an hour away.
Rain is no problem in Lille: a wet day often becomes the chance to do what you put off in fine weather — to linger in a museum, lunch at length, leaf through books in a café.
The museums, first
The Palais des Beaux-Arts is the first instinct: Flemish and French painting, and in the basement the relief maps of fortified towns. An hour minimum, more if you immerse yourself.
La Piscine in Roubaix (20 min from Lille by metro) is perhaps the most singular museum in the region — a reconverted Art Deco swimming pool, where the glass roof lets in a fine light even on a grey day.
The LaM in Villeneuve-d'Ascq rounds out the offering with a collection of modern, contemporary and art-brut works, in a park. The Hospice Comtesse, right in Vieux-Lille, offers a shorter, more historical visit.
The city-centre shelters
The courtyard of the Vieille Bourse hosts an afternoon book market: you're under cover beneath the baroque galleries, among the second-hand booksellers. On Sunday mornings, the covered hall of the Wazemmes market lets you enjoy the market even in the rain.
To stay dry on the shopping side, the centre is not short of arcades. The Euralille arcades, near the stations, are a handy fallback — practical more than charming. More central, the Printemps, just behind the Grand'Place, and above all the Furet du Nord, on the Grand'Place — one of the largest bookshops in Europe — are excellent options for a late afternoon under cover.
The tables and the pauses
An estaminet in Vieux-Lille on a grey day is an experience in itself: soft light, wooden tables, welsh and bière de garde. For a sweet pause, Méert and its historic tea room, rue Esquermoise, are worth the stop.
The fallback to Maison La Vesée
If the rain settles in for good, the boutique residence offers the simplest alternative: the bookable private spa — hot tub, sauna — is exactly the kind of afternoon a rainy day calls for. Available year-round, fifteen minutes from Lille.
Frequently asked questions
In practice.
Are the museums of Lille open on Sundays?
Yes, most of them. The Palais des Beaux-Arts, La Piscine and the LaM open on Sundays. Many close on Monday or Tuesday — check before setting out.
Is there a museum pass?
Yes. The Lille City Pass (24h, 48h or 72h, from €25) gives access to many sites across the metropolis. For museums and art centres alone, the annual La C'Art membership covers about fifteen venues.
What to do with children in the rain?
La Piscine in Roubaix fascinates with its setting, the Palais des Beaux-Arts has a section suited to children. The city-centre shopping arcades also help out for a late afternoon under cover.
For fine days, see the walks and nature around Lille, or the museums of the metropolis.
