- Wattrelos, green city: It is also said to Wattrelos it is a "country town", a green city. Several reasons:
- Wattrelos has long been rural: In the middle of the 19th century, Wattrelos was an agglomeration of 23 hamlets with many farms (120 in 1876). Of the 1,300 hectares of the municipality in 1000 were devoted to plowing. It even happened that the Mayor write to the prefect, advising that the City Council meeting was canceled due to harvest! The decline of agriculture in Wattrelos was slow, the town continues to believe the "miracle of the earth", the beginning of an inexorable slippage in neighboring municipalities. Diversification of activities between still in character, but the traditional way: the rows of houses, built by the richest farmers, appear at the edge of fields and house looms that work in the off season regarding men; continuously for women and girls. These houses are equipped with double doors, which is to Wattrelosiens a nickname still used today: the "scopes in two" (the bottom of the door is left closed showed that half of the body of the inhabitant) . Today, few farms still survive in Wattrelos but they counted on the fingers of one hand ... This particular rural past is re-enacted at the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of Wattrelos, itself housed in a former farm 96, rue Francois Mériaux, whose entrance is free and which receives about 12,000 visitors a year.
- A neighborhood so special: To the east of the city on an area larger than a city neighborhood like Beaulieu, extends the area of the country Plouys, the last vestige of jealously guarded what was Wattrelos. A district which includes five villages: the Plouys, the Martelotte, the New World, the New Rich and Despite Everything, which can be added by two nearby hamlets further: the Carluyère and Bourde. Composed solely of fields and Flemish houses, this is a typical area where people are interdependent (the neighborhood association includes fully half of the families of that neighborhood!) And very satisfied with their living environment despite the lack of shops , school, public service ... The hall was rebuilt in 2005, is very useful!
- A green lung in the city center: The Lion Park, a place dedicated to relaxation and leisure, is a realization classified Groundscare Metropolitan whose first sod was given in 1978: 43 acres of greenery in the city center , a unique case in the metropolis! It includes: a loop walk 1 km (marked terminal every 100 meters valuable for the identification of joggers) or 1.350 km, 17 acres of lawn for outdoor games, two playgrounds for small children, mini golf, an authentic educational farm home to many animals, a covered picnic, a fishing pond in white 3.3 hectares, a playroom tradition (housing two tracks playing Bourles) of no archery pole secure a site on archery target and a BMX track. The Lion Park echoes two other public parks, of course smaller at the ends of the city: Beaulieu Park, all in length, and the Park Villas.
- Wattrelos flower city: Wattrelos is a town in bloom all year. It features two panels of flowers on her entrance to the city. 105,000 flowers (65 000 for the summer and 40 000 for the winter) are produced by the municipal greenhouses, with a computer management climate. Some 1,200 m² of flower beds, 135 movable wooden planters, window boxes fixed 65 and 550 suspensions decorate part of life in neighborhoods. Very long time, Wattrelos also organizes a flower market, which occupies all the Grand Place during the weekend of Mother's Day.
- Over the water ... Wattrelos is also bordered to the southwest, by the Roubaix canal. This is a popular place for fishermen, hikers and joggers who find peace and a unusual flora and fauna in the city (of diurnal and nocturnal raptors, herons, woodpeckers, cormorants and kingfishers by instance. In channel: perch, tench, carp, pike ...). This channel, which leaves Wattrelos for Belgium, flows into the Scheldt.
- Wattrelos, young city: Wattrelos is a young city, one of the youngest of Lille. Nearly 60% of its inhabitants are under 40 years. Not surprisingly, the city focused much of its efforts towards children - and therefore their parents.
- Culture for awake and wonder: Wattrelos has set for a good ten years of cultural programming quarterly quality, and reasonable rates, accessible to all. So many shows "young people" who are full of spectators at almost every show is free for under 18.
- The Childhood of Art: over ten years, the City organizes a festival of shows for children in kindergarten and elementary, every spring for a month. Shows very high quality (theater, dance, concerts, musical stories, etc..) Are offered to students who come to attend with their teachers, and have the opportunity to bring their parents during the evening sessions for all ages.
- The Conservatory of Music Wattrelos is one of the most famous of the region. With 650 students (as young as 7 years), it is a pool of musicians for musical wattrelosienne Union, ranked among the 36 best bands from France.
- The multimedia library has a well developed youth sector ... and busy (loan book, music, activities for children, etc..).
- The Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions organizes guided tours for schools and adults.
- Sport: healthy mind, healthy body.
- As for culture, Wattrelos wants his children to the sport of their choice without financial constraints. Thus, no professional team football or basketball, but a maximum of subjects (over 35) for a maximum of practitioners with nearly 1000 young athletes receive a partial refund of the cost of their license (fixed municipal assistance to 38 €).
- The municipal school sports, framed by sports graduates territorial state, offers football, handball, swimming, basketball, cycling, fencing, etc.. Children with the opportunity to try to free the practice of several sports and so, choose one that best suits them before signing a license.
- The list of sports that make up the City is impressive: 13 sports halls (including a tennis complex with indoor and outdoor courts), three gymnasiums, 8 football pitches (including a synthetic grass), an athletics track, a pool, a games room tradition, two dojos, a gym and fighting two sites reserved at archery and BMX bikes, and a City of Sports dedicated to combat sports, fencing .. . and football since the break equip this building adjacent to football field of the street where the Amedee-Prouvost CORT was crowned champion of France Division 1 in 1947.
- The gyms of the town often offer workshops baby gym for kids, in the same spirit, the city opened to the public swimming pool in a niche Beaulieu water garden where parents can learn about their baby (when the age of 1 year) to the element of water with the help of lifeguards.
- The facilities offered to parents: Who says kids ... parents said. Wattrelosiens parents have a number of care facilities or enjoy a wide range of entertainment for their children outside school hours.
- Wattrelos, digital city: Because they are our present and our future course, new information technology and communication to Wattrelos found fertile ground. The City has received three ampersands right the first time after filing his candidacy for obtaining the label National City Internet issued by the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Cohesion.
- From 2000 to 2003, all public school groups have been equipped by the City of computing platforms. That is to say, for each school group: 15 computers networked and connected to the internet, webcams, scans, digital cameras ...
- The multimedia library has its own website: it is possible to consult the catalog of books, CDs, CD-Roms, etc.. online and even book them.
- Wattrelos, city of festivals: Historically, Wattrelos is a city of festivals. The reasons are mainly historical and sociological
- Historically: the town, very rural at first, lived to the rhythm of seasonal celebrations (harvest festival, for example). By industrializing the later (relative to its neighbors Roubaix and Tourcoing), this spirit has survived, particularly in the areas which are very attached Wattrelosiens (many ducasses, flea markets, many committees festivals, folk groups, festive proposed by trade unions of neighborhoods ...).
- Sociologically: Wattrelos is a city where generations are renewed, forming a community (sometimes referred to humorously as "the biggest village in France"). Many young people who want to stay ... or returning after some years. But the festival is a great way to meet, share, live the spirit of "belonging".
- The festival is undoubtedly the most identity Berlouffes's Day (in dialect rags, cloths), huge garage sale - one of the largest north of Paris - created 30 years ago. This flea has the distinction of being exclusively for amateurs. The Berlouffes welcome every second Sunday of September hundreds of thousands of bargain hunters and visitors (2,500 slots, 16 km of sidewalks!). Its success is that it is a participatory event: created by Wattrelosiens for Wattrelosiens, the population is appropriate and what is it that makes it live (with the help of the Municipality, of course). The festival is so well known that Wattrelos was named by the regional media "quoted Berlouffes".
- The Carnival: imported from Germany (more precisely Eschweiler, one of six sister cities Wattrelos) and created in conjunction with the festival of Berlouffes, Wattrelos carnival is one of the largest in the region . It takes place in April. Associational life has developed around the event (Brotherhood of the Carnival, creating a dozen folk groups), and a ritual (election of a Prince of the carnival, evenings of folk groups in the weeks preceding the event ...). The associations of the town, encouraged by the Municipality to participate in a number procession which also attracts international folk groups (Belgium, the Netherlands) ... and even one or more bands that meet at Dunkirk Wattrelos some sweet madness Dunkirk.
- Wattrelos is also a city of flea markets and ducasses. Legacy of the past, they affect all parts of the city, almost throughout the year.
- In neighborhoods, a party is more than a century: Day Plouys, in summer, organized by residents of the five hamlets of this "campaign Wattrelos side", between Beaulieu, Leers and the Belgian border. Sport and marvelous atmosphere in the program.
- The Allumoirs as Berlouffes and carnival, have been taken over by the Municipality there is a little over 25 years. It is a festival rather unifying, very popular with young children and takes place simultaneously in all parts of the city. A parade of lanterns carried a small path behind a music company, before the final distribution of sweets. These processions are under the responsibility of the various committees of the parties, themselves coordinated by the City.
- The Christmas market offers, indoor (hall Salengro), thirty cottages and numerous events in mid-December. Every year on December 24 to 18h, Santa rappels from the steeple of St. Maclou and distributing candy to children.
