Located in a 19th-century building on Place de la République in the capital of Hauts-de-France, the Lille Museum of Fine Arts is the second biggest Fine Arts museum in France in terms of the number of exhibits on display.
Among its prestigious collections are a Middle Ages and Renaissance department, European paintings (Rubens, Goya, Van Dyck, Delacroix, etc.), French paintings and sculptures from the 19th century (Courbet, Puvis de Chavannes, David, Carpeaux, Rodin, Claudel, etc.), a magnificent collection of ceramics from the 17th and 18th centuries, a room of drawings including some by Raphael… The extent of the collections makes the Lille Palace of Fine Arts one of France's most extensive museums.
Civil and military architecture enthusiasts can admire the relief maps of fifteen or so towns fortified by Vauban in the North of France and in Belgium.
All year round, the Museum of Fine Arts offers a very extensive programme of cultural events and activities: exhibitions, conferences, workshops for adults and children, touch-screen tablet tours for families, etc.
Tip: there are trails lasting 30, 45 or 60 minutes (the number of exhibits varies depending on the option chosen), providing an overview or themed tour of the museum, according to the amount of time that the visitor has to spare. Visitors can also explore the museum independently with a mobile app and video guides.
To complete the visit, there is also a book and gift shop, and the Café du Palais in the museum's atrium is also open to those not visiting the museum.
