Lille’s architecture blends the 16th-century cobbled streets typical of old Flanders and the imposing fortress and parks of Louis XIV’s France with converted former factories now serving as modern cultural venues. Here history refuses to stand still, and the city has not stopped finding new ways to celebrate its traditions, routinely toasting contemporary innovations. Being elected European Capital of Culture in 2004 led to Lille becoming one of France’s most cultural and artistic cities – and arguably its party capital too. With Bradt’s Lille, dance a Sunday-night tango with strangers in a Renaissance cloister, or order onion soup at dawn. You can admire France’s best art collection outside Paris, attend a biennial international arts festival or head for the amazing museums and sites in nearby towns, linked by an excellent metro and tram network. Or venture beyond the city to discover the patchwork of history that characterises northern France, from Henry V’s battle of Agincourt to World War I trenches and the beaches of Dunkirk.