Lille Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille)
The Basics
Notre Dame de la Treille stands on the site of a much older church that was destroyed during the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. The original building had sheltered a statue of the Virgin Mary known as Our Lady of Treille–believed to have miraculous powers–for some 600 years, and the new cathedral was named in her honour. Building work on the gothic-revival-style church began in the 1850s, but was not fully finished until the mid 1990s. You can learn more about the cathedral and its history on a guided walking tour of Lille.
Things to Know Before You Go
- The cathedral is wheelchair accessible.
- There are eight chapels with different scenes that depict the lives of Jesus Christ and his followers.
- Make sure you turn around once inside to see the translucent marble facade above the entrance glowing orange in the daylight.
How to Get There
The cathedral is located at Place Gilleson, in the oldest part of Lille, north of the modern city center. It’s a 10-minute walk from the main train station Lille-Flandres, where both intercity trains and the Eurostar arrive and depart. The closest metro stations are Lille-Flandres and Rihour. Lille also operations a bike-sharing system with stops around the city.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The cathedral is open every day from 10am–12pm and 2pm–7pm. It’s not usually crowded. The cathedral sometimes holds concerts in the afternoons or evenings for paying visitors.
Visit the Palais des Beaux Arts
Stroll towards the city center from the cathedral and you’ll pass by the Palais des Beaux Arts (Lille Museum of Fine Arts). With paintings by Reubens, Monet, and Manet, as well as Greek and Roman artifacts, the museum's huge collection covers a lot of ground. There’s something here for art lovers of every kind.
- Things to do in Nord-Pas de Calais
- Things to do in Bruges
- Things to do in Brussels
- Things to do in Zaventem
- Things to do in Dordrecht
- Things to do in Rotterdam
- Things to do in Marne-la-Vallée
- Things to do in Paris
- Things to do in Amsterdam
- Things to do in Horley
- Things to do in Stansted Mountfitchet
- Things to do in Luxembourg City
- Things to do in Deauville City
- Things to do in Flanders
- Things to do in South Holland
- Hospice Comtesse Museum (Musée de l'Hospice Comtesse)
- Lille Old Town (Vieux Lille)
- Grand Place
- Museum of the Gunners in Lille (Musée des Canonniers Sédentaires de Lille)
- Birthplace of Charles de Gaulle (Maison Natale de Charles de Gaulle)
- Lille Town Hall and Belfry (Beffroi de l'Hôtel de Ville de Lille)
- Lille Natural History Museum (Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille)
- Lille Museum of Fine Arts (Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille)
- Science Forum (Forum Departmental Des Sciences)
- Lille Métropole Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art (LAM)
- Villa Cavrois
- Le Fresnoy National Studio for Contemporary Arts (Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains)
- La Piscine Museum (Musée d'Art et d’Industrie André Diligent)
- La Manufacture de Roubaix
- Maison Folie Hospice d'Havré