Euro 2016: Lille city guide

"Lille is well renowned for its friendliness and strong cultural and architectural links. Located in northern France, Lille has a large university population and is a city based on Flemish influences due to its close proximity to the Belgian border. The city bases itself on its 17th century architecture which can be seen across the city, especially in the city centre and Grand Place which homes the iconic war memorial in a square surrounded by its historic buildings. The city also boasts fantastic transport networks, particularly its railways which make the city somewhat of an international hub. The city is set to host six games throughout Euro 2016 which will include four group matches, followed by a Round of 16 fixture and one of the Quarter Finals. "
Published by
27th Apr 2016

Lille is well renowned for its friendliness and strong cultural and architectural links. Located in northern France, Lille has a large university population and is a city based on Flemish influences due to its close proximity to the Belgian border.

 

The city bases itself on its 17th century architecture which can be seen across the city, especially in the city centre and Grand Place which homes the iconic war memorial in a square surrounded by its historic buildings.

The city also boasts fantastic transport networks, particularly its railways which make the city somewhat of an international hub.

The city is set to host six games throughout UEFA Euro 2016 which will include four group matches, followed by a Round of 16 fixture and one of the Quarter Finals.

The city will host some of Europe’s best teams during the competition at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Germany and Italy are both to play one of their group matches there, as well as the hosts, France who will play Switzerland in Lille.

 

Fixtures in Lille:

Group C: Germany v Ukraine - Sunday 12th June - 20:00

Group B: Russia v Slovakia - Wednesday 15th June - 14:00

Group A: Switzerland v France - Sunday 19th June - 20:00

Group E: Italy v Republic of Ireland - Wednesday 22nd June - 20:00

Round of 16: Group C Winner v 3rd Place Group A/B/F - Sunday 26th June - 20:00

Quarter-Final: W38 v W42 - Friday 1st July - 20:00

 

*Kick-off times are UK GMT

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Getting Around:

Most visitors use the train in Lille as it possesses two large stations, Lille Europe station and Lille Flandres station. Both are only 400m apart and can connect to Charles de Gaulle in one hour.

Lille has a small, but efficient airport. Lille Lesquin International airport connects both major and low budget airlines and also operates a direct coach connecting the airport and the city centre. It is also relatively cheap and only takes 20 minutes to reach the city centre from the airport, costing only €7.

The city is also very nice to walk around and take in some of the local sights. The Citadel of Lille is the city’s largest park and is located beside the Deule canal.

 

Where to watch the game:

The Stade Pierre-Mauroy is home to LOSC Lille and is only 7km away from the city centre.

The 50,000 seater stadium is situated South-East of the city in the suburb of Villenueve d’Ascq.

Recent success has allowed the club and the city to develop. Just over 10 years ago, Lille has built a new training base at Luchin and in 2012 they had moved into their new stadium which was renamed from Grand Stade Lille Metropole to The Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2013 and features a retractable roof.

If you cannot attend the game, all of the matches at Euro 2016 can be viewed in the Fan Zone located in Lille city centre. The Fan Zone will be at Place Francois Mitterrand, near the Lille Europe station and will hold up to 30,000 fans.