Every three years Lille stages a massive year-long artistic and cultural festival, a legacy from the year when it was Europe’s capital of culture. This year’s Lille3000 (lille3000.com) is Fiesta-themed, and this is also the year when the Tour de France starts in Lille, with plenty of opportunities for preview sorties along the first day’s route (letour.fr). So you can get sweaty, and then soak up the arts, in the same short break. Stay in the Grand Hotel Bellevue, both classical and modern in style, overlooking the Grand Place.
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