Vauban called it the "Queen of Citadels" and it is certainly worth the detour.
This veritable town was built in three years and is able to house 3,600 men; it comprises five royal bastions linked by five curtains [1] and five large demi-lunes [2].
They are almost intact and can be admired during a 2-kilometre walk in the immense green area around the citadel.
One cannot leave Lille without having also visited the remains of the Palais Rihour, erected in the 15th century, at a time when (...)