Between the Grand'Place and the Place du Théâtre stands the most photographed building in Lille, and probably the least understood by those who walk past it: the Vieille Bourse.
Twenty-four houses making one exchange
Built in 1653, when Lille still belonged to the Spanish Netherlands, the Vieille Bourse is not a single edifice but a set of twenty-four identical houses arranged in a square around an inner courtyard. Each belonged to a merchant, and together they formed the city's trading floor.
The carved decoration — garlands, caryatids, mascarons — belongs to Flemish Renaissance in its most exuberant form. It is the same vocabulary as the facades of the Vieux-Lille, concentrated into one building.
What happens there today
The inner courtyard is free to enter, and it is busy all year round:
- second-hand booksellers set out their stalls every afternoon except Monday;
- chess players occupy the tables permanently;
- tango demonstrations are held regularly in the warmer months.
For hunters it is a natural complement to the Braderie: old books, postcards, posters and prints are there all year, at prices that are anything but touristy. Our articles on Lille's antique dealers and the comic book fair extend the visit.
Getting there
Access from the Grand'Place or the Place du Théâtre, Rihour metro station. The courtyard closes at the end of the day. Allow twenty minutes to walk round it, longer if you start opening the books.