Lille: WWI History Private Walking Tour｜France

Begin your walking tour at the Monument to the Executed Citizens of Lille, where you’ll learn about the city’s occupation during World War I. Hear about the 50,000 German soldiers who surrounded Lille in October 1914 and the 4,000 men who defended it under Major de Pardieu’s command.

Continue to the Citadel of Lille, a key strategic base for the German army during the war. Discover how the city’s fortifications were unable to withstand the destructive power of the new weapons of the First World War, especially heavy artillery.

Next, head to the Grand Place, the Opera House, and Rue Faidherbe, where you’ll hear about the harsh conditions endured by Lille’s inhabitants during the four-year occupation, including food shortages, poor sanitation, and the confiscation of everyday possessions.

End your tour at the Eastern Cemetery, near Lille Europe railway station, where you’ll learn about the city’s liberation on 17 October 1918 and the lasting impact of the war on Lille and its people.