Located further north of Croix, Roubaix (read: “roo-bye”) is part of the Lille Metropolitan area but is often eclipsed by the city of Lille.

In the 19th century, amid the Industrial Revolution, Roubaix flourished from a small rural village into one of Europe’s leading textile manufacturing centres. Its large factories dedicated to weaving and dyeing earned it the name “City of a Thousand Chimneys” (although only 300 or so ever stood at its peak), a legacy still seen in the iconic red-brick buildings dotting the city and the period of prosperity extended through the mid-20th century, shaping the city with a magnificent town hall and public baths championing social and hygiene policies.

Today, Roubaix stays true to its textile roots and boasts four schools dedicated to fashion and textile studies, headquarters for major prêt-à-porter brands, and two outlet villages. With the many retired industrial buildings offering blank slates for repurposing, the city has embraced the opportunity to reinvent itself as a creative hub. The arts and culture scene is positively thriving, with museums and theatres galore and sophisticated graffiti work sprinkled around every corner.

I visited Roubaix while I was based in Lille, but if this is not your first time in the Lille Metropolitan area, you can consider staying in Roubaix instead to get more out of the local artistic scene.

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Line 2 (the red line) runs from Lomme Saint-Philibert in the west to Tourcoing-Centre in the north and passes through Roubaix in three stops: Eurotéleport, Grand Place, and Gare Jean Lebas. The journey from Lille-Flandres to Roubaix-Grand Place is 20 minutes.

Line R (the green line) runs from Lille-Flandres to Roubaix Eurotéleport, past Villa Cavrois and Parc Barbieux.

Although not a sight on its own, the brick trail outlined in blue allows travellers to discover the city at their own pace. It passes by key sights, including the train station, the town hall, La Piscine, and the Motte Bossut Factory, all contributing to Roubaix’s rich industrial and cultural heritage.

Guided tours are available for a small fee from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM on Saturdays.

It would be impossible not to stop and stare at the street art as you weave across Roubaix. Murals, graffiti and stencils grace the city’s once-abandoned industrial areas and bare brick walls, which have become a breeding playground for urban artists.

The artistic movement was propelled by the launch of #XU in 2015, an event celebrating urban culture that added many new works throughout the city. The “I Love Roubaix” street art map continues to be published annually with #XU, highlighting over 100 decorated spots on a winding loop 10km long. We decided to wander aimlessly at our own pace. However, most locations are concentrated on Rue Franklin (behind The Public Condition) and Avenue Jean Lebas (in front of the train station), so prioritise those if you’re strapped for time.

There’s an inherently gritty feel owing to the industrial canvas and mix of different styles. But most frescoes are very well-maintained, and we enjoyed not knowing what stunning mural we would come across at the next turn.

For six months every year, the streets of Roubaix are transformed into a canvas of light and shadows after daylight fades away. Iconic monuments are reborn under a mesmerising light programme, inviting viewers to see the city in a new, poetic light that invigorates the senses.

The 2023-2024 season runs from December 7, 2023, to May 18, 2024, with the route illuminated every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at nightfall: the starting time shifts later as the season progresses, so consult the official timetable for details. Locations include:

1. The Swimming Pool

2. The ENSAIT

3. M. Chat

4. Church of St. Martin

5. The Town Hall

La Piscine is what first put Roubaix on our radar. Its entrance from Avenue Jean Lebas is via a long brick wall, which is the facade of the old Hannart textile plant. Discreetly decorated with a sawtooth pattern, it represents Roubaix’s industrial and textile roots.

When La Piscine first opened in 1932, it was designed by the Lille architect Albert Baert as a state-of-the-art sanctuary for hygiene in response to the difficult living conditions of the working class. The building was organised around a cloister garden that reinterpreted the layout of Cistercian abbeys in the neo-Byzantine style and was the only Olympic-sized pool in the urban area, which became a melting pot for residents of different social classes unique in the city. The cafeteria, then a display of luxury, was fully equipped with salons, steam baths, and an industrial laundry room.

However, due to the increasing fragility of the ageing vault, the pool closed its doors after 50 years, much to the chagrin of locals who had become deeply attached. A preservation team drafted the objective to build an inclusive museum, which Jean-Paul Philippon executed in 1998. The new La Piscine—André Diligent Art and Industrial Museum opened in 2001 and is now listed as a heritage site. Due to its newfound success, it soon required another expansion led by Jean-Paul Philippon before reopening in 2018.

When you enter the area, your eyes are drawn upwards to the basin’s large basilica nave, lit with stained glass windows symbolising the sun’s rising and setting, before settling on the monumental ceramic gate by Alexandre Sandier that looms over the end of the basin. It’s a theatrical piece that echoes with the ceramic tiles of the surrounding shower stalls.

Over time, much of the bathhouse’s features were transformed into art galleries and public spaces:

• The Art Deco central basin features a catwalk, where a sculpture garden borders a 40-metre-long blade of water with the original blue-and-white mosaic tiling running along its edge.

• The shower stalls spread over two floors have been transformed into showcase rooms for applied arts.

• The bath wings house the fine arts collection flooded in daylight.

• The cloister garden has been converted into a textile botanical garden with fibres and dyes, a homage to Roubaix’s industrial heritage.

• The old pump room became the current museum restaurant.

• The bright, airy filter room transformed into a gift shop.

As for the new gallery spaces, a sculpture gallery includes an identical recreation of Henri Bouchard’s studio, transported from its original site in Paris, and the former entrance to the pool area is now dedicated to works by the Roubaix Group and features a gigantic panorama of the Roubaix Grand Place.

It’s incredible how the artwork breathes new life into what used to be a social venture, but frankly, the disciplines were a little too overwhelming for my liking. Most of the time, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at, and I thought the architecture was what made the experience spectacular; I just enjoyed watching the warm glow filtering through the stained glass windows and listening to the trickle of water spouting from the fountain at the basin’s end. The eclectic museum may be unconventional, but it is nonetheless worth visiting.

If you’re interested in art deco swimming pools, check out Piscine Roger Salengro in Bruay-La-Buissière, a fully functional outdoor swimming pool.

P.S. Get a combo ticket for Villa Cavrois and Roubaix; they’re doable within a day, with time to spare for the rest of Croix and Roubaix.

The town hall sits in the centre of Roubaix, built by the architect Victor Laloux, creator of the Gare d’Orsay in Paris, and inaugurated in 1911 at the peak of Roubaix’s prosperity. The panoramic painting on display at La Piscine gives an idea of what the building looked like in the early 20th century – it dwarfed every building nearby then and still does today.

Occupying an area of 6,150 square metres, its facade spans over 100 metres long (pretty much as wide as the square) and is decorated with friezes that trace the story of Roubaix’s wool trade, from shearing sheep to exporting. Inside, the architecture is just as impressive, with a monumental staircase and a mural fresco by Jean-Joseph Weerts – an unmissable testament to Roubaix’s industrial strength.

Directly facing the town hall is the Church of Saint Martin, the oldest building in town, although no traces remain of the primitive church built in the 9th century. Instead, it has been replaced by a three-nave structure from the 16th century, which has been remarkably well-kept.

The church houses statues in Tournai stone and a John the Baptist altarpiece made from multi-coloured wood from Antwerp, Belgium.

The Roubaix-based architect Edouard Dupire-Rozan built the mansion house for industrialist Pierre Catteau in 1876. Unfortunately, his untimely death in 1888 prevented him from enjoying the residence for long, which was converted into law courts afterwards.

A long and austere facade inspired by Renaissance architecture fronts the street, contrasted by a richly decorated courtyard inside with a pair of horse heads indicating the location of the former stables. Its more elaborate backside can be admired from the Square Catteau park.

Inspired by building techniques from across the channel, the Motte Bossut factory is among the finest examples of northern French industrial architecture, featuring an iron and steel frame, the region’s red brick and architectural details like crenellations reminiscent of fortified castles. 

The cotton mill closed in 1981 and was later renovated by architect Sarfati to house the National World Labour Archives (Archives Nationales du Monde du Travail), one of France’s three national archives departments.

For much of the 20th century, the Public Condition was where wool, cotton and silk were measured for quality and packaging. Created by the architect Albert Bouvy, the building features a 224-metre facade with alternating plain and enamelled bricks. Inside, two vast halls are linked by a covered roadway.

After the Public Condition was listed in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments in 1998, the site was rehabilitated into a modular and flexible venue while preserving the existing building. It’s become a factory for artistic and cultural creations, hosting urban art, exhibitions, and concerts.

In fact, the show “Street Generations” in 2017, displaying 40 years of urban art, shone the spotlight on Roubaix’s street art scene. Rues and alleyways doubled as open-ceiling galleries, and rooftop displays featured the work of internationally famous artists, simulating the city’s streetscape high above the ground.

There are two opening seasons per year, spring and autumn, so check for official opening dates.

La Cave aux Poètes is a live music venue near La Piscine with a 220-seat hall. Its credo includes a broad genre, from pop and rock to punk and electronic music.

Established on the former Craye textile factory site, La Manufacture is a museum dedicated to keeping the region’s textile memories alive. It’s further from the town centre, about half an hour’s walk from the Eurotéléport station.

With historical and contemporary weaving looms, the exhibition presents an engaging sensory experience that traces the evolution of fabric production from the Middle Ages to the present day, from spinning wool into thread and weaving it into fabric.

Le Non-Lieu is located in the former Cavrois-Mahieu textile factory, a wool spinning mill founded in 1887, witness to the industrial adventures of the Cavrois family and located 3 km from their Villa. The factory, which employed 800 people in the 1950s, was closed in 2000 and threatened with demolition when the association Le Non-Lieu stepped in to save the site, which keeps it in its original state with all its cans, bowls, and reels intact. Today, the site has five workshop spaces for artists in residence.

While it does not offer fixed visiting hours, it does open at various annual events, including the European Heritage Days, the Night of the Arts and the La Boulette Festival, so check for official announcements before visiting. On such occasions, the public will get the opportunity to discover the old boiler room of the factory, the electricity and plumbing workshops, the factory fireplace and the breathtaking view from the shed roofs. 

Founded in 1889 to meet the demand of industrialists in Roubaix, the ENSAIT has become a leading figure in training textile engineers that permeates not just the fashion and luxury industry but also aeronautics, sports, and medical fields.

The century-old building is located near the train station in the heart of Roubaix. Although not open to the public, the institution has architectural gems listed in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments, such as the library built by the architect Charles-Louis-Ferdinand Dutert in 1881 and the main amphitheatre. A back garden also designed by Dutert has a walkway shaped like an artist’s palette, with shrubbery planted to take on different colours throughout the seasons, representing the paints on a palette.

Paris-Roubaix is one of cycling’s oldest and most esteemed races, created by two industrialists from Roubaix. Called the “Hell of the North”, the one-day professional bicycle road race starts north of Paris and finishes in Roubaix and is infamous for rough terrain and cobblestones, leading to the development of specialised bicycle equipment. And since 1942, the finish has, for the most part, taken place in the André Petieux Velodrome.

In 1996, to celebrate the race's centenary anniversary, a cobbled section was created in Avenue Alfred Motte and named after Charles Crupelandt, Roubaix’s only winner (who unfortunately had a much too dramatic life post-victory). The patch of cobbles is short and relatively smooth, mostly for ceremonial purposes, but along it are individual stones with the name of every Paris-Roubaix champion engraved in rock, hence its nickname, the Chemin des Géants (Path of the Giants).

The outdoor velodrome is not to be confused with its neighbouring Stab Velodrome (named after Jean Stabinski, the French cyclist of Polish origin who had a hugely successful career), a covered wooden velodrome that hosts track cycling in addition to badminton and BMX events.

Wrapping around the upper half of the city, the canal was used to transport coal during the industrial era. Although freighters have long since abandoned the area, it’s turned into a popular walking destination where visitors can follow the towpaths alongside while enjoying restaurants along the water.

Pleasure boats are available from May to September.

Known for its accessible programming yet high artistic level, the Coliseum welcomes audiences with its broad programme ranging from classical music to contemporary dance, comedy and theatre. It’s also where the Ballet du Nord has elected to take up residence in promoting classical and contemporary dance while democratising choreographic skills.

Le Gymnase is one of France’s twelve National Centres of Choreographic Development (CDCN), having supported the dance network since 1983. The centre welcomes 30 companies in residency or co-production yearly, staging over 100 events for the public. It also has two major events in its programme:

• Forever Young, the first dance festival for children and young people in France; and

• Le Grand Bain, an immersive programme with multi-disciplinary events for choreography.

Baraka serves 100% organic, homemade dishes using local produce and is open for weekday lunch. It promotes diversity through its neighbourhood circular farm, a massive plot of agricultural land opposite the cooperative building.

Apart from running a restaurant, the cooperative also offers coworking spaces, urban agriculture, book swaps, and meeting room rentals. The charming wooden building was also built with local materials, such as straw from Pas-de-Calais, and was designed with heat insulation properties to lower its carbon footprint.

While the decor may seem dated, everyone raves about the food at this family-run restaurant. They serve some classic Flemish and French dishes, including cassoulet (my favourite sausage stew) and andouillette (a pork intestine sausage with a fierce aroma not for the faint-hearted).

The brasserie is one of the fancier establishments in town. Its 1950s decor whisks you away to the heart of Paris. They serve a menu of regional dishes, escargots, and classic steak frites at reasonable prices. Open for lunch daily and dinner only on Saturdays.

True to Roubaix’s textile roots, the city has multiple outlet streets. McArthurGlen is located right in front of the Eurotéléport station and boasts some of the more upscale French brands, including Sandro, Maje, and American Vintage.

By comparison, the Roubaix Factory is more challenging to get to and stocks more common fast fashion brands and French household names like Jules, Pimkie, Etam and Delsey. Interestingly enough, Galeries Lafayette also has a factory outlet store, though it’s impossible to find out what is retailed at this location.

We stumbled upon a covered establishment next to La Piscine with several small eateries and cute shops. Le Grand Bassin is a concept store that stocks over 60 local designers and artists and has lots of affordable homeware and prints. Only open Wednesday through Sunday.

Colodge specialises in rehabilitating French real estate into coliving houses with large common spaces complemented by quality services.

The Mimerel mansion, built in 1902, is a beautifully renovated mansion with a red brick exterior, garden views, and high ceilings. Rooms are spread across three levels, some with terraces and fireplaces, but all with minimal, elegant furnishings that make you feel at home in a French property. As an aparthotel, guests are welcome to cook in the well-equipped common space, and each room has a separate fridge in the kitchen.

Location-wise, it’s fantastically situated near La Piscine. Free private parking is also available on-site.

In 1904, textile manufacturers opened “la goutte de lait” (“the drop of milk) across the intersection from the Motte Bossut factory, where workers could come to nurse their babies and children were taken care of. Twenty years ago, the hosts purchased this large home to transform, and now an award-winning contemporary house lies behind a preserved facade of red bricks.

Guest rooms are homey, most sporting exposed concrete slabs from the building’s structure. As for the living area, abundant daylight floods in and it opens onto a green courtyard where guests can enjoy a hearty French breakfast, much of which consists of homemade products.

The complex was originally a dyeing plant that shut down in 2003. Like much of Roubaix, it has since been transformed into an artistic space with regular exhibitions. Gilles Bouilliez, an agent for artists, is behind the project and is dedicated to discovering more painters and sculptors.

A single suite is available for booking, furnished with original artwork and opening onto the garden. 

The location is slightly out of the way (closer to Barbieux Park than the Roubaix centre), but art connoisseurs will appreciate the bespoke opportunity to live immersed in art.

Another property closer to Barbieux Park (this time on the east side of the tracks) than the town centre, La Villa Barbieux, is a former Roubaix mansion in an Art Nouveau style, built in 1904 for a textile industrialist.

Each guest room boasts a unique theme, from the roaring twenties to a Balinese retreat. Guests are invited to enjoy the complimentary breakfast buffet, serving local and homemade products.

Private parking is available on the property.

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