The Grand'Place is the formal name locals never use for what everyone calls the Grand'Place — officially Place du Général de Gaulle, after the city's most famous son, born on Rue Princesse nearby in 1890. It is the living room of Vieux-Lille: a broad cobbled square lined with handsome 17th- and 18th-century Flemish townhouses, cafés with heated terraces, the Art Deco Voix du Nord building on the south side, and the Vieille Bourse on the north.
The column at the centre celebrates the 1792 siege when Lille defied an Austrian bombardment — the statue known as the Goddess has become an affectionate city symbol. The square is the starting point for any walk through Vieux-Lille and stays animated from morning coffee through late-night drinks. The weekly market sets up here on Sunday mornings. During the Braderie de Lille in September it becomes the epicentre of the largest flea market in Europe.