PRESS KIT CHRISTMAS MARKET 2015 Olivier Duhamel

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1 PRESS KIT CHRISTMAS MARKET 2015 Olivier Duhamel

3 CHRISTMAS MARKET 2015 From 18 th November to 30 th December 2015 In the heart of winter, Lille sparkles and glows with joie de vivre! With the wave of a magic wand, the city takes on a festive atmosphere and welcomes you to a winter wonderland. It is the place to dream and to do some Christmas shopping! CONTENTS Atmosphere Shopping Practical Information page 5 page 7 page 9 Lille Tourism & Convention Bureau Palais Rihour - Place Rihour T : +33 (0) from abroad contact@lilletourism.com Press Information: Audrey Chaix +33 (0) / a.chaix@lilletourism.com

4 Laurent Ghesquière

5 CHRISTMAS MARKET 2015 Atmosphere Take rue Faidherbe or rue Nationale towards the city centre. Here, you ll be dazzled by hundreds of twinkling lights! When you reach the Grand Place, the wonder will overwhelm you! Christmas carols fill the air as the 50-metre high Big Wheel turns majestically, providing its guests with an incredible view of the city. At its base, the reproduction of an artificial snow-covered village fills the entire square, which is dominated by an 18-metre high Christmas tree! Next, head towards Vieux Lille (old town), where each street is decorated with countless evergreen garlands embellished with red and gold ribbons (rue de la Grande Chaussée and rue de la Monnaie, for example). Follow the irresistible aroma of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts to Place Rihour where, for over a month, the 83 wooden chalets of the Christmas Market teem with gift ideas, nativity figurines, Christmas decorations and festive food. You can find regional specialities here, and you can also find arts and crafts from Russia, Canada and Poland. And that s not forgetting the waffles, gingerbread and other delicacies, which you can take away or eat on the spot with a glass of mulled wine... Press Information: Audrey Chaix +33 (0) / a.chaix@lilletourism.com 5

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7 CHRISTMAS MARKET 2015 Shopping Lille is the ideal destination for your Christmas shopping! Shop windows compete to be the most original, and the shops in the city offer something for every taste and every budget. With its narrow cobblestone streets lined with lovely old Flemish houses, Vieux Lille (old town) is the ideal place to discover the great names in fashion and design. You can also find numerous antique shops and art galleries here. The delicatessens will fulfil your gourmet needs, whilst a pleasant market enlivens the Place du Concert every Sunday morning. In the centre and pedestrian streets, you ll find the department stores* and international chain stores. On the Grand Place, the Furet du Nord is one of the biggest bookshops in Europe! In the station district, the Euralille shopping centre, designed by Jean Nouvel, houses a hundred shops, restaurants and a hypermarket beneath its futuristic lines. The multi-ethnic Wazemmes district is the place to come bargain hunting in the bazaars and discount shops of the rue Gambetta district. In the Place de la Nouvelle Aventure, you ll find flavours from all over the world at the great bustling Sunday morning market, which attracts a cheerful, diverse crowd. In Lille Sud, the rue du Faubourg des Postes is home to the Maisons de Modes (fashion houses), which were opened in 2007 in the presence of their patron, Agnès b. In the heart of a district undergoing a revival, 10 workshop-shops welcome young designers who design and sell their own collections on site. Shops are generally open in Lille from 10 am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday (some shops are closed on Monday morning). All shops are also open on the three Sundays preceding Christmas: the 6, 13 and 20 December! *Printemps, 39/45 rue Nationale Press Information: Audrey Chaix +33 (0) / a.chaix@lilletourism.com 7

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9 CHRISTMAS MARKET 2015 Practical Information The Christmas Market is located on Place Rihour, across from the Tourist Office. The 83 chalets are open every day from 18 November to 30 December 2013 (except 25 December): - Sunday to Thursday, 11 am > 8 pm - Friday and Saturday, 11 am > 9 pm Special opening hours: - Saturdays 5, 12 and 19 december, open until 10 pm - 24 and 30 December from 11 am to 6 pm Special closing - 25 december all day The Big Wheel on the Grand Place is open from the 18 th of November 2015 until mid January 2014 and runs daily from 12 pm (until late into the evening). Prices: 5 / 3 (children under 1m 40). In order to get the most out of the pre-christmas atmosphere of Lille, book your accommodation through the Tourist Office and enjoy the special Christmas package starting from 36 per person*, which includes: - 1 hotel night - 1 City Tour (a 1 h tour on a panoramic open top coach, with an audio-visual guide available in 9 languages. Check details on ride on the Big Wheel - 1 glass of mulled wine, to be enjoyed on the Christmas market. - Tourist brochures to complete your stay - optional: a regional dinner in the typical restaurant «Le Barbier qui fume»: beef specialties and delicacies prepared on site. Menu course + dessert : 23. The starter will be offered : assortment of homemade delicatessen (value 8.40 per person). Restaurant closed on sunday evening. Lille Tourist Office (place Rihour) is open 7 days a week: - Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am to 6 pm - Sundays from 10 am to 4.30 pm - closed 25 December and 1 st January Telephone: +33 (0) / contact@lilletourism.com Press Information: Audrey Chaix +33 (0) / a.chaix@lilletourism.com 9

11 Press Information: Audrey Chaix +33 (0) / a.chaix@lilletourism.com

From company Christmas parties and New Year's events to Christmas Day celebrations, we have put together these wonderful event packages for you.

From company Christmas parties and New Year's events to Christmas Day celebrations, we have put together these wonderful event packages for you. Unique Hotels is a small group of lifestyle hotels in Estonia.