First pick
Parc de la Citadelle
Park or garden
60 ha20.5 km of path
4 h 35 minto walk all 20.5 km of path
1.4 km northfrom the center
Voie des CombattantsAllée du Train de LoosVoie Verte Nicolas de Clerville+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Velvet · CC BY-SA 3.02.3%woodland
Outdoors in Lille · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Lille has more footpaths per km² than 9 in 10 French towns
269 km of footpaths cross Lille (7.7 km per km²). Mapped woodland covers 2.3% of Lille. No protected area reaches Lille; the nearest, Le Héron nature reserve, is 7.8 km from the town center. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
0%
of the commune’s land
Nearest: Le Héron nature reserve, 7.8 km
Woodland
2.3%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
269 km
7.7 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
0 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
30
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Parc de la Citadelle
Throughout this page, the Nord median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
What kind of place
What kind of outdoors place is Lille?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
A place of footpaths7.7 km per km² of mapped footpath, against 1.7 km per km² for the median compared town.Protected land nearbyLe Héron nature reserve is 7.8 km from the town center.Little mapped woodland2.3% of the land, against 13% for the median compared town.
What sets Lille apart: its footpaths, then protected land close by. It is shorter on woodland.
Against French towns
How Lille compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas0%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
22out of 100
Woodland2.3%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
12out of 100
Footpaths7.7 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
97out of 100
Hiking routes0 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
12out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Lille has the 11th most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (117,662 to 357,737 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Paris 12e (16.7 km per km²) to Nîmes (1.3 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris 12e Paris | 16.7 | 30% | 0% | 153 km |
| 2 | Paris 16e Paris | 11.9 | 25% | 0% | 147 km |
| 3 | Grenoble Isère | 11.6 | 4.6% | 0% | 204 km |
| 4 | Paris 19e Paris | 11.1 | 2.1% | 0% | 148 km |
| 5 | Paris 20e Paris | 10.9 | 0.1% | 0% | 151 km |
| 6 | Rennes Ille-et-Vilaine | 10.8 | 6.4% | 0% | 49 km |
| 7 | Paris 14e Paris | 10.6 | 0.4% | 0% | 151 km |
| 8 | Paris 15e Paris | 9.6 | 0% | 0% | 149 km |
| 9 | Paris 13e Paris | 9.2 | 0.4% | 0% | 152 km |
| 10 | Tours Indre-et-Loire | 7.8 | 6.3% | 4.7% | 184 km |
| 11 | Lille Nord | 7.7 | 2.3% | 0% | 62 km |
| 12 | Villeurbanne Rhône | 7.4 | 2.8% | 0.3% | 253 km |
| 13 | Nantes Loire-Atlantique | 7.3 | 7.3% | 6.3% | 39 km |
| 14 | Saint-Denis Seine-Saint-Denis | 7 | 2.4% | 1.8% | 142 km |
| 15 | Metz Moselle | 6.8 | 8% | 0% | 329 km |
| 16 | Strasbourg Bas-Rhin | 6.4 | 17% | 22% | 451 km |
| 17 | Montpellier Hérault | 6.3 | 5.5% | 0.6% | 11 km |
| 18 | Angers Maine-et-Loire | 6.3 | 5.6% | 17% | 118 km |
| 19 | Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts-de-Seine | 6 | 2% | 0% | 147 km |
| 20 | Dijon Côte-d'Or | 6 | 6.5% | 0% | 402 km |
| 21 | Brest Finistère | 5.9 | 6.7% | 0% | On it |
| 22 | Le Mans Sarthe | 5.5 | 6.6% | 0% | 135 km |
| 23 | Paris 11e Paris | 5.4 | 0% | 0% | 150 km |
| 24 | Besançon Doubs | 5.3 | 37% | 0.6% | 402 km |
| 25 | Rouen Seine-Maritime | 5.1 | 6.2% | 0% | 53 km |
| 26 | Paris 17e Paris | 5.1 | 0.2% | 0% | 145 km |
| 27 | Bordeaux Gironde | 4.9 | 1.2% | 10% | 18 km |
| 28 | Reims Marne | 4.8 | 2.1% | 1.1% | 199 km |
| 29 | Annecy Haute-Savoie | 4.6 | 29% | 0.2% | 260 km |
| 30 | Paris 18e Paris | 4.4 | 0.5% | 0% | 146 km |
| 31 | Amiens Somme | 3.8 | 3% | 0.7% | 55 km |
| 32 | Clermont-Ferrand Puy-de-Dôme | 3.7 | 4.6% | 0.7% | 258 km |
| 33 | Le Havre Seine-Maritime | 3.6 | 5.8% | 3.3% | On it |
| 34 | Toulon Var | 3.6 | 23% | 26% | On it |
| 35 | Saint-Étienne Loire | 3.5 | 31% | 33% | 210 km |
| 36 | Limoges Haute-Vienne | 3.3 | 15% | 0% | 163 km |
| 37 | Nice Alpes-Maritimes | 2.5 | 20% | 6.2% | On it |
| 38 | Perpignan Pyrénées-Orientales | 2.2 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 12 km |
| 39 | Aix-en-Provence Bouches-du-Rhône | 2.1 | 18% | 9.1% | 21 km |
| 40 | Saint-Denis Réunion | 1.6 | 62% | 73% | On it |
| 41 | Nîmes Gard | 1.3 | 29% | 4.6% | 37 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Lille
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Parc de la Citadelle leads, at 60 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Parc Naturel Urbain de Lomme
Park or garden
32 ha5.9 km of path
1 h 20 minto walk all 5.9 km of path
5.8 km north-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Jardin des Plantes
Park or garden
10 ha4.6 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.6 km of path
1.9 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Plaine de la Poterne
Park or garden
10 ha3.9 km of path
55 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
2.1 km northfrom the center
Voie Verte des RempartsVoie Verte de la Deûle
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de la Deûle
Wood or forest
16 ha6.2 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.2 km of path
1.8 km north-westfrom the center
Allée du Train de LoosAllée Marie WillanAllée Amélie Suard
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Henri Matisse
Park or garden
7.2 ha2.8 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
1.6 km north-eastfrom the center
Allée de SafedAllée Saint-Louis du SénégalAllée du Petit Mongy
Directionsto a point inside
Berges des Bois-Blancs
Park or garden
6.9 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
1.5 km westfrom the center
Promenade des Remparts
Directionsto a point inside
Parc des Pyramides
Park or garden
5.5 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
1.4 km north-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks, gardens and woods
Parc de la CitadellePark or garden · 60 ha · 20.5 km of path
DirectionsParc Naturel Urbain de LommePark or garden · 32 ha · 5.9 km of path
DirectionsJardin des PlantesPark or garden · 10 ha · 4.6 km of path
DirectionsPlaine de la PoternePark or garden · 10 ha · 3.9 km of path
DirectionsBois de la DeûleWood or forest · 16 ha · 6.2 km of path
DirectionsParc Henri MatissePark or garden · 7.2 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsBerges des Bois-BlancsPark or garden · 6.9 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsParc des PyramidesPark or garden · 5.5 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsPlaine Winston ChurchillPark or garden · 5.3 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsPlaine du ColyséePark or garden · 3.8 ha · 2.4 km of path · just outside
DirectionsPlaine des TenaillonsPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsParc des DondainesPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsParc de la CroisettePark or garden · 5 ha · 1.6 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc Saint-SauveurPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsFaçade de l'EsplanadePark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsParc du Grand SudPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsJardin des 18 PontsPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsParc de la Maison des EnfantsPark or garden · 4 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsJardin VaubanPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsConcordePark or garden · 3.9 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsLe Forum VertPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 1.7 km of path · just outside
DirectionsPlaine des VachersPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsParc du campus Pont de boisPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsPlaine Félix GrimonprezPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Gustave EngrandPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParc Henri BarbussePark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsParc Jean-Baptiste LebasPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsJardin des CoccinellesPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsParc Rosa BonheurPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsJardin des GéantsPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Le Héron nature reserve is the nearest protected area, 7.8 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Nature reserve
Le Héron nature reserve
7.8 km from the town center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area0%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
Footpaths and woods in Lille
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
269 km
7.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
0 km
waymarked: 0 km per km²
Woodland
2.3%
about 0.8 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
LilleNord medianFrance median
Footpaths7.7
Hiking routes0
04.59 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
LilleNord medianFrance median
Woodland2.3%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 97% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland less than in 88% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Lille is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
2 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR (long-distance)Other named walk
GR 121B2.2 km
Chemin du Triolo1.7 km
GR 121B passes within 2 km of Lille.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Lille: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Lille-Lesquin, 7.3 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.4 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 58 | 51 | 52 | 45 | 62 | 64 | 68 | 71 | 57 | 64 | 75 | 73 |
April is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 24 °C). 75 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Lille →
Gardens
20 gardens to visit in Lille
Named gardens in the commune.
Ferme Urbaine LiotopiaIn Lille
DirectionsJardin au fil du tempsIn Lille
DirectionsJardin Comme une Aut'TerreIn Lille
DirectionsJardin d'arboriculture fruitièreIn Lille
DirectionsJardin des AgrionsIn Lille
DirectionsJardin des Drôles d'Waz'eauxIn Lille
DirectionsJardin des MaguettesIn Lille
DirectionsJardin des PapillonsIn Lille
DirectionsJardin des RetrouvaillesIn Lille
DirectionsJardin du Pré MuchéIn Lille
DirectionsJardin du SudIn Lille
DirectionsJardin écologique de LilleIn Lille
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata.
Neighbors
Next to Lille
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
La MadeleineLambersartSaint-André-lez-LilleLoosFaches-ThumesnilRonchinLille
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lille | 0% | 2.3% | 7.7 |
| La Madeleine 21,790 · 2.8 km | 0% | 0.6% | 8.6 |
| Lambersart 27,090 · 3 km | 0% | 3.4% | 4.7 |
| Saint-André-lez-Lille 13,233 · 3.4 km | 0% | 2.7% | 8.6 |
| Loos 22,567 · 3.5 km | 0% | 4.6% | 5 |
| Faches-Thumesnil 18,619 · 3.7 km | 0% | 0.2% | 4.4 |
| Ronchin 19,787 · 3.8 km | 0% | 1.8% | 3.7 |
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Lille
Is Lille in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Le Héron nature reserve, 7.8 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Lille?
OpenStreetMap maps 269 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 7.7 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²).
How much of Lille is woodland?
2.3% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Lille near the sea?
No: the coast is 62 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Lille?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.