Roubaix
Roubaix is located near the north-eastern frontier of France (with Belgium), to the north-east of Lille (to which it is connected by metro). It is a substantial town of 100,000 inhabitants.
Although it has its fair share of less interesting sections, the bustling town has several attractions, and is a pleasant place to visit. Historically an industrial textile centre, a great deal of effort has been put into the restoration and improvement of the old industrial buildings which now have new uses - the most popular is perhaps the extensive 'factory price shopping' centre. The Archive for the World of Work buildings are another good example, in a converted cotton mill.
Other architectural monuments in Roubaix include:
- the church of Saint-Martin and belltower (although the belltower dates from the 16th century much of the church itself is a 19th century enlargement)
- the decorative interior of the church of Saint-Joseph
- the bombastic town hall, built 100 years ago when Roubaix was an important industrial centre
- the very stylish Art Deco munipal swimming pool, now housing the Museum of Art and Industry. Go in to see the interior even if the museum doesn't interest you!
On a much smaller scale, Roubaix also has many tiny houses built for the workers at the end of the 19th century - consisting of just two small rooms, one on top of the other, and facing on to public courtyards. One of this is a listed historic monument - Le courée Dulbar Dekian, on Rue Jean Moulin next to the Soho Cafe.
If you need to escape from the bustle the large Parc Barbieux is a pleasant green space within the town, and there are several other gardens and parks - hence tht town's classification as a 4* ville fleurie.
Paris-Roubaix Cycle race
Roubaix is perhaps best known for the action-packed one day cycle race that arrives here each year. Taking place during the spring, the Paris-Roubaix race covers 260 kilometres to reach Roubaix. A substantial part of the course is across cobbles and in rough conditions - challenging at the best of times, and very challenging in wet, cold weather. Note: the race now actually starts at Compiegne north of Paris, because a number of roads on the original route had been rebuilt, losing the cobbles that add to the thrill of the event - hence a new route with more cobbles was found.
Visit Roubaix (Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Nord) travel, gites and hotels
Best Prices on Hotels in Roubaix - Guaranteed
(see guarantee details) Reserve online, pay at the hotel
The Roubaix hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Roubaix is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Nord-Pas-de-Calais gites for Roubaix holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Nord-Pas-de-Calais Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Roubaix for places to visit near Roubaix including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Roubaix in our Nord-Pas-de-Calais forum Roubaix property for saleSee Nord-Pas-de-Calais property for sale
|
|
||||||||||||
Tourist Classifications for Roubaix
- Listed as "Ville d'Art et Histoire" (ie focus on preserving the town heritage)
- Town is "Ville Fleurie category 4" (ie good attention to gardens and flowers)
Places to visit near Roubaix, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Roubaix.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
21 km: Belfries of France (belfrois) 14 km: Lille (Town of art and history)
See also Roubaix (version Francais)
