Lille in 1913, between the stock exchange, textiles, and coal

(13 Reviews)
Price
Adult price15€
Price
Adult price15€
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22458
1,75 hour
Wheelchair Access: Yes, on request
Lille
In French (english : private tour)
Min age: 6 years
Maximum Number of Participants: 25
Pictures
Visit Details

What you can expect:

  • Visit the Old Town of Lille and immerse yourself in 1913, during the Belle Époque and on the eve of the Great War.
  • Discover the major transformations that took place in the city during its second golden age, guided by a member of the bourgeoisie from that era.
  • Enjoy the company of a passionate tour guide who embodies the character for a truly immersive tour of Lille.

Program

Lille, 1913. Jean-Baptiste Charles de Joguet is 33 years old and finally preparing to marry a young woman from the northern bourgeoisie, like himself. For the event, he decides to invite some of his friends from his student days in Paris.
With deep pride in his hometown, Jean-Baptiste takes them on a tour of Lille, where tradition meets modernity. From the elegant buildings of the stock exchange where he works to the affluent neighborhood that reflects his family's wealth, he takes them on a journey through the city's new golden age, the ‘Belle Époque’, a period of great change that would completely transform the city into what it is today.

Get to Know Your Guide/Character:

Jean-Baptiste Charles de Joguet was born on April 7, 1880, in Lille into high society. Coming from an old, wealthy family from the city, Jean-Baptiste received an education befitting his social status.
He did his military service from 1900 to 1902 in the 243rd Infantry Regiment, stationed in Lille itself. At the age of 21, he joined his father’s business on the stock exchange. He then led the classic, traditional life of a young bourgeois from Lille at that time. He sold locally produced textiles (linen and cotton) but also, and above all, coal.
In 1913, he was about to marry Émilienne Brame, the daughter of a textile industrialist from Armentières, who was 10 years his junior. Little did Jean-Baptiste know that he was living his final moments of peacetime. A year later, he would find himself in the trenches.

Starting Point:

In front of the war memorial, Place Rihour, Lille

Points of Interest:

Grand-Place & Place du Théâtre, surroundings of the Palais Rihour, Statue of P’tit Quinquin, surroundings of the Palais des Beaux-Arts & Préfecture, Théâtre Sébastopol, Place Philippe Lebon 

Point d'arrivée :

Place de la République, Lille

Default Schedule

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Additional Information:

  • Unique guided tour of LilleA guided tour in the format of living history, featuring a character from Lille's bourgeoisie during the Belle Époque, dressed in a historical outfit for an immersive tour of the Old Lille.
  • Minimum of 6 adults required.Tours are confirmed once a minimum of 6 participants is reached. If the minimum is not met, the tour will be rescheduled to a date of your choice or refunded if the traveler cannot reschedule.
  • Cancellation Policy:Cancellation free of charge up to 48 hours before the tour time.
    Entre 48h et 24h avant la visite : 50% de pénalités
    Less than 24 hours before the tour: no refund.
    Tours continue in rainy weather.
Prices

Individual Rates

Adults
15 €
Reduced: Students (card)
10 €
Youth (13 to 17 years)
7 €
Children (6 to 12 years old)
5 €
Children (under 5 years old)
Free

Private Tour

  • Date and time of your choice
  • Language available: French or English
  • Price: €180 per group up to 10 people. Group rates are available upon request for larger groups.
Map

13 Reviews
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Isabelle et Gérard

Couple Traveller

Tout était parfait Guide sympathique et intéressant Attentif à ses clients Sait faire les pauses nécessaires Costume beau comme celui qui le porte !!

21 August 2025

Happiness

Group Traveller

Expérience agréable et insolite
Je connaissais la ville mais j’ai appris bien d’anecdotes ainsi que son histoire
Le guide a bien théâtralisé la visite
A recommander aussi bien au Lillois qu’au touristes

15 July 2025

Marine B

Group Traveller

Une expérience unique ! Un vrai voyage temporel où l’on se prend au jeu et où l’on se plaît à imaginer la vie lilloise du début du XXe siècle. Le personnage de Jean-Baptiste vous partagera ses souvenirs et anecdotes à travers les monuments et les rues qui l’ont vu grandir, le tout sans jamais manquer de piquant ni d’humour. Une nouvelle manière de conter la grande Histoire en incarnant la petite. Et sans doute une visite idéale pour les enfants et les ados ! Pour les plus audacieux, c’est aussi une belle occasion de sortir son plus beau jeu d’acteur… et d’interpeller le guide comme un véritable bourgeois de l’époque !

16 June 2025

Benjamin V

Group Traveller

Visite très sympathique avec notre cher Jean-Baptiste, qui a su nous guider de manière immersive au sein des monuments majeurs du centre de Lille. Une manière originale de découvrir la ville, tout en profitant d’un storytelling permettant de faire découvrir la vie des bourgeois de l’époque. Merci à lui !

15 June 2025

Amine

Solo Traveller
15 June 2025
12
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