The little yellow house

The little Yellow House

The Lille audio-guided tour points out to you a narrow yellow façade, often mistakenly taken for the smallest house in the city. In reality, behind this curiosity hides a passage laden with history, around the cathedral.

A passage around the former motte

The little Yellow House is not a house, but a passage that allows, since the Middle Ages, to reach Place du Lion d'Or on the other side. It is part of a fine ensemble of façades arranged around the cathedral. This circular layout recalls that the square is built on the former feudal motte, at the origin of the city: it is there, on this mound, that Lille found its starting point.

What there is to see

The narrow yellow façade, slipped between its neighbours, intrigues and amuses passers-by. It fits into an ensemble of houses arranged in an arc around the cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille, testifying to the medieval origin of the place. It is a curiosity to spot along the walk, which tells the very beginnings of Lille.

Practical information

The little Yellow House is near the cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille, in old Lille, close to Place du Lion d'Or. The façade can be contemplated freely from the street, at all hours and on the level, along the walk.

Is the little Yellow House really a house?

No, it is in fact a passage leading to Place du Lion d'Or, and not the smallest house in Lille as is often believed.

What does the circular layout of the houses recall?

That the square is built on the former feudal motte, at the origin of the city of Lille.