Librairie Furet du Nord (Ferrets of the North Bookstore), Lille (must see)

In 1936 a fur store on the Old Comedy Street (rue de la Vielle Comedie), pouff, became a bookstore. Georges Poulard, a high school principal, had bought the fur shop and opened the Ferrets of the North Bookstore. The fur store had the name Ferrets of the North. Georges kept the name, implying that book hunting was similar to hunting rabbits with ferrets.

Paul Callens worked at George Poulard's Ferrets of the North. Paul was obsessed with books. He bought the bookstore in 1947. He then heard the Galleries Barbes, a furniture store in the Main Square of lille, was closing. He moved the business to the Main Square location. The opening was in 1960 and it was a huge success.

Ferrets of the North was the largest bookstore in the world from 1992 to 1999. It is still the largest bookshop in Europe today.

In 1969 the facade of the Furet building in the Main Square was restored to its original 18th century style. The facade resonated with Francois Watteau's painting, "The Lille Procession in 1789". It worth going in there to take a look even if you are not looking for a new book.