Le Chti

Le Chti is a free annual city guide covering the best places to eat, drink, go out, shop and explore in Greater Lille (Grand Lille) and the surrounding Nord region of France. It is produced by the student association L'Apprenti Chtimi, founded in 1973 and composed exclusively of volunteer students from EDHEC Business School in Lille. The first edition appeared in 1974, printed in 20,000 copies and distributed free of charge; it briefly became paid in 1975 before returning to free distribution in 1986. The guide is modelled on Le Petit Paumé, the Lyon student guide founded in 1968. The guide is generalist in scope. It contains around 304 pages of recommendations organised into four main sections: Lille Pratique (practical information), Lille le Jour (daytime activities), Lille à Table (restaurants and food) and Lille la Nuit (nightlife). It covers restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cultural and leisure activities, shops and services. Distribution peaks each year at the end of March with a dedicated distribution weekend on Place de la République in Lille, accompanied by events across the city and the wider metropolitan area, and copies remain available throughout the year in surrounding towns. Le Chti is financed entirely by advertising and is distributed free of charge. Its print run reached 80,000 copies in 1986 and crossed 200,000 copies in 2000, the year its website launched; its readership has been estimated at around one million people. The guide has spawned several spin-offs: EasyLille, an English-language version for tourists created in 2003 and discontinued in 2010; Chtite Canaille, a family-oriented guide launched in 2005; and Chti Étudiant, a student-focused publication launched in 2014. A mobile application with online booking was released in 2015. Since 1986 the team has selected an annual 'Grande Cause', a regional humanitarian association to which all public donations collected during the distribution weekend are given. In 2011 Le Chti was named Best Tourist Guide of France at the City Guide Awards in Toulouse. In 2020, during the Covid-19 crisis, it launched the #neperdonspasleNord campaign to support local businesses, and in 2023 it published its 50th edition, celebrating with its largest-ever launch weekend at the Citadelle. The guide has occasionally drawn controversy, notably in 2011 over a nightlife section that prompted an editorial apology.

Le Chti traces its origins to the association L'Apprenti Chtimi, founded in 1973 by students of EDHEC Business School in Lille. The association is governed by the French law of 1 July 1901 on non-profit associations and has since been composed exclusively of around sixty volunteer members from that school. The guide was created in the image of Le Petit Paumé, the Lyon student guide founded in 1968 by students of EM Lyon Business School. The first edition of Le Chti appeared in 1974, printed in 20,000 copies and distributed free of charge. In 1975 the guide became paid, but in 1986 it returned to free distribution, the same year its print run reached 80,000 copies. Also in 1986, the team began selecting an annual 'Grande Cause', a humanitarian association based in the Nord region, to which all donations collected during the public distribution are given. In 1994 Le Chti presented a theme for the first time. The year 2000 marked two milestones: the print run crossed 200,000 copies and the guide's website was launched. In 2003 the team created EasyLille, an English-language version aimed at anglophone tourists; its publication was abandoned in 2010 in order to concentrate on Chtite Canaille (launched in 2005 for families), Le Chti itself and digital media. On 4 June 2011, Le Chti was elected Best Tourist Guide of France at the City Guide Awards organised by the association Publicity in Toulouse. That same year, the guide's nightlife section drew controversy: a 'Lille Vice City' feature proposing night-time challenges in Wazemmes prompted criticism, and the editorial team issued a press release in which it said it assumed the wish to escape 'political correctness' for a page while denying any allusion to social, ethnic or religious origins and again apologising to those shocked by the remarks. In 2014 a publication for students, Chti Étudiant, was launched. For its 41st edition, Le Chti 2014 was distributed over the weekend of 22–23 March on Place de la République in Lille, with a free concert organised by Virgin attracting more than 3,000 people. In 2015 the Le Chti application went online, offering the possibility to book online. In 2020, during the economic crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, Le Chti launched #neperdonspasleNord, a campaign to support economic actors in the Nord affected by the crisis; during the November 2020 lockdown the association offered visibility to shopkeepers' initiatives and launched a crowdfunding campaign. In 2023 Le Chti published its 50th edition and celebrated the guide's bicentenary, organising its largest-ever launch weekend at the Citadelle. The guide is generalist, offering diverse addresses: restaurants, nightlife establishments, cultural and leisure activities, shops of all kinds. It comprises around 304 pages of recommendations divided into four sections: Lille Pratique, Lille le Jour, Lille à Table and Lille la Nuit. Distribution is the occasion each year for events in central Lille and across the Lille metropolitan area. Le Chti is free and financed solely by advertising; its print run is around 200,000 copies annually and its readership has been estimated at one million people.

• 2023

  50th edition published; largest-ever launch weekend held at the Citadelle.

• 2020

  #neperdonspasleNord campaign launched to support local businesses during the Covid-19 crisis; crowdfunding campaign during November lockdown.

• 2015

  Le Chti mobile application goes online with online booking.

• 2014

  Chti Étudiant, a student-focused publication, launched; 41st edition distributed 22–23 March.

• 2011

  Le Chti elected Best Tourist Guide of France at the City Guide Awards in Toulouse; nightlife section controversy.

• 2010

  EasyLille publication abandoned to focus on Chtite Canaille, Le Chti and digital media.

• 2005

  Chtite Canaille, a family-oriented guide, launched.

• 2003

  EasyLille, an English-language version for tourists, created.

• 2000

  Print run crosses 200,000 copies; guide's website launched.

• 1994

  Le Chti presents a theme for the first time.

• 1986

  Print run reaches 80,000 copies; guide returns to free distribution; annual Grande Cause charity selection begins.

• 1975

  Guide becomes paid.

• 1974

  First edition of Le Chti published, printed in 20,000 copies and distributed free.

• 1973

  Association L'Apprenti Chtimi founded by EDHEC students.

Free, student-produced, advertising-funded guide to the best addresses in Greater Lille, distributed annually with a festive launch weekend.

• Le Chti annual guide

  Approx. 304-page free guide with four sections: Lille Pratique, Lille le Jour, Lille à Table, Lille la Nuit.

• Chtite Canaille

  Family-oriented guide launched in 2005.

• Chti Étudiant

  Student-focused publication launched in 2014.

• EasyLille

  English-language version for tourists, created 2003, discontinued 2010.

• Le Chti mobile application

  App launched in 2015 with online booking capability.

1. 1Le Chti - Guide des restaurants et sorties à Lille et sa régionlechti.com
2. 2Le Chtifr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Le Chtiwikidata.org