Big Surprises in Lille

Lille is a junction spot en-route to London, Paris, Bruges and Brussels.  It has become commonplace these days for individuals to spend a weekend in this old world city while heading off elsewhere in its route. This destination can also be a quick getaway from all of the crumpled paperwork living in your briefcases.  Here are some things you can enjoy in Lille:

Shopping

Wazemmes Market (Marche de Wazemmes). This is a colorful market with a wide array of items such as clothes, shoes, kitchen items, fruit, vegetables, flowers and small trees et al that come from Asia, Africa, and elsewhere.  The prices are reasonable, and the restaurants (many of them ethnic) are quite good.  If you go near the church you may even find stalls that sell old books and records.  Basically, the Wazemmes Market is one way of sharing the experience of the locals.

Old Stock Exchange (Vielle Bourse), Lille- If you love old books, you can find some in the courtyard of this amazing building in the afternoons.  There is also a very nice coffee shop here with different flavors of coffee and hot chocolate.

Restaurants

La Cave au Fiole.  This is a very romantic restaurant which opens at 7:30 in the evening.  It is a perfect place to go with your partner.  There is good jazz music, and the food is quite good with a select choice of wines.  It is a bit pricey, but that happens with being popular, I suppose.

Le Lion Bossu.  This restaurant offers creative four-course menus, but you can also order an a la carte.  The place is small and snug, with a delightful atmosphere.  The owners themselves run the restaurant, with the husband taking orders and serving; and the wife working the kitchen.  Some good dishes are cooked pork and fruity couscous, or cod with foie gras.  Desserts can include ice cream, laced with licorice and fruit.

Art and Culture

Musee de Beaux Arts.  There is a good collection of Flemish/Dutch art.  In fact, the museum is considered second to the Louvre.  If you are here on a day trip, you can visit a few of its galleries.  It is advisable to go downstairs, which is overlooked.  Here is a breathtaking collection of statues.  One interesting piece is the hermaphrodite.  Yes, it is.

La Piscine Museum.  This museum has a collection of paintings and textiles that date as far back as 1835.  The museum displays both art and industry.  It is so called because it formerly housed a swimming pool and art deco.

Main Event

Braderie:  Lille’s main annual event is the Braderie when the entire place is converted to a flea market and anybody is free to set up a stall to sell everything including secondhand items.  Among the things you can expect to find are art, clothing, knick-knacks, crafts, and the like.  Feel free to bargain down the price.  Every day there is a concert during the Braderie which is always held in September.   But if your ninth month of the year is fully booked, take a daytrip to Lille anyway.  What the heck—stay for the weekend.

Lyndsey writes for briefcases, a website that offers luxury briefcases direct from the manufacturer.  Lyndsey has traveled all over Europe and parts of Southeast Asia. She has also lived in the US, France, China, and India. Lyndsey currently resides in Kolkata, India where she is studying the Bengali language.