I have spent next to no time in Lille. Maybe two or three hours, total. The first time was when I was 22, changing trains on the way to Brussels. This is all I remember:
So for years, Lille was to me “the city with the big flowers by the train station.”
But on my way from Basque Country to a wedding in the north of France, I squeezed in a short visit to Lille. My wandering time was limited, but the city made a great first impression.
The famous train station flowers were under construction (probably ruined by hooligans like me climbing on them).
I was struck by how lovely the city was, with charming streets and huge squares filled with people enjoying a mid-afternoon coffee or beer in the sun.
Lille seems like a great place to live. I saw quite a few restaurants and bakeries that looked drool-worthy (which is pretty much the definition of a great place to live for me) and there were lots of open spaces and parks. I wish I had gotten to explore more!
Parisian blogger Lindsay Tramuta wrote up some recommendations for a weekend Lille – Lille-dwellers, did she get it right?
I’ve been meaning to visit this city!
Cheers for the shoutout .:)
The touristy parts of Lille are really pretty! It looks like you visited when the streets weren’t too filled with people. Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m not a big fan of most of the things Lindsay blogged about. I would love to try Bloempot, but it’s quite difficult to get reservations there unless you reserve weeks/months in advance – I can’t plan that far ahead!
Sometimes the most blogged-about places are just overhyped. I am not a reserve-months-in-advance kind of gal either! I am a I’m-hungry-now-feed-me kind of gal.
I’ve never been to Lille but absolutely want to check it out. Looks like a nice place to visit!
I didn’t know what to expect, but it was really lovely! Seems like a great city to live in.