Last weekend was one of the glorious long spring weekends, with amazing weather. Perfect timing because it was also the weekend in which my boyfriend and I headed to Lille with his family. We enjoyed the sunshine, the adorable town, the shops and we even paid a visit to the zoo.
Lille isn’t a particularly large city, but it’s very charming, especially the old part. Now I am not planning on turning this into a city guide but I do have a top 5 of things you should do while you are in Lille.
- Eat a Merveilleux, a typical pastry from Lille with meringue and whipped cream. The most well known place to get them is Aux Merveilleux de Fred. Also a great place to stop by if you want to see how they make these delicious pastries.
- Visit the zoo. In the park near the Citadel you will find a zoo. The entry is only 4 euro, but it’s quite large and fun.
- Go shopping. There are so many shops in Lille, making it a perfect shopping destination. You will find the chain stores mostly in the big shopping mall near the station. I however preferred the little French boutiques you can find in the old town.
- Walk around in the city or take a free walking tour. The best way to explore Lille is simply by walking around. We opted for a free walking tour, which was great and very informative.
- Have dinner in an estaminet. Although Lille is located in France it has a lot of Belgian influences. People prefer beer over wine and everywhere you look you can find estaminets (typical Belgian cafes with Belgian cuisine).
Have you been to Lille before or are you planning to go there? I would love to know. Also check out my Paris in pictures if you want more of these posts.
Love, Meryl
