Day Trip To Lille, France

Lille is a very charming city with beautiful architecture, art galleries, and a vibrant culinary scene. It’s the perfect haven for food and art lovers.

Lille is great for a spontaneous day trip or overnight stay any time of the year.

However, visiting this quaint city over the Christmas period will give your day trip to Lille an extra spark with its cosy Christmas market and festive Ferris wheel.

Here is 10 Things you can do on a day trip in Lille, France.

1. Climb The Beffroi de Lille For City Views

The Beffroi de Lille was where I decided to start my day. It was built in 1932, and listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

I purchased tickets on arrival and started my climb of 400 steps. Alternatively, you can take the lift. However, I knew I would be eating a lot during the day, so I decided to get my steps in and burn a few extra calories.

Along the way, you can read information and the history of the Beffroi de Lille until you finally reach the top for an unobstructed view of the city from different angles.

Ticket Cost £7

2. Indulge In An Iconic Waffle At Meert

Meert is a pastry shop that has been going since the 18th century.

The Meert waffle also known as Gaufre Fourree has been an icon since 1849 and is a must-try on your day trip to Lille

The Gaufre Fourree is a stuffed waffle with sugar and Madagascan vanilla cream and OMG it was to die for.

When I arrived at Meert I was hoping to sit in the tea room to have a coffee and waffle but, I was a little too early as the Tea Room did not open until noon. I was so eager to try I decided to get a Gaufre Fourree to go!

3. Enjoy Beer Cocktails & Local Cheese

France is usually known for its good wines, but in Lille, craft beer takes first place. The beer culture in Lille is big and, they have a variety of flavours to choose from.

One of the things I loved was the concept of beer cocktails. Two of my favourite flavours of the day were Stella with gin and bubble gum liquor, followed by Stella with rum and banana liquor. They were pretty strong but very refreshing.

A fun thing you can do in the evening is go on a self-guided bar crawl or a tasty treasure hunt to discover city secrets and taste local specialities.

Don’t forget to try out some local cheeses too. Mimolette is a cheese traditionally produced around the city of Lille so be sure to add this cheese to your food bucket list. This went down a treat with my beer cocktail.

4. Have An Epic Tour In An Iconic Citroen 2CV

Take a tour of Lille in the iconic Citroen 2CV and enjoy the beauty of the streets. I booked this experience through GetYourGuide. I found the meeting spot hard to locate but I contacted the guide and we found each other soon enough.

I had a blue Citroen 2CV and unfortunately, my day in Lille decided to rain so I could not have the roof rolled back the whole time. But for a short time on my tour, I got to enjoy the rolled back roof.

This was a fun tour to get my bearings on the city in a short space of time and see key sites and attractions.

You can opt for anything from a 30-minute-1.5hr slot. I opted for the 30-minute drive to just get a feel for the city and experience being in the iconic Citroen 2CV.

Tickets from £25

5. Soak Up The Atmosphere at The Grand Place

The Grand Place is the heart of the city and a great place to start or end your day trip to Lille.

It’s a great place to just walk around and get the feel of the city. It has many restaurants and home to the stunning Old Stock Exchange building.

During the Christmas period, you will also be able to admire the big Christmas tree and enjoy the Lille Christmas market.

The market is filled with vendors selling all types of festive crafts, drinks, and foods to bring you into the festive spirit.

The market was smaller than I imagined, but what it lacked in size, it made up in cosines and had a magic feel of Christmas.

But I have to say my favourite part about visiting Lille during the Christmas period was the Festive Ferris wheel. It gave a magical end to my evening, providing me with great views over the Grand Place main square.

Ferris Wheel Cost 6 Euro.

6. Go Inside The Old Stock Exchange

The Old Stock Exchange also known as the Vieille Bourse is a must-see landmark in Lille. This stunning building was built in 1623 and was a stock exchange where merchants would meet and do business.

Upon arrival to the building today you will come across a courtyard where you will see tables set up with book sellers selling an array of old books and comics.

Although I never ended up buying any of the books it was nice to rummage through looking at what was on offer. Most of the books are in French but a some can be found in a different languages.

In the summer I was also told by a local that Tango dancing evenings happen inside the courtyard so that is something to look out for if you are visiting Lille in the warmer months.

Please also note that the Old Stock Exchange is open Tuesday-Sunday.

7. Try The Welsh

The Welsh was a dish that kept popping up time and time again on must-try foods in Lille across the net. And through research funnily enough this dish traditionally originated in Wales but imported itself to France in 1944, becoming a staple dish in Lille.

The Welsh dish is a fusion of bread, ham, and beer topped with melted cheese accompanied with chips and salad.

Having such high hopes for the dish I must admit I was a little underwhelmed. On the portion side, it over-delivered but on the taste, well… it was just OK, but felt like it was one of those when in Rome moments and that is why I have added it to the list.

Plus the dish was originally called “Welsh rabbit” as it was a low-quality substitute for rabbit meat so I guess I can’t complain about the food quality ay.

However, the food scene as a whole in Lille has a lot to offer. It’s a city full of enticing eateries from unfussy home-cooked Flemish food to Michelin-star restaurants.

8. Marvel At Art In The Many Galleries & Museum

Art galleries are on every street corner in Lille and are free to enter. I stumbled across so many and browsed at art throughout the day.

If you are into museums a must-visit is the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille It’s one of the largest art museums in France dedicated to fine arts, modern art, and antiquities. I spent a good while in this museum exploring all of the floors.

9. Admire The Beautiful Churches of Lille

Lille has a strong heritage of Catholicism and houses some beautiful churches and cathedrals.

Visiting a church on a day trip to Lille may seem like a weird thing to do but after walking around in Lille taking in the sites I came across a few churches along the way that stopped me in my tracks due to the beautiful architecture on the exterior which led me inside to discover the interior which turned out to be stunning.

I would recommend visiting the Lille Cathedral Notre Dame de la Treille and the Église Saint-Maurice de Lille.

Please remember to be respectful when inside as you will find people praying or lighting candles.

10. Coffee & Patisserie Break

No day trip to Lille is complete without a sweet treat or two. Lille has coffee shops and patisseries on everywhere you look offering endless options of sweet treats.

I have to say I was being pulled into shops with the enticing cakes in the window every few steps.

Every shop I went into the sweet treats were intricately designed and beautiful to the eye as well as the belly.

So make sure to stop a few times in the day for a quick expresso and sweet treat! It’s a must-do.

Getting There

By Train- 80-minute Direct Eurostar from London St Pancras from £78 Return

Additional Info

Language: French

Currency: Euro

Country Entry Requirements https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements

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