Lille

Lille may be France’s most underrated metropolis. Recent decades have seen the country’s fourth-largest city (by greater urban area) transform from an industrial centre into a glittering cultural and commercial hub.

Wandering the old town streets and admiring the Flemish renaissance architecture might be one of the greatest pleasures the city has to offer, but together with a handful of solid art museums, excellent shopping and hearty, scrumptious cuisine, Lille is northern France’s biggest city in not only terms of size, but also cultural offerings.