Lille is a good city. The first positive is that the French are SO kind and friendly in Lille. Most locals are open to talk to foreigners and are more accepting of non-French speakers than in the rest of France. Also, there are so many students and this means that there are good parties around town. Another positive is that the city has a good location for travel lovers, as it is well connected to the rest of Europe with affordable trains, flights and buses. On the downside, the weather is quite rainy and depressing most of the year, it is tough to deal with sometimes. Also, the city is dead on Sundays, meaning that it can get boring for people who like to go outside.
You guys seem so kind, sweet, relaxed, and genuine humanbeings. France is on my bucket list. It's such a gorgeous and peaceful country. Love from New Zealand 🇳🇿🇳🇿❤️❤️💖💖
Aww 🥰 thanks Smit. That’s really sweet of you. We would recommend anyone to visit France at least once in their life. There is so much to see and do, from beautiful wine valleys, sea caves and natural arches, prehistoric settlements and cave art, all the way to all of the obvious Paris, museums and attractions. There’s so much to do! ❤️
I spent this summer in Lille. I studied at Université Catholique de Lille. Absolutely fell in love with the city. Such a great atmosphere. Very relaxed and laid-back. Great nightlife as well (rue de Solferino), as another commenter mentioned!
Hi Ethan! That’s awesome, what a cool city to study in! And being in France you can explore Europe so easily with the amazing train network throughout!!
Thank you guys for this lovely video that really highlighted the perks of this city I live in ;) Just a few words about the cathedral : it is really a monument to see, especially when it's sunny. The facade (with the "scaffoldings") is actually made of a special type of marble which lets the light comes in and creates beautiful, beautiful spots of colors on the floor inside. Another really special story about this facade is all the iron work you can observe on the main doors. Every little "'statue" on it is different and have been made by Georges Jeanclos, a brilliant sculptor who finished his work just before dying. He never got to see the door built in the facade.
I actually have social anxiety and traveling to London in October with my mother.looking for a day trip to France leave in morning return at night ..I was having trouble deciding a city but this video has made my decision..thank you 😅from NYC🍻
If you don't like crowds don't come to Lille on the first weekend of September then. That's when the Braderie is, the biggest "garage sale" in Europe. Most streets are filled with 2 or 3 million people from all over Europe. 😊
What a lovely place to visit. Certainly looks more chilled out than Paris at the height of the tourist season! Another great job guys, thank you for sharing 👍🏻
I love Lille because its the birth place of Charles de Gaulle, when I visited his house my tears went out MERCI Charles, you are my greatest Hero, you are the glory of our Nation 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 Charles de Gaulle is the greatest human being of all times
Hi Annaëlle 👋🏼 so glad we could visit one of your favourites! We actually passed through Strasbourg when heading to Paris from Heidelberg but we didn’t stay. Next time we will make a point to stop 😉
The Citadelle is a military barracks, so you cannot visit the centre. Also to one side of the Citadelle (by the access road to the barracks) is a small zoo which closes over the winter but I managed to visit it in May 2023, followed by a walk around the Citadelle. I find Lille a fascinating and interesting city and have just booked for another visit there later in 2024. Can't wait.....
The first church (Saint Maurice) is where my grand-parents got married....1943....it was war. The elastic of my grandmother's panties broke when she came out on the peron. She picked it up and put it in her wedding purse. no one saw anything. She spent the whole day without panties under her wedding dress....9 months later my mother was born ...🙂
I've been travelling around France and came to Lille last week. Was just about to go out now to explore and decided to look for videos. This was a nice overview of Lille! I'll be going to Hanks as well today. Actually LIlle seems to have quite a few great vegan places :) So far Annie's Kitchen has been the best!
Someone may have already commented this but Lille was part of Flanders until the 1600s under Louis XIV (not certain on exactly when), so I'm sure that had an impact on the architecture of Lille and the region in general. That influence remained well after Lille became French. For instance, in the suburban neighborhoods or municipalities around Lille that developed mostly before and again after WW1, you'll find brick rowhouses like you can find throughout Belgium, that were also build during the same decades. Bailleul is perhaps the most neo-Flemish of all the French towns near Belgium. But I've always found that architecture in France can be very regional anyway--this part near Belgium looks nothing like Alsace near Germany, which looks very different from Provence and the French Riviera near Italy (Liguria), which looks nothing like Brittany in the northwest, which looks nothing like the Basque Country in the southwest, which looks nothing like some towns in Savoy/French Alps.
I lived in Lille for 2 years. I proudly say that Lille is one of the best cities in Europe to live, study and travel. It's much better than Paris in quality of life. Truly an underrated city ❤
Funny how you guys talked about the cathedral, most Lille habitant actually hate the way it looks. For a nice restaurant you can found any king of dish in rue de Gand. including the typical "estaminet" which is a sort of friendly and very welcoming place to eat at with all the meals coming from the north of france/ and belgium. For a night out you can go to rue Royal or avenue du peuple belge, there is plenty of nice bars and it's still in the old city. You could also try to found out if somthing is planed for the evening in "La gare saint sauveur", an old train station repurposed as a museum and bar where bands play all sort of music.
Phenomenal presentation, great eye candy, intelligent, soulful, a perfect respite. Thank you so much! I look forward to discovering your channel further. Subscribed!👏👏👏❤️🌹🙏🏼🎯
Im french and BEWARE ! The most horribles cities in France : Marseille, Bordeaux, Paris, Toulouse ! And the best ones : Strasbourg, Lille, Chamonix, Nantes, Lyon !!!! ;)
@@cjexplores your welcome and please visit and tell what you think of chamonix and Strasbourg ! ♡ You deserve a new sub ! ME ! Ahah ;) thx you are so cute ! ♡
Love this! I did a semester abroad in Lille and it was one of my favourite times of my life - such a laid back city. There are many universities in Lille so lots and lots of students, and lots of bars near Rue Solferino for them to drink in :D To answer your question - on Sundays lots of locals go to the Wazemmes market and then enjoy the food they've purchased in nearby bars and cafes :) La Citadel is one of my favourite parks ever, so fun to hire one of the bikes and just ride around it. Enjoy your travels 🌞
@@natasharose-williams6479 oh amazing. So glad we could jog some nice memories for you ❤️ Lille is such a chill city and definitely one we will remember if we ever want a quick and easy French break from the UK 😉 where did you visit from? Sounds like we need to go back and see the Wazemmes market on a Sunday 😁
@@cjexplores Yeah it's lovely and so well connected so a good base to explore from! I'm from the UK but could rarely afford the Eurostar so did lots of overnight Flixbuses haha - not ideal but a good cheap option if you're not in a rush! Yes definitely, I hope to go back at some point too💕 Looking forward to seeing where you go next!
@@natasharose-williams6479 our next adventure is already live and it’s not far from Lille 😉 sounds like you travel a bit like us 😅 we try to keep costs down too!
Thank you for an excellent video! Very informative. What are your thoughts about Expat seniors living in France? As retired educators (we helped a new school open in Lviv - Aug-Dec), we are exploring Poland (Dec-Jan), Estonia (Feb), and possibly France. Lille has more healthcare centers than anywhere, I've heard. Paris is beautiful and walkable. Nice too looks beautiful and welcoming. But, Nantes looks amazing also. We seek a walkable, affordable, and comfortable place to call home. My wife Cindy has MS, so calm is a required component. I grew up in Los Angeles, working & driving 24/7, so the European pace is very attractive. Thank you. Dean & Cindy
Sounds like you guys would love the slower pace of Lille. Paris is VERY busy. And I haven't heard about the healthcare centres, but if you say there are more in Lille then maybe that's a good option! However you only really need one good healthcare centre I imagine. Your dollar for retiring would go further in somewhere like Spain or Estonia I imagine, compared with France. But if that's not a major concern and you don't mind having four definitive seasons throughout the year, then Lille sounds like a good choice 👍🏼
We are 3 girls looking to get away for 3 days. We were initially looking at Paris or Amsterdam as we all live in country side need a bustling city , but this place is so attractive! However I would like any recommendations for a bustling city in north France or Belgium or Netherlands
Brussels is a fantastic city and sounds like you would really like it. It has a really good mix of art, history as well as exciting new modern experiences. Check it out here: th-cam.com/video/Nn4twQ4ArB0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=x0nzRdYwc9JEUhYr 😊
this is so helpful - love your video, it is so well done!! We are traveling here in a few weeks after running a marathon in Belgium, and we are for sure going to go to some of these places. Thank you for sharing :)
3:25 Because , before Notre Dame de la Treille there was no xathedral in Lille. Its construction, which spanned almost a hundred and fifty years, began symbolically in 1854 with the laying of a first stone and the launch of an international competition for the design of a building inspired by the "Gothic of the first half of the 13th century". Among the 41 projects submitted, the first two prizes are awarded to English projects. But the idea of entrusting the construction of a church in honor of the Virgin Mary to foreign architects of the Anglican faith raised such objections that the realization of the project ultimately fell to the Lille architect Charles Leroy. The work will take place from 1856 to... 1999 because the project was stopped many times because of financial problems, complicated relations between the commission and the architects and, of course, the two world wars ( and the 2times the city was occupied ).
Too bad you've only shown images of La Vieille Bourse in your outro. It's the most striking building of the whole area ^^ Lille's Citadel is still garrisoned. It was built by the architect Vauban and rendered totally obsolete by german long-ranged guns in WW1. Belgian similar fortresses in Liege and Namur fell in a day ^^
City I Love the most! City I lived and Studied! J'taime Lille. Btw reason why Notre dame Treille has modern face, because of restoration after atrocious world war 2! If u r still in Lille, Merveileux cake near grand place, La Capsule for craft beers, and Eateries near Rue Gand, Try Carbonade Flamande, Maroilles Cheese! Enjoy
You cannot enter the Lille citadel because this place is military land, the 43rd Infantry Regiment. Lille my city. Come back whenever you want, you are welcome among the people of Lille!!!
Would you recommend Lille for a quick weekend trip? I have a friend who went to Paris and he didn’t like it. I don’t know if Lille would be a less crowded alternative to Paris.
You only went to the old city, it is like going in Paris and only do the Westside. The most entertaining parts of Lille are probably Lille Centre and JB Lebas.But glad you liked it.
@@robintillotson5665 I think it would be really lovely for retirees. Lots of young energy and parks to walk around. Relatively flat landscape. I would be happy to retire there 😜
Yes absolutely. Everyone speaks at least a bit of English 😁 as visitors who went to bars, restaurants, attractions and our hotel we didn’t have any issues. Even the mini marts we visited were no trouble 😉
We don’t live there, nor study. BUT we have heard it’s a fantastic place to study, really great student community and as a bonus you’re only an hour away from amazing places like London, Paris and Brussels 🤩
H i Want to explore as many ww1 and ww2 places as possible in 10 days next year around france, but looking for a good central base, is this a good place for that? Also im not tight but $23 euros for a burger???? WOW im bringing beans
You'll be 30km away from the main WW1 battlefields. Many great places to visit.The canadian memorial in Vimy comes to mind. Regarding WW2, though, except for the short episode in Dunkirk (70 km north), Lille and its surroundings have not seen any battle. You'd be better inspired travelling to Normandy and its D-day museums and sights.
Hi Alex 👋🏼 thanks for your thoughts, sometimes we end up going to places we aren’t totally prepared for. I’m sure you’ve done the same! This channel is all about visiting places that are new to us and sharing our experiences 🤙🏼😊
Non in-particular. Was thinking of a weekend break in Lille but after watching your video, realised i'd be better speding a summers weekend in York. Closer, cheaper and just as nice (and no F@en! around) always a bonus LOL @@cjexplores
@@moboy4779 York is lovely. The UK really has so much to offer, there’s history, natural beauty, amazing coastal paths and fantastic mountains to climb. What more could you want!
@@moboy4779 thanks mate! Appreciate it. We have a fair amount of content from the UK. Road trips through Wales, Scotland, Isle of Wight etc. and then heaps of content from Cornwall as that’s where we were mainly based while there ☺️
lol it looks like that cause they mostly walked. there is the palais de beaux arts, the museum with the second largest art collection in France after the louvre, the musée de l'hospice comptese, musée d'histoire naturelle, the musée d'art moderne, musée la piscine in nearby Roubaix and the musée de l'institut pasteur. the nightlife is AMAZING between rue solférino and rue massena, and there is a rich cultural life. nearby there are amazing cities and places like Arras, Dunkerque (Famous for its ww2 history) and amiens. bruges in Belgium is 1h away by bus, brussels in 1h30 by bus and 30 mins in train, Amsterdam is 3:30 hours away by bus and 1:30h in train. ofc it is not a big city like Paris, but it has everything, from museums to an amazing night life, the city is filled with young ppl and students, people here have actually been classified as the kindest in france. been living here for almost a year now as a foreigner and I'm in complete love with the city, don't say its "dull" when you have not done ur research LOL
you did not just said "lille is amazing" i go there for work and rn a formation i can't go a quarter time without being asked money fr it mostly stink bcz of homeless pissibg everywhere and it's all dirty fr ig i did not explore the whole métropole but man i won't by my will
Totally depends on what you focus on, of course there are bad parts of every settlement you visit and it's the lens through which you experience this that is your perception 😉
![โรงเรียนตอนตี 2 โคตรหลอน..!! [โรงเรียนไดเม่]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2MAEMwqVYh8/mqdefault.jpg)
Lille is a good city. The first positive is that the French are SO kind and friendly in Lille. Most locals are open to talk to foreigners and are more accepting of non-French speakers than in the rest of France. Also, there are so many students and this means that there are good parties around town. Another positive is that the city has a good location for travel lovers, as it is well connected to the rest of Europe with affordable trains, flights and buses. On the downside, the weather is quite rainy and depressing most of the year, it is tough to deal with sometimes. Also, the city is dead on Sundays, meaning that it can get boring for people who like to go outside.
Well thought out comment Leonidas, thanks for your time 😊 we noticed that on Sundays too!
is there a way to be in the know about the parties?
You guys seem so kind, sweet, relaxed, and genuine humanbeings. France is on my bucket list. It's such a gorgeous and peaceful country. Love from New Zealand 🇳🇿🇳🇿❤️❤️💖💖
Aww 🥰 thanks Smit. That’s really sweet of you. We would recommend anyone to visit France at least once in their life. There is so much to see and do, from beautiful wine valleys, sea caves and natural arches, prehistoric settlements and cave art, all the way to all of the obvious Paris, museums and attractions. There’s so much to do! ❤️
I spent this summer in Lille. I studied at Université Catholique de Lille. Absolutely fell in love with the city. Such a great atmosphere. Very relaxed and laid-back. Great nightlife as well (rue de Solferino), as another commenter mentioned!
Hi Ethan! That’s awesome, what a cool city to study in! And being in France you can explore Europe so easily with the amazing train network throughout!!
@Ethan Studied in IESEG?
@@afrench4683 Non, je n'ai pas étudié à l'IESEG. J'ai suivi des cours à la faculté de droit dans le cadre du programme d'été européen.
Désolé, pour plus de clarté, la faculté de droit de l'université Catholique de Lille
Thank you guys for this lovely video that really highlighted the perks of this city I live in ;)
Just a few words about the cathedral : it is really a monument to see, especially when it's sunny. The facade (with the "scaffoldings") is actually made of a special type of marble which lets the light comes in and creates beautiful, beautiful spots of colors on the floor inside.
Another really special story about this facade is all the iron work you can observe on the main doors. Every little "'statue" on it is different and have been made by Georges Jeanclos, a brilliant sculptor who finished his work just before dying. He never got to see the door built in the facade.
Oh wow! Thank you for sharing that information with us all 🙏🏼😁
@@cjexplores my pleasure! I love how well you depicted my town, well done!
@@MsAlumna thank you 🙏🏼 it’s such a lovely gem and a great alternative to the busier French cities 🤩
And at night when the cathedral is lit up inside the light shines outward through the huge marble façade and makes it glow. It's quite pretty. 😎
Lille is so beautiful!! The streets look so peaceful and uncrowded, the parks seem nice 😍 It's a heaven for peoples with social anxiety 😆
Yes, good point 🙌🏼 if you want the French experience without the crowds, come to Lille!! ❤️
I actually have social anxiety and traveling to London in October with my mother.looking for a day trip to France leave in morning return at night ..I was having trouble deciding a city but this video has made my decision..thank you 😅from NYC🍻
Awww amazing Anthony. Glad we could help you decide ❤️ you’ll have a lovely time in Lille ✌🏼😉
If you don't like crowds don't come to Lille on the first weekend of September then. That's when the Braderie is, the biggest "garage sale" in Europe. Most streets are filled with 2 or 3 million people from all over Europe. 😊
@@BEAR8419en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braderie_de_Lille?wprov=sfla1
What a lovely place to visit. Certainly looks more chilled out than Paris at the height of the tourist season!
Another great job guys, thank you for sharing 👍🏻
So much more relaxed than Paris! The green spaces were so lovely too. Thanks for watching Tracy 🙏🏼❤️
Thank you for this great video. I lived in Lille all my childhood, and it was pleasant to re-discover my city from other's eyes.
Aww 🥰 no worries ❤️🙏🏼❤️
I love Lille because its the birth place of Charles de Gaulle, when I visited his house my tears went out
MERCI Charles, you are my greatest Hero, you are the glory of our Nation 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷
Charles de Gaulle is the greatest human being of all times
❤️❤️❤️ thank you for sharing Jean Sylvestre 🙏🏼😍
@@cjexplores my name is Jean Sylvestre, JS for the Friends, not Jean, apologies FAST 😡🤬🤬😡🤬
@@jeansylvestreromagnelli3909 edited 😬✌🏼
@@jeansylvestreromagnelli3909 tu te drogues ?
@@jessygt4414🫢
I'm French and I can say Lille is one of my favorite cities in France with Strasbourg 🇫🇷❤️
Hi Annaëlle 👋🏼 so glad we could visit one of your favourites! We actually passed through Strasbourg when heading to Paris from Heidelberg but we didn’t stay. Next time we will make a point to stop 😉
And actually I found your channel because I'm going to Australia in 2 weeks, I can't wait!
@@annaelleparty3735 oh amazing! Will you do a working holiday there?
@@cjexplores I'm going for 3 weeks for holidays, but next year I think I'm gonna do a WHV yes! 😁
@@annaelleparty3735 you will have an amazing time 🤩 we definitely miss some parts. I hope you’re going to see Western Australia??
The Citadelle is a military barracks, so you cannot visit the centre. Also to one side of the Citadelle (by the access road to the barracks) is a small zoo which closes over the winter but I managed to visit it in May 2023, followed by a walk around the Citadelle. I find Lille a fascinating and interesting city and have just booked for another visit there later in 2024. Can't wait.....
Awesome isn't it?! Thanks for the info too, very helpful for others 😊 wishing you a wonderful second trip to Lille ❤️
I'm visiting Lille next month for a couple of days and have seen a few vlogs on it, but I must say yours is the best! So much useful info. Thanks!!
Oh that's awesome to hear, thanks Chris! Glad you found it helpful!
The first church (Saint Maurice) is where my grand-parents got married....1943....it was war. The elastic of my grandmother's panties broke when she came out on the peron. She picked it up and put it in her wedding purse. no one saw anything. She spent the whole day without panties under her wedding dress....9 months later my mother was born ...🙂
🤣 well well well, what a wonderful story! Not sure your grandmother would like that you’re sharing that with the world 🤣🙈
@@cjexplores She passed away in 2014, she was 99 y/o - She laughed alot telling this story !
@@leseize26 bless her soul ❤️🙏🏼❤️
Thanks for the nice views !! Looking forward to spend the day in Lille this spring.
Nice one Nelly! Have a great day trip 😉
Lovely video! I love how you filmed and edited this one :)
Going to Lille soon so Im very excited to see all these places!
@@Taru_FinnDutch hi Taru!! 👋🏼 thanks for letting us know. Hope you’re feeling inspired to create some great Lille content too 😉
À great visit with both of you that made me discover this beautiful city and made me wish to go there ! Thanks !!!
Oh awesome, thanks Isabelle 🙏🏼❤️
I've been travelling around France and came to Lille last week. Was just about to go out now to explore and decided to look for videos. This was a nice overview of Lille!
I'll be going to Hanks as well today. Actually LIlle seems to have quite a few great vegan places :) So far Annie's Kitchen has been the best!
Oh amazing! Glad you found us and that we could be of use to you! 😊 thanks for letting us know ❤️
Someone may have already commented this but Lille was part of Flanders until the 1600s under Louis XIV (not certain on exactly when), so I'm sure that had an impact on the architecture of Lille and the region in general. That influence remained well after Lille became French. For instance, in the suburban neighborhoods or municipalities around Lille that developed mostly before and again after WW1, you'll find brick rowhouses like you can find throughout Belgium, that were also build during the same decades. Bailleul is perhaps the most neo-Flemish of all the French towns near Belgium. But I've always found that architecture in France can be very regional anyway--this part near Belgium looks nothing like Alsace near Germany, which looks very different from Provence and the French Riviera near Italy (Liguria), which looks nothing like Brittany in the northwest, which looks nothing like the Basque Country in the southwest, which looks nothing like some towns in Savoy/French Alps.
Wow, sounds like you have a fascination with architecture Ed, you should make your own videos on the topic 😉
Im going there this Monday! I was bored out of my mind and spontaneously bought a ticket! I’m so excited!
Oh amazing!! Have an epic time 😊 it's so accessible from the UK you will have a blast 🤙🏼
@@cjexplores Thank you! I definitely will 🥰
I lived in Lille for 2 years. I proudly say that Lille is one of the best cities in Europe to live, study and travel. It's much better than Paris in quality of life. Truly an underrated city ❤
Funny how you guys talked about the cathedral, most Lille habitant actually hate the way it looks.
For a nice restaurant you can found any king of dish in rue de Gand. including the typical "estaminet" which is a sort of friendly and very welcoming place to eat at with all the meals coming from the north of france/ and belgium.
For a night out you can go to rue Royal or avenue du peuple belge, there is plenty of nice bars and it's still in the old city.
You could also try to found out if somthing is planed for the evening in "La gare saint sauveur", an old train station repurposed as a museum and bar where bands play all sort of music.
Ahh fantastic, thanks for the tips and recommendations 😁
Phenomenal presentation, great eye candy, intelligent, soulful, a perfect respite. Thank you so much! I look forward to discovering your channel further. Subscribed!👏👏👏❤️🌹🙏🏼🎯
Hi Kent! Welcome to our channel! We hope you enjoy our adventures around Europe and the rest of the world 🌏
Im french and BEWARE ! The most horribles cities in France : Marseille, Bordeaux, Paris, Toulouse ! And the best ones : Strasbourg, Lille, Chamonix, Nantes, Lyon !!!! ;)
Thanks for the recommendations Bastou 🙏🏼❤️
@@cjexplores your welcome and please visit and tell what you think of chamonix and Strasbourg ! ♡ You deserve a new sub ! ME ! Ahah ;) thx you are so cute ! ♡
@@bastouneuroatypicmusic6885 we will add those to the itinerary for Europe next year 🙌🏼❤️ thank yoooou!
N'importe quoi :D
Would you recommend Nice?
Love this! I did a semester abroad in Lille and it was one of my favourite times of my life - such a laid back city. There are many universities in Lille so lots and lots of students, and lots of bars near Rue Solferino for them to drink in :D To answer your question - on Sundays lots of locals go to the Wazemmes market and then enjoy the food they've purchased in nearby bars and cafes :) La Citadel is one of my favourite parks ever, so fun to hire one of the bikes and just ride around it. Enjoy your travels 🌞
also good to see the veggie options have improved - I was there in 2017 and it was... not great food-wise haha
@@natasharose-williams6479 oh amazing. So glad we could jog some nice memories for you ❤️ Lille is such a chill city and definitely one we will remember if we ever want a quick and easy French break from the UK 😉 where did you visit from? Sounds like we need to go back and see the Wazemmes market on a Sunday 😁
@@cjexplores Yeah it's lovely and so well connected so a good base to explore from! I'm from the UK but could rarely afford the Eurostar so did lots of overnight Flixbuses haha - not ideal but a good cheap option if you're not in a rush! Yes definitely, I hope to go back at some point too💕 Looking forward to seeing where you go next!
@@natasharose-williams6479 our next adventure is already live and it’s not far from Lille 😉 sounds like you travel a bit like us 😅 we try to keep costs down too!
It was called Rijssel in former times, and it is an original flemish town.
Ahhhh thanks for the update ❤️
Im going here on a school trip, thanks for the vid ❤
Awesome! You’ll have a blast, is the school trip for history class or just a culture trip?
Thank you for an excellent video! Very informative.
What are your thoughts about Expat seniors living in France? As retired educators (we helped a new school open in Lviv - Aug-Dec), we are exploring Poland (Dec-Jan), Estonia (Feb), and possibly France.
Lille has more healthcare centers than anywhere, I've heard.
Paris is beautiful and walkable. Nice too looks beautiful and welcoming. But, Nantes looks amazing also.
We seek a walkable, affordable, and comfortable place to call home. My wife Cindy has MS, so calm is a required component. I grew up in Los Angeles, working & driving 24/7, so the European pace is very attractive.
Thank you. Dean & Cindy
Sounds like you guys would love the slower pace of Lille. Paris is VERY busy. And I haven't heard about the healthcare centres, but if you say there are more in Lille then maybe that's a good option! However you only really need one good healthcare centre I imagine. Your dollar for retiring would go further in somewhere like Spain or Estonia I imagine, compared with France. But if that's not a major concern and you don't mind having four definitive seasons throughout the year, then Lille sounds like a good choice 👍🏼
We are 3 girls looking to get away for 3 days. We were initially looking at Paris or Amsterdam as we all live in country side need a bustling city , but this place is so attractive!
However I would like any recommendations for a bustling city in north France or Belgium or Netherlands
Brussels is a fantastic city and sounds like you would really like it. It has a really good mix of art, history as well as exciting new modern experiences. Check it out here: th-cam.com/video/Nn4twQ4ArB0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=x0nzRdYwc9JEUhYr 😊
Oh Solferino, oh Lille jadore❤
❤️
Nice video! The town looks really neat and peaceful 🙂
It is, definitely worth a visit 🤩
Lille is soooo cool ❤
Such a cool city! We really enjoyed our stay there ☺️
Awesome video! Stunning city. Thx. 👀👍🏻👍🏻🍎🍨🌟🤗😃
Hi Pauline!! Thanks for watching ❤️😁🙏🏼
after going there yesterday i call Lille the Paris on a budget
It definitely suits that title 👏🏼😊
Love that the one restuarant you highlight is Vegan. Thank you!
Cheers mark! Checkout our side channel Vegan Explores for more vegan travel content 😊
this is so helpful - love your video, it is so well done!! We are traveling here in a few weeks after running a marathon in Belgium, and we are for sure going to go to some of these places. Thank you for sharing :)
Awww 🥰 thanks for that! Good on you for running a marathon!! Did you visit Brussels? We really loved it there 😁 new video dropping tomorrow 😊
@@cjexplores We are getting there in a couple of weeks!! Ill keep my eyes open for your video :)
@@chasingcultures new video just posted 😁 enjoy! ✌🏼
3:25 Because , before Notre Dame de la Treille there was no xathedral in Lille. Its construction, which spanned almost a hundred and fifty years, began symbolically in 1854 with the laying of a first stone and the launch of an international competition for the design of a building inspired by the "Gothic of the first half of the 13th century". Among the 41 projects submitted, the first two prizes are awarded to English projects. But the idea of entrusting the construction of a church in honor of the Virgin Mary to foreign architects of the Anglican faith raised such objections that the realization of the project ultimately fell to the Lille architect Charles Leroy.
The work will take place from 1856 to... 1999 because the project was stopped many times because of financial problems, complicated relations between the commission and the architects and, of course, the two world wars ( and the 2times the city was occupied ).
Wow!! What a rollercoaster 😁 thank you so much for sharing 🙏🏼
Too bad you've only shown images of La Vieille Bourse in your outro.
It's the most striking building of the whole area ^^
Lille's Citadel is still garrisoned. It was built by the architect Vauban and rendered totally obsolete by german long-ranged guns in WW1. Belgian similar fortresses in Liege and Namur fell in a day ^^
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing Sebastian 🙏🏼❤️
my city 🥰
Lovely!!
City I Love the most! City I lived and Studied! J'taime Lille. Btw reason why Notre dame Treille has modern face, because of restoration after atrocious world war 2! If u r still in Lille, Merveileux cake near grand place, La Capsule for craft beers, and Eateries near Rue Gand, Try Carbonade Flamande, Maroilles Cheese! Enjoy
Ahhh! 🤔 how interesting! Thanks for sharing 😁🙏🏼❤️
Such a cool video 😊I’m starting my studies this September on Lille and hope that everything goes well 🙏
Wishing you a wonderful time in Lille ❤️
Me too good luck to us
@@hamzanasri9414 woohoo!
You cannot enter the Lille citadel because this place is military land, the 43rd Infantry Regiment. Lille my city. Come back whenever you want, you are welcome among the people of Lille!!!
Would you recommend Lille for a quick weekend trip? I have a friend who went to Paris and he didn’t like it. I don’t know if Lille would be a less crowded alternative to Paris.
100% that’s exactly the reason why you should visit Lille! It’s very laidback, easy going and much less busy than Paris 🇫🇷
nice city.
Thanks for watching Cliff 🙏🏼
You only went to the old city, it is like going in Paris and only do the Westside. The most entertaining parts of Lille are probably Lille Centre and JB Lebas.But glad you liked it.
We only had a couple days there! But we loved it so much we will probably be back 😁 thanks for watching Nicolas 🙏🏼❤️
JB Lebas the most entertaining part of Lille? Seriously?
You Loved this French City Lille and we are already in love with your Vlogs
❤️❤️❤️🙏🏼 thank you Mohamed and family x
Love the video!! How is Lille for retirees?
@@robintillotson5665 I think it would be really lovely for retirees. Lots of young energy and parks to walk around. Relatively flat landscape. I would be happy to retire there 😜
@@cjexplores aww thanks so much. That is encouraging.
Great video, love it!
p.s. not a big deal, but mind removing your hat when inside churches :)
My pop would’ve said exactly the same thing 🤣😉 thank you 😊
Is the City safe for solo traveler?
@@SheenaLao absolutely!! Perfectly safe 😊
Hello, it’s a beautiful video, i love it!
I have a question, It’s a place safe for a women travel alone?
Hello Yann ❤️ yes we think so! It’s a very youthful city, it has a good energy and a lot of young families
Yes for Sure. Don't get drunk and walk alone in Roubaix or Villeneuve D'Ascq :)
@@afrench4683Thanks
I have been here with school
Oh fantastic! What a lovely place to be in 😁
wow
A lot smaller and more laidback than Paris 😁
Would it be feasible for a month visit for someone who doesn't speak french?
Yes absolutely. Everyone speaks at least a bit of English 😁 as visitors who went to bars, restaurants, attractions and our hotel we didn’t have any issues. Even the mini marts we visited were no trouble 😉
I'm looking to study my masters at Lille.
How is it from a student's perspective??
I'm from India 🇮🇳
We don’t live there, nor study. BUT we have heard it’s a fantastic place to study, really great student community and as a bonus you’re only an hour away from amazing places like London, Paris and Brussels 🤩
@@cjexplores awww.... thankyou so very much for sharing information... really appreciate 🙏 namaste
@@parthjk9737 no worries! All the best for your studies 🙏🏼
Was there a language barrier?
A little bit, not too bad though. We could speak to people we needed to 😉
Even for non-Northern French, it's a "cht'ti-mi" region patois, except if you go in the bourgeois hoods
Lille is not an hour from London.. its an hour from Calais and about 4 hours from London
There is a Eurostar train which runs from London to Lille and takes just over an hour 😊
H i Want to explore as many ww1 and ww2 places as possible in 10 days next year around france, but looking for a good central base, is this a good place for that? Also im not tight but $23 euros for a burger???? WOW im bringing beans
Hey Jason 👋🏼 we can’t speak to a good location for WW1 and WW2 memorials. But we can say Lille is a lovely relaxed city 😉
You'll be 30km away from the main WW1 battlefields. Many great places to visit.The canadian memorial in Vimy comes to mind.
Regarding WW2, though, except for the short episode in Dunkirk (70 km north), Lille and its surroundings have not seen any battle.
You'd be better inspired travelling to Normandy and its D-day museums and sights.
@@sebastienbouche7069 again, thank you for sharing the valuable info 🙏🏼❤️
What is your opinion, can i get a part time job easily by only knowing English?
I'm not sure on that... maybe in a hotel??
It might help to do some research about the city you are doing a vlog on? Some interesting facts would be nice, rather than guessing....
Hi Alex 👋🏼 thanks for your thoughts, sometimes we end up going to places we aren’t totally prepared for. I’m sure you’ve done the same! This channel is all about visiting places that are new to us and sharing our experiences 🤙🏼😊
where in africa is that
🤷
"Very european but beautiful nonetheless". You are considered an american barbarian when you say this!
You both came across quite bored if i'm going to be honest. Not sure i'd go there myself now.
🤣🤣🤣 who do you normally watch on TH-cam??
Non in-particular. Was thinking of a weekend break in Lille but after watching your video, realised i'd be better speding a summers weekend in York. Closer, cheaper and just as nice (and no F@en! around) always a bonus LOL @@cjexplores
@@moboy4779 York is lovely. The UK really has so much to offer, there’s history, natural beauty, amazing coastal paths and fantastic mountains to climb. What more could you want!
I couldn't agree more. Keep up the good work. You just earned a sub,@@cjexplores
@@moboy4779 thanks mate! Appreciate it. We have a fair amount of content from the UK. Road trips through Wales, Scotland, Isle of Wight etc. and then heaps of content from Cornwall as that’s where we were mainly based while there ☺️
Man it looks so dull.
Would you rather Paris?
lol it looks like that cause they mostly walked.
there is the palais de beaux arts, the museum with the second largest art collection in France after the louvre, the musée de l'hospice comptese, musée d'histoire naturelle, the musée d'art moderne, musée la piscine in nearby Roubaix and the musée de l'institut pasteur. the nightlife is AMAZING between rue solférino and rue massena, and there is a rich cultural life. nearby there are amazing cities and places like Arras, Dunkerque (Famous for its ww2 history) and amiens. bruges in Belgium is 1h away by bus, brussels in 1h30 by bus and 30 mins in train, Amsterdam is 3:30 hours away by bus and 1:30h in train.
ofc it is not a big city like Paris, but it has everything, from museums to an amazing night life, the city is filled with young ppl and students, people here have actually been classified as the kindest in france.
been living here for almost a year now as a foreigner and I'm in complete love with the city, don't say its "dull" when you have not done ur research LOL
you did not just said "lille is amazing" i go there for work and rn a formation i can't go a quarter time without being asked money fr it mostly stink bcz of homeless pissibg everywhere and it's all dirty fr ig i did not explore the whole métropole but man i won't by my will
Totally depends on what you focus on, of course there are bad parts of every settlement you visit and it's the lens through which you experience this that is your perception 😉
Toulouse is the same lol