What can you actually buy at the Braderie in Lille? It is a fair question. You hear about Europe's enormous flea market, millions of visitors and streets...
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The Braderie in Lille
Once a year, on the first weekend of September, Lille turns into the biggest flea market in Europe and I turn into a man carrying a lamp he did not need. The Braderie is glorious chaos: miles of stalls, mountains of mussel shells and two million people elbowing for a bargain. Delphine has done it since she was a child, so I have let her write the rules here: what to buy, where to sleep, and how to survive it like a true Ch’ti.
Where to stay for the Lille Braderie : hotels, neighbourhoods and smart alternatives
The Braderie de Lille pulls in more than 2 million visitors over one weekend, and the best hotels for the Lille Braderie sell out months ahead. Booking late...
Our 10 tips for experiencing the Braderie de Lille like a true Ch’ti
Every first weekend of September, Lille turns into Europe's biggest flea market. Between bargain hunters, mussels and chips, and pedestrian streets as far as...
The Lille Braderie, exactly as I live it: the atmosphere, the chine and getting here from London
Once a year, my city turns into the largest flea market in Europe, and for two days you'll hear singing from an open window, smell mussels on every terrace,...