Lille may not have the glamour of Paris but there is more than enough to pack into a weekend break. Having had a big cash injection as the Euro Capital of Culture in 2004, the city's gorgeous buildings lining the cobbled street have never looked so good. Wander around the Palais des Beaux-Arts and marvel at the Monets and Van Goghs, check out the panthers and rhinos at Parc Zoologique de Lille in the centre of the city, snap up some bargains at L'Usine in Roubaix (which sells discount designer wear) or haggle hard at the Wazemmes market on a Sunday morning.
Where to lay your head? The luxurious Hotel L'Hermitage Gantois in the heart of Lille has a gourmet restaurant, corridors sparkling with antiques and chandelliers and seriously comfy bedrooms.
