Lille

Once an industrial powerhouse, Lille has reinvented itself as one of France's most vibrant and underrated cities — a Flemish-influenced northern gem with magnificent baroque architecture, one of France's finest art museums in the Palais des Beaux-Arts, a lively student population, excellent beer culture, and the annual Braderie flea market that draws two million visitors. Just one hour from Paris, London, and Brussels by high-speed train, Lille punches well above its weight.