Braderie & Gastronomy : Lille Steals the Show This Fall | M6 | 66 minutes

Once snubbed and sometimes even mocked, Lille has become a city to be reckoned with. Its friendly locals, rich heritage and hearty food are winning more and more people over. So much so that Parisians, and even people from the south of France, are moving there, drawn by the relaxed pace of life and property prices three times lower than in Paris. People like Cyril and Chloé, both 30, who decided to leave the capital to raise their first child in Lille. For thousands of students like Léo, who is starting at EDHEC business school, the end of the summer break means a race against the clock.

After Paris and Lyon, Lille has the largest student population in France: 130,000. With his mom’s help, Léo has to find somewhere to live, whatever it takes. Eliott is only 16, but he has known exactly what he wanted since he was five: he is France’s youngest carillonneur. He restores these bell instruments to keep a great northern tradition alive. Over on the Grand Place, 24-year-old Mathilde is taking on a major challenge: opening a new 300-seat restaurant, her very first business. In the land of fries and Welsh rarebit, she has set out to teach Lille locals to eat healthy, balanced meals. But nothing goes according to plan. As for Carine and Jean-Pierre, they’re getting ready for their 18th Lille Braderie with their 32-year-old son. The giant flea market draws 2 million visitors every year. But they won’t be there as tourists: like thousands of locals, they use the Braderie to clear out their attic and their home.

Their goal? To make a few hundred euros ahead of Christmas shopping. And, of course, to enjoy the famous moules-frites…