Northeast France Itinerary: Lille, Metz, Nancy and Alsace

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Most visitors to France stick to Paris, Normandy and Provence. The northeast gets overlooked, even though it has real cities, serious history and very good food, without the crowds. In episode 621, I talk with Jennifer Hanniman, a Canadian who lives in the south of the Netherlands and drives into the region often, about how to build a northeast France itinerary that makes the most of your time.

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Lille: A Real City and a Good Base

Lille is a big university city with a young, lively feel, and it isn’t a tourist town. That matters, because restaurants there don’t take visitors for granted, even near the Grand Place.

Walk the Vieux Lille, with its independent shops, cafés and vintage stores. Browse the book stalls at the Vieille Bourse, the old stock exchange. Give the Palais des Beaux-Arts more time than you planned: it’s one of the larger art museums outside Paris. There’s a market on Sunday mornings, and Lille stays partly open on Sundays, which is not a given in smaller towns. Grocery stores still close at noon, though.

Big concerts and sporting events come to Lille, so check who’s playing while you’re in the area. An event is a good excuse to stay a few extra days.

Hotel and Parking We Mentioned in Lille

Parking Nouveau Siècle: 19 Pl. Pierre Mendès France, 59000 Lille and the hotel very close to that parking garage is the Novotel Lille Centre Grand-Place.

What to Eat in Lille

Go to an estaminet, a Flemish tavern serving hearty regional food. Order the carbonade, a beef stew cooked in beer with a slightly sweet-sour taste, or waterzooi, a soup made with fish or chicken that originated in Ghent.

The best restaurant moules-frites I’ve ever had was at Aux Moules de Lille, just off the Grand Place. The sauce was good, but the mussels were the point: big and juicy, imported from the Netherlands. Jennifer also recommends Café Vedette for lunch, Artisan Gelato, Mamet for Sunday brunch, and Maison Papillon for early-morning pastries.

WWI Sites: The Heart of a Northeast France Itinerary

Lille sits between the major Canadian and Commonwealth WWI sites in France and Belgium. You need a car unless you book an organized tour.

For Ypres, plan a half day. Start in the afternoon, drive the loop of sites around the town, have dinner on the square, then attend the Menin Gate Last Post ceremony. It happens every night of the year, including Christmas, and ends around 8:15 PM. You’ll be back in Lille around 9.

On the French side, the two must-sees are Vimy Ridge, about 30 minutes from Lille, and Beaumont-Hamel, more than an hour away. Jennifer starts at Beaumont-Hamel, the farthest point, stops in Arras for lunch, and finishes at Vimy before heading back to Lille. If you’re continuing on to Normandy and Juno Beach, reverse the order and end your day on the coast. At Vimy, take the tours with the Canadian student guides; they’re excellent. For the history, listen to episode 519.

Metz Is Underrated

Metz has direct trains from Paris and Strasbourg, so you don’t need a car. The architecture changes as you walk, from the castle-like Porte des Allemands to the old town to the grander streets near the train station. The cathedral’s stained glass is outstanding, and the Temple Neuf is beautiful at night. On a warm evening, Place Saint-Louis has salsa dancing. I loved the Centre Pompidou-Metz, and Jennifer did too, even though modern art isn’t her thing.

Shops close on Sundays, so shop on Saturday and save Sunday for museums and walking. For dinner, book ahead at Martina Ristorante. Metz also works well as a stop on a loop through Luxembourg, where fuel was about 30 cents a liter cheaper when Jennifer checked, then Trier’s Roman sites and the Moselle vineyards. Elyse and I have a full episode on Metz coming up: episode 625.

Hotels We Recommend in Metz

Ibis Style Novotel Metz Centre or the Ibis Styles Metz Centre.

Nancy: Timing Is Everything

Nancy has Place Stanislas, the Art Nouveau of the École de Nancy, and the Villa Majorelle. But Jennifer went over New Year’s, and the city was dead. They found only two restaurants open in the whole downtown, and the wet cold got to her, even though she’d just come from Ottawa. Go in the summer instead. Days can get hot, but the nights cool off, which you can’t say for the southwest.

Alsace in the Summer

Most people see Strasbourg and Colmar through Christmas-market crowds and never really look at the towns. In summer, you can. Alsace is also an underrated wine region. Crémant d’Alsace is one of the best-value sparkling wines in Europe; if you like it dry, look for brut or brut nature on the label. Alsatian Riesling can be very dry too. Jennifer would give the wine area at least a week, with tastings in villages like Eguisheim.

Practical Tips for Driving the Northeast

Jennifer and I both like Accor hotels (ibis, Novotel, Mercure) for their consistency, their family rooms, and the EV chargers at many locations. Set your GPS to the parking garage you plan to use, not to the hotel. If you don’t know a city, park near the cathedral; you’ll be in the center.

Also in This Episode

In the magazine segment, I explain what happened during the October 17 protests and riots, what’s planned next, and how to arrange your trip around protest Saturdays. The short version: France is open, but avoid big city centers on Saturday afternoons for the next few weeks.

If the usual list feels too familiar, a northeast France itinerary will show you a side of the country most visitors miss. Jennifer’s hotel, restaurant and parking recommendations are in the guest notes on the episode page.

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Northeast France Itinerary: Lille, Metz, Nancy and Alsace, Episode 621