When Northern France comes to mind to many French people, they often think and associate it with its rainy, cold, gloomy weather. Indeed, it can be often damp in Lille and rain showers happen rather frequently. This region’s météo (weather) was even mocked in a popular French comedy film called Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis.
As a resident of Haut-de-France region myself for at least two years, I have already come to love the wide variety of weather all year round. And why not: in the part of tropical Southeast Asian country where I used to live, it also rains a lot.
So, the weather in Lille Métropole actually ne me gêne pas. Yes, it does not bother me at all. Thank goodness!
What to do in Lille when it’s raining
Nevertheless, here is a list of things to do in Lille when it’s raining (aside from staying home):
- Find a chic café to enjoy a cup of coffee or chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) and a croissant or pain au chocolat to make a perfectly pleasant rainy day. I often do this while doing some work. I really enjoy it, especially when the café has a vitrine where I can watch the rain, the old Flemish buildings, and the passersby outside while occasionally browsing my feed on social media to get a dose of what’s happening with my friends and the world. It’s cozy!
- Visit a shopping mall to do some shopping or window shopping, or to buy your groceries, then enjoy your time in a café after. I often go to Euralille or more preferably, to Lillenium, Lille’s most underrated shopping centre. I enjoy going to Lillenium as it is a modern mall with clear, glass ceilings and is often less crowded than Euralille. It also has an Action where I could do some shopping on a budget. Both malls have cafés with power outlets but if you intend on going in to one, I would recommend Columbus or Le Club cafés in Lillenium.
- Visit a museum and be more cultured. I rarely do this, but I did enjoy visiting the La Piscine – Musée d’art et d’industrie in the Roubaix, and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille. Fortunately, Lille has many modes of public transport — buses, metros, tramways, etc — available so it is easy to move around when it is raining. Visiting museums is excellent because they can quickly kill your time if you are bored if you spend time appreciating each exposition and actually learning something.
- Visit a médiathèque (public library) and read some books or spend them polishing your French there.
- Have Japanese ramen for lunch. Oh, I love to do this! It feels so good to have hot Japanese ramen when it is rainy and windy in Lille. I often go to The Market foodcourt at Les Tanneurs shopping centre near Lille’s Grand Place to have a bowl of happiness for lunch.
- Watch a film in the cinema. I have yet to do this because I often just stay home and watch movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime. However, I can imagine this is a great thing to do especially when you have friends who can tag along with you to watch a fun movie.
Got something to add? How do you spend your time when it is raining outside? Share in the comments below!
Find a hotel near Lille
About Author
