Braderie de Lille

The Braderie de Lille, in the Nord, takes place every year on the first weekend of September and draws between two and three million visitors. It is considered the largest flea market in Europe: nearly 100 kilometres of pavements are taken over by sellers, local residents or second-hand dealers from all over Europe.

The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when valets won the right to sell their masters' old clothes and objects once a year. Visitors stroll the streets day and night to browse, hunt for bargains or eat mussels and chips, whose empty shells pile up in heaps on the pavements.

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