Bordering France and Belgium, the Flemish-influenced old city, Vieux Lille, is très charmant and centers round La Grande Place, a 17th-century sq.. A visit to town is incomplete and not utilizing a stop at the Opéra de Lille (remodeled in the early 1900s after the 18th-century original went up in flames), the Palais des Beaux Arts , and Méert, a patisserie famed for its gaufres . One of the city’s greatest offerings is the accessibility of its environment, from the lavish glamour of nearby Versailles to the quaint allure of Barbizon’s artist village within the Fontainebleau Forest. Travel + Leisure…