Braderies and car boot fairs

Car boot sales , street markets , bric à brac, flea markets, swap stalls, garage sales, clear-outs... all over the Nord private individuals - and sometimes professional traders too - get together to sell, at low prices, furniture, trinkets and old or even more modern items. You'll find these outdoor markets in nearly every town or village and they always attract large numbers of people, like the one in Maroilles .

And of course in Lille as well, where the famous Braderie , the largest such gathering in France, attracts millions of visitors every year on the first weekend in September! Tens of kilometres of pavement are taken up with displays of antiques, furniture, crockery, clothing, toys, games and a host of other assorted items, and visitors stroll about, nosing around, searching out bargains and tucking into mussels and chips.