Holiday hotspot with top food & mini theme park – and you don’t have to fly

I GRAB the oozing pastry with swirls of chocolate starting to melt in the sunshine. 

And unable to wait any longer, I take a bite. Bliss. 

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I’m sitting on a sunny street in the French city of Lille, near the Belgian border, gorging myself on yet another tasty pastry, one of many delightful foods this northern city does so well.

This time it’s a pain suisse au chocolat — an even more chocolate-y version of a pain au chocolat.

And it’s heaven. 

I’ve escaped here on the Eurostar, which means that all this buttery goodness lies just an hour and 20 minutes on the train from King’s Cross St Pancras in the capital. 

I didn’t really have any plans for my adventure — and you don’t need one in Lille, a vibrant region brimming with culture, culinary treats and stunning buildings. 

Apart from its pastries, the region is famous for its moules et frites — creamy mussels served with chips — as well as the popular “Le Welsh” dish, generally toast, ham, egg and cheese melted in beer. 

While it’s unclear just how this take on Welsh rarebit made it to Lille, the locals have fully embraced it and the speciality can be found on most menus. Small restaurant A Taaable does it best.

It dishes up three cracking versions — a traditional one with Worcestershire sauce and lashings of melted, gooey cheese, as well as veggie and gluten-free versions.

Don’t worry if you can’t get a table though. Simply wander the beautiful cobbled streets and you’re guaranteed to find mouth-watering restaurants round every corner — from creperies to classic French joints with red-and-white-checked-cloth tables. 

But tucking into traditional grub is not the only perk Lille has to offer. 

The thriving art scene and rich culture is sure to keep you busy between all the meals.

One of the must-sees is the Palais des Beaux Arts gallery.

Second only to Paris’s Louvre in its collection of fine arts (it’s known as the little Louvre), its rooms have works from many world-famous artists, including Monet and Picasso. 

A highlight is the “plans-reliefs” down in the gallery’s vaults.

These are 17th and 18th century map/models of towns and their fortifications at a 1:600 scale. 

You could spend all day examining the tiny streets of Ypres and Calais and the staggering attention to detail, but there’s plenty else to keep you busy, especially if you have kids in tow. 

Near the canal is mini theme park Cita-Parc, with a shark-themed rollercoaster, mini boat racing and a tree-climbing course for tireless little ones. A short walk from there is the zoo, home to red pandas and rhinos.

If you want to tick off all the main attractions in style, then Civitatis offers tours of the city in a vintage convertible 2CV (from £34 with a glass of bubbly, civitatis.com).

We zipped around the streets with our English-speaking guide, turning heads as we rolled past in our chic and glamorous transport.

Those who prefer taking it all in at a slower pace should walk the canal around the Citadel on a Sunday afternoon — it’s a great way to capture the essence of the place. 

Strolling along the winding pavement, I’m met with French musicians belting out classic tunes on guitars, double bass and saxophones, while further along, a funk band is playing from a floating restaurant. 

And when you tire of walking, there’s plenty of places en route to stop for even more pastries, mussels and cheesy delights.

Better still, travelling by train means I can fill my suitcase with treats. 

If only I’d brought a bigger case.

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