Visiting Lille

The Town Hall of Lille
(a photo by Jim Linwood)

Lille is a city with population of 226,000 people, situated in Northern France, close to the border with Belgium. Together with the neighbor cities of Hellemmes and Lomme, it forms a large cross-border metropolis, including many other smaller communes and inhabited by more than 1.9 million people. Many Europeans are attracted by the privileged location of Lille, its high standard of living, economic development, cultural life and festive energy. Having more than 14.000 new citizens since the last census in 1999, the city is the second most rapidly growing one in Europe. Thousands of tourists visit Lille too and largely contribute to its cultural diversity and good reputation.

Many historic houses, monuments and churches have survived to remember for the glorious past of Lille, classified as "a city of culture and history" in 2004. According to a legend it was founded in 640 AD. The archaeological investigations in the area prove that first people came here 2000 BC. The counts of Flanders choose the site of the present day city for their residence and built here a castle.

The City Centre
(a photo by nostra999)

The name Lille cames from "l'Isla" or "The Island", as the ancient settlement occupied the only steady land within large marshes. The first written historic document in which Lille is mentioned dates back to 1066.

The must-see sights in Lille include the Citadelle - a large fortress and parkland, representing a wonderful example of the 17th century fortification architecture; the Vieille Bourse reminding the time of the Spanish occupation of Lille and representing an ideal example of the fruitful mixtures between the Spanish and the Flemish cultural styles; the Grand Palace which has a focal place in the city’s life and features a remarkable statue, called "Deesse", erected in honor of the strong resistance of Lille against the Austrian Empire in the last decade of 18th century; the Porte de Paris; the rue de la Monnaie where ancient coins were minted and the Palais Rihour which once a residence of the Dukes of Burgundy. The palace was destroyed by a huge fire in 1916 and only a small part remained to remember for its previous splendour and to house the Tourist Office of Lille.