Standing on the banks of the Deûle River close to France's
northernmost border with Belgium, the city of Lille dates back to
the tenth century when the Counts of Flanders built a castle on an
'island' of dry land entirely surrounded by marshes. Over the next
two centuries L'isla ('the island') grew from a settlement into a
city with an estimated ten thousand inhabitants and rose to
prominence as a centre of trade and industry, gaining prosperity
initially from textile production and later from coal and
mining.
Lille's prosperity endured until the nineteen-eighties, when
traditional industries began to decline. Consequently Lille
embarked on an extensive programme of urban regeneration, embracing
its wealth of historic buildings, landmarks and architecture and
adding new public parks, galleries, museums, entertainment venues
and shops.
The introduction of a high-speed rail service to Paris, itself
connected to Britain by the new Channel Tunnel, in the 1990s
cemented Lille's transformation into a desirable destination for
visitors; an easily accessible, friendly and handsome city rich in
culture, history and attractions.
Today, visitors can discover Lille's beautiful
Flemish-influenced 'old town', admire the stunning central Grande
Place and its surrounding historic buildings, be inspired by
artworks both classical and modern in galleries such as the Musee
des Beaux Arts or Musee d'Art Moderne or simply relax in one of
Lille's many attractive parks and gardens.