France

Long an industrial centre, Lille's recent history shows how a grimy metropolis, its economy based on declining technologies, can - with the help of generous government investment - transform itself into a glittering and self-confident cultural hub.

Before the 20th century

Lille is said to have been founded when the local folk hero Lydéric took revenge on the dark-hearted Phinéart for killing his family. When Lydéric felled Phinéart with his axe, the then King Dagobert promptly rewarded him by instating him as administrator of Flanders. The image and story of the two 'founding fathers' now play a significant part in the cultural fabric of the city.

In reality the city was founded in the eleventh century, amid swamplands along the river Deûle as a trading centre known for its reputable weavers. Lille's name grew in importance in accordance with the reputation of its market, largely due to the patronage of the 'Countess of Flanders', Jeanne de Constantinople, who also helped deliver Lille's Hospice Comtesse.

Centuries of carnage followed. As a fortified city Lille has been besieged eleven times and has found itself passed from French to Austrian, Flemish and Spanish hands before being draped once more in red, white and blue. Each conqueror stamped their mark on the city. The stained glass windows of the church of Bouvines tell the story of Philippe Auguste's 1214 defeat of the Count of Flanders and the German emperor Otto IV. The Vieille Bourse encases the Spanish Baroque period under Charles Quint and Phillipe IV; and Vauban's masterful Citadelle stands reminder of Louis XIV's 1667 recapture of the city for France. In the eighteenth century the city faced and fended off an Austrian invasion, proving again their inherited defensive mettle.

In more recent times the waves of invasion slowed right down, allowing Lille to develop itself as a major industrial centre, based initially on the discovery of nearby coal deposits. Lille's population multiplied rapidly, enveloping nearby towns as its metropolitan area spread.

In 1846, a railway line between the city and Paris was completed; in 1854 Louis Pasteur became the University of Lille's Science Faculty Dean; and in 1890 a lanky lad named Charles de Gaulle was born into a strong-willed family of patriots, initiating another change in French history.

Modern history

German armies twice swept across the fields of Flanders in the two great wars of the twentieth century, devastating the region. The French army chose not to protect the city in WWI due to its flat, hard-to-defend landscape, leaving the city open to the invaders. In WWII the city was once more occupied by German forces, this time suffering massive structural damage from Allied bombing raids.

After WWII, the decline of the textile industry in the fifties threatened the economy of the city, which decided to instead focus on services (administration, banking, universities). In 1966 the Communauté Urbaine (CUDL) decided to combine the population of Lille with those of the 26 nearby towns, creating the fourth largest city in France. Lille then returned to its traditional role as a business centre and chose to open itself up to Europe in 1993 with the integration of the TGV high-speed train network.

Recent history

In 1994 a new business quarter 'Euralille' was opened and the north European TGV lines came into effect, closing the time gap between the city and Paris to one hour. Lille (along with Genoa) was named the European Capital of Culture in 2004, setting off an unprecedented round of restoration and self-promotion from the city purse-holders.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Despite the low-to-middling year-round temperatures, Lille does enjoy the odd exception of a hot summer or mild winter. Morning humidity is relatively high and rainfall is relatively low all year. In a nutshell, Lille's weather never strays too far from a 'pleasant' climate, even during the absolute depths of winter.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting around

There are plans afoot to pedestrianise virtually the whole of Lille's city centre in 2006 or 2007. There are public tram and bus lines run by Transpole (tel: 08 20 42 40 40), several of which cross into Belgium. For pedal power, the not-for-profit Ch'ti Vélo rents city bikes for 5.00 per day.

Getting there and away

Eurolines (tel: 03 20 78 18 88) run European bus services from the unmarked parking lane on rue de Turin, on the northeast side of Lille-Europe Station.

Driving into and out of greater Lille is incredibly confusing, even with a good map, but if you do want to get behind the wheel, plenty of car hire options exist.

Lille's two train stations are one stop apart on metro line No 2. Lille-Flandres Station is used by almost all regional services and most TGVs to Paris' Gare du Nord. Lille-Europe Station - topped by what looks like a 20-storey ski boot - handles pretty much everything else, including Eurostar trains to London and TGVs/Eurostars to Brussels.