About Lille

Lille really deserves its title of City of Heritage and Art. Besides its colourful Flemish architecture and its narrow ornamented facades, Lille has a rich and varied heritage.

Lille has had a stormy history (it has been besieged no fewer than 11 times). In fact, the city only became definitely part of France just over 300 years ago. The town, whose name is derived from the French l'île (‘the island'), thus named because it was situated on an island in the Deûle River, started life as a small village founded by the Flemish in about 1030. Before the end of the 11th century, the village had grown into a town and had been fortified by Count Baldwin IV of Flanders. Before the end of the century, it became a leading textile producer.

Today Lille is the most important city in northern France, and the fourth biggest overall in the country. It has a very young population, and a vibrant cultural scene. The Eurostar connection with London has made it easier than ever to access from the UK.
Access to and around Lille could not be any more easier by air, road or rail. Lille lies at the heart of North-West Europe. Europe's most advanced rail network passes through Lille. Train stations "Lille Europe" and "Lille Flandre" are located in the town centre and only 5 minutes from city center with boutiques or Lille Grand Palais. Tourists can travel from London to Lille in 2 hours, Brussels 38 minutes and Paris 1 hour, via the Eurotunnel and EuroStar.