Lille is a major city in northern France, with about 238,000 people in the city itself and a much larger cross-border metropolitan area stretching toward Belgium. First documented in 1066, it grew as a Flemish trading city before passing through Burgundian, Habsburg and Spanish rule and becoming French under Louis XIV in the 17th century. Today Lille is best known for its red-brick Flemish architecture, student life, markets, beer culture and strong position as a rail hub between Paris, Brussels and London. Key sights include the Grand Place, the Vieille Bourse, the old streets of Vieux-Lille, Notre-Dame de la Treille, the Palais des Beaux-Arts and the citadel built by Vauban. Getting in and around is straightforward via Lille-Flandres and Lille-Europe railway stations, the metro, trams and buses, with Lille Airport and fast TGV/Eurostar links connecting the city to the wider region.

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