The city was built around a castle along the Deûle River and a port. In 1858, Lille annexed the adjacent towns of Fives, Wazemmes, and Moulins. Count Ferrand died in 1233, and his daughter Marie soon after. In its earlier days, Lille had a market square and a strong urban center, which is what is now known as Old Lille. The river Deûle is connected to regional waterways with over 680 km (423 mi) of navigable waters. Lille's population was 158,000 in 1872, growing to over 200,000 by 1891. On the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord department, and the main city of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. In the late 1700s, Austrians attacked Lille, destroying many of the buildings. Lille was chosen as European Capital of Culture in 2004,[14] along with the Italian city of Genoa. Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was even more powerful than the King of France, and made Lille an administrative and financial capital. [18], A former major mechanical, food industry and textile manufacturing centre as well as a retail and finance center, Lille is the largest city of a conurbation, built like a network of cities: Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing and Villeneuve d'Ascq. The Low Countries fell to his eldest son, Philip II of Spain, in 1555. The city was known for its cotton while the nearby towns of Roubaix and Tourcoing worked wool. Lille features an array of architectural styles with various amounts of Flemish influence, including the use of brown and red brick. Employment in Lille has switched over half a century from a predominant industry to tertiary activities and services. Work on Euralille, an urban remodelling project, began in 1991. Lille has two railway stations, which stand next door to one another: Lille-Europe station (Gare de Lille-Europe), which primarily serves high-speed trains and international services (Eurostar), and Lille-Flandres station (Gare de Lille-Flandres), which primarily serves lower speed regional trains and regional Belgian trains.

In 1846, a railway connecting Paris and Lille was built.

Precipitation is plentiful year round. The fortifications around the old city have been destroyed, but the majestic archway, the Porte de Paris (1682), still stands. » ("Cellars of Lille!

starting your trip to France. In 1967, the Chambers of Commerce of Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing were joined, and in 1969< the Communauté urbaine de Lille (Lille urban community) was created, linking 87 communes with Lille. Lille (Dutch: Rijsel) is a medium-sized city in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France with a very large student population. Commune in Lille Agglomeration.

Lille was liberated by the Allies on 17 October 1918, when General Sir William Birdwood and his troops were welcomed by joyous crowds. Archeological digs seem to show the area as inhabited by as early as 2000 BC,[citation needed] most notably in the modern quartiers of Fives, Wazemmes and Vieux Lille.

Calvinism first appeared in the area in 1542, and by 1555, the authorities were taking steps to suppress that form of Protestantism. With 36 % of the population aged under 25, Lille is a vibrant, young and dynamic city. It is served by a regional airport and a river port, and it lies at the hub of an extensive network of highways. Since 2007, the city has seen growth of approximately 0.5% annually, a number that is expected to continue as more residents see the appeal of this young and vibrant city.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Lille, France metro area from 1950 to 2020. [6] In 1578, the Hurlus, a group of Protestant rebels, stormed the castle of the Counts of Mouscron. In 2019 2020, the population of the city of Lille, France is - 228 652 people. During this period, the population doubled.

When Belgium was invaded, the citizens of Lille, still haunted by the events of World War I, began to flee the city in large numbers. Lille Grand Place. In 1225, the street performer and juggler Bertrand Cordel, doubtlessly encouraged by local lords, tried to pass himself off as Baldwin I of Constantinople (the father of Jeanne of Flanders), who had disappeared at the battle of Adrianople. In the early the 19th century, Napoleon I's continental blockade against the United Kingdom led to Lille's textile industry developing even more fully. The city continued to grow and, by 1800, had some 53,000 residents, leading to Lille becoming the seat of the Nord départment in 1804. Lille is the third-largest French river port after Paris and Strasbourg. Copyright Lille is also a major research centre, specializing in fields such as medicine (the Pasteur Institute and the laboratories of pharmaceutical companies) and electronics. Lille developed rapidly in the 19th century and became a centre of industrial activities such as the manufacture of textiles, machinery, and chemicals, as well as food processing.

This role was reinforced by the development of the huge Euralille complex, to the east of the city centre, which is linked to the high-speed-train station (Lille Europe) and includes stores, offices, hotels, and a joint conference, exhibition, and concert hall facility. This contrast was noted by Victor Hugo in 1851 in his poem Les Châtiments: « Caves de Lille !