Lille knows reinvention. A commerce hub from the get-go, the city boomed in the Industrial Revolution, yet found itself in crisis in the 1960s. Its rebound has been monumental. The construction of the Euralille Business District in 1995 (now the 3rd largest in France), plus the arrival of Eurostar and TGV trains in the 80s and 90s, marked a turning point for a city that has since been named a European Capital of Culture and a World Design Capital. This Flemish dynamo has no plans on slowing down. Years of transformative projects are in the hopper, bringing new green spaces and pedestrian zones to a city that’s joyously walkable (#22) and bikeable (#9) already. Whole neighbourhoods, like Port de Valenciennes, are transforming, and former warehouses are re-emerging as creative “eco-quarters”. Futurist foundations are strong: 93% of Lille has fiber internet coverage, powering innovation at the University of Lille and tech accelerator EuraTechnologies.
With all this future-thinking, you could forget you’re in a historic French city. Let Vieux-Lille remind you. This historic old town is a jewel box of architecture, home to a UNESCO-certified belfry and the Place du Général de Gaulle, Lille’s stunning town square. Stroll through and take in the Flanders magic.