Lille is a city in northern France, close to the Belgian border. It is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region and the prefecture of the Nord department. With a population of 1.5 million, it is the fourth most populous city in France. Nicknamed the “Capital of Flanders’, Lille has a turbulent history from the Middle…
Lille is a city in northern France, close to the Belgian border. It is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region and the prefecture of the Nord department. With a population of 1.5 million, it is the fourth most populous city in France. Nicknamed the “Capital of Flanders’, Lille has a turbulent history from the Middle Ages to modern times and was once a major industrial capital due to its textile and mechanical industries. Today it is known for its 17th century red brick townhouses, pedestrian streets, Grand’Place, Euralille business district, TGV and Eurostar connections, international airport, annual events such as the Braderie de Lille in early September, student and university centre (with over 110,000 students), European Capital of Culture 2004 and World Design Capital 2020. For me, it was also a good match with two of the Belgian’s regional high points, Hotondberg and Kemmelberg.
The church of Saint-Maurice is a Gothic hall church. It was built over four centuries, from the end of the 14th century to the end of the 19th century.