Lille

Lille, an important town in Flanders, was fortified in the middle ages by the Dukes of Bourgogne and strengthened by the Spanish. They built 10 bastions in front of the medieval walls at the beginning of the 17th century. Lille was taken by the French in 1667.

After Lille fell to the French, Vauban imporved the town's fortifications. He created a powerful pentagonal citadel to the north of the town. In addition to this, he also strengthened the urban defences, resulting in a trace of 16 bastions and 4 hornworks.

There was also a fort, called Fort Saint-Sauveur, that was self-contained but formed a bastion in the defences. Today only the citadel and Roubaix, Ghent and Paris gates survive, but even these remains are very much worth a visit.

Click here for the full article on Lille
Click here for the 1708 siege