Antwerp is a major destination of Belgium in the region of Flanders. The overwhelming
friendliness of the people of Antwerp, their innate penchant for good food and good living,
combine with their low stress lifestyle, makes Antwerp a desirable and relaxing place to
visit. Renowed for being the "world's leading diamond city", more than 70% of all
diamonds are traded in Antwerp. The Diamond Market is the hub of the economic section
in Belgium and more than 85% of the world’s rough diamonds, 50% of cut diamonds and
40% of industrial diamonds are traded in the city. Antwerp has long been an important city
in the nations of the Benelux both economically and culturally. It is located on the right
bank of the river Scheldt, which is linked to the North Sea by the Westerschelde.
The origins of Antwerp comes from "aan de werpe", which is Dutch for "at the throw"
referring to where the river throws its sand. The name also has a funny anecdote saying it
comes from "Hand werpen", which translated is "throwing (a) hand(s)". In the official flag,
the castle "het Steen" and the hand of Antwerp are shown.
In the 16th century, Antwerp was one of the most important financial centres of the world,
where traders from all over Europe and Asia sold and bought their goods. After the siege
of Antwerp in 1585 by the Spanish, this role as a financial centre was taken over by
Amsterdam. Nevertheless, since the 19th century and especially the 20th century, Antwerp
has made a serious economic comeback. It is the second largest city in Belgium, after
Brussels, and it has a major European port.
Due to its long and culturally rich history, the city of Antwerp houses many interesting
historical buildings from different historical periods, as well as a lot of interesting
museums. Recently it has become kind of a trendy city, attracting a lot of Flemish and
foreign artists, writers, intellectuals and actors. This is reflected in the city's many trendy
bars and shops. Antwerp is a city with many faces. While it may not be historically
preserved as fully as other Flemish medieval cities like Bruges or, to a certain extent,
Ghent, it is a very dynamic city, offering a perfect mix of history and present-day modern
life.
According to folklore, and as celebrated by the statue in front of the town hall, the city got
its name from a legend involving a mythical giant called Antigoon who lived near the river
Scheldt. He exacted a toll from those crossing the river, and for those who refused, he
severed one of their hands and threw it into the river Scheldt. Eventually, the giant was
slain by a young hero named Brabo, who cut off the giant's own hand and flung it into the
river. Hence the name Antwerpen, from Dutch hand werpen—akin to Old English hand
and wearpan (= to throw), that has changed to today's warp.
Antwerp was the first city to host the World Gymnastics Championships, in 1903. During
World War I, the city became the fallback point of the Belgian Army after the defeat at
Liège. It was taken after heavy fighting by the German Army, and the Belgians were forced
to retreat westward.
Antwerp hosted the 1920 Summer Olympics. During World War II the city was occupied by
Germany in May 1940 and was liberated when the British 11th Armoured Division entered
the city on September 4, 1944. After this, the Germans attempted to destroy the Port of
Antwerp, which was used by the Allies to bring new material ashore. Thousands of V-1
and V-2 missiles battered the city. The city was hit by more V-2s than any other target
during the entire war, but the attack did not succeed in destroying the port since many of
the missiles fell upon other parts of the city. As a result, the city itself was severely
damaged and rebuilt after the war in a modern style. After the war, Antwerp, which had
already had a sizable Jewish population before the war, once again became a major
European center of Haredi (and particularly Hasidic) Orthodox Judaism.
PLACE TO VISIT
Rubenshuis - Rubens' house is now a museum of his life and artwork. Entrance fee:
7€. Free audioguide (recommended). Bring light earphones to plug in to the audioguide.
Plantin Moretus Museum - The home of 16th century bookbinder and printer
Christoffel Plantin. Regarded as one of the finest museums dedicated to printing in the
world. Its extensive collections of important books and printing presses along with its role
in spearheading the technology of printing have seen it added to the UNESCO World
Heritage List.
Antwerp Zoo - One of the oldest zoos in the world, with over 4000 animals and lots
of 19th century design and architecture.
Cathedral of Our Lady - One of the most impressive and biggest Gothic
cathedrals in Northern Europe, built in 1351 and over 400 ft tall. It also houses some of
Rubens' most famous paintings.
Carolus Borromeus Church - Unlike the cathedral, this is a Baroque church.
With a safe and minimal exterior, you would not know that beautiful decorations (done by
Rubens' studio) are inside. Located on the picturesque square Conscienceplein.
City Hall/Old Market Square - This is the historical centre of town. The market
square is surrounded by the typical medieval guild houses you can find in most Flemish
historical towns. The city hall is designed in special architectural style with a combination
between Gothic and early Renaissance. This style is almost exclusively found in this
region of Europe.
Vleeshuis - Literally, this is the "Meat house". It was built as the guild hall for the
butchers. Every day tonnes of meat switched owners here. The building is famous for the
orignal masonry, it is made to resemble stacks of bacon (switching between white stones
and red bricks).
Het Steen - This is a rather small medieval castle on the banks of the river Schelde. It
used to function as a city fortification, and now houses a naval museum. It is the starting
point of the Wandelterrassen, a scenic boardwalk with a cafe/restaurant at either end.
Boerentoren - Now called "KBC-tower" after the company that owns it, this
skyscraper (97m) in the historical centre of town is said to be the oldest one on the
European continent. It was built at the beginning of the 1930s. It is located at the end of
the Meir shopping street. There is an observation deck on the 25th floor (6E entry
including an exhibition downstairs), from which you get fantastic views of the city,
including the nearby Cathedral. The tower is renowned for its typical art-deco sculptures.
The term skyscraper is a little bit irrelevant if you compare it to other buildings there were
erected on the American Continent, for example the Empire State Building in New York,
built in the same period, has 381m.
Bourla theatre - 19th century neo-classicist theatre building. Charming from the
outside, and even nicer if you manage to get in for a theater show or a concert. It houses a
spectacular pastry salon inside the large cupula above the theater itself. Great place to
have tea with cake, or waffles, of course.
Red Light District - Like other cities such as Amsterdam and Hamburg, Antwerp
also has its own red light district. It's pretty small and right in the centre of town (near
Falconplein). If you want to visit, consider going during the day. Although it's not as bad as
it sounds, the district might be a little less safe at night. If you intend to patronise the Red
Light District be wary of women who beckon you towards their kamers and invite you in
without discussing a price. In many cases these women will charge greatly inflated rates
once they have you inside their kamer. It is also worth being wary of beggars in the RLD.
While few of these are particularly hostile they can be bothersome and should be ignored.
Diamond District - This is the district south and southwest of the central station. As
the name already indicates, this is an area where you will find countless jewelry shops,
as well as the Antwerp Diamond Exchange, arguably the most important financial centre
of the world's diamond industry. The district is also interesting from an ethnic and cultural
perspective, since the diamond industry is for at least 50% in the hands of the city's Jews.
Antwerp has a rather large population of Jews (about 50,000 people), a lot of them
Orthodox.
Aquatopia - Reasonable aquarium in the basement of the Astrid Park Plaza hotel,
tickets also available from the Zoo.
The hidden street Vlaeykensgang - which connects Hoogstraat, Oude
Koornmarkt and Pelgrimsstraat. It is a real street, but only accessible through
unassuming medieval front doors in the streets. The medieval equivalent of a gated
community. It now houses nice but informal restaurants and chique but discrete houses.
A must see!
The Begijnhof - a sort of medieval monastery for women. The well-kept gardens are
great photo opportunities.
Fine Arts Museum - Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten boasts of an
excellent collection of paintings from the 15th century right up to the 20th century. The
museum's permanent collection has masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Brueghel, Van
Eyck, Anthony Van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens and James Ensor to name a few.
Het Muntplein - a place where grafitti artists can make artworks without being
chased by police. There are often very nice creations and there are graffiti contests on a
regular basis
Palace of Justice - There are actually two of these. The old one is a 19th century
red brick building on the Frankrijklei. The new one is a dominant, modern, white building
in the south of Antwerp (Bolivarplaats). You can hardly miss it once you're there. The
architect of this building was Richard Rogers, who also built the Centre Pompidou in
Paris and the Millennium Dome in London.
Zurenborg neighbourhood - is a little off the beaten track. This neighbourhood
in the south east of Antwerp (near the railway station Antwerpen-Berchem, look for
'Cogels-Osylei' on the map)is known for its eclectic, sometimes rather bizarre 19th
century architecture. Consider taking a tram or bicycle to get there.
Middelheim Park - The center of Antwerp is not very big, and once you cross the
ringroad, you will mainly see suburbs. There are some nice parks outside the ringroad,
though, and the Middelheim Park is one of them. It houses a permanent open-air
exhibition of modern sculpture, including work by famous artists such as Rodin, Hans
Arp, Henry Moore, and many others
WHAT TO DO
Port of Antwerp. Take a tour of one of the largest ports in the world.
Ghostly Nighttime Tour Take the ghost tour and learn about the dark history of
Antwerp.
Zomer van Antwerpen A great festival that takes places during the whole summer
in the whole city. Cheap or free activities such as dancing, theater, performances, circus,
movies in open air and much more are organized. Reserving is often a must (specially on
free activities)
Pelgrom This building combines both an impressive bar in the basement, plus the
'poortershuis', which is a replica of the house of businessmen in Antwerp during the 17th
century.
Take the pedestrian tunnel (St. Annatunnel) to the left bank of the river Schelde. On the left bank, you have a beautiful view on the city centre, so make sure you bring your camera!
The main shopping area is the Meir a street that stretches out from the Keyserlei (close
to the central station) to the Groenplaats. It is one of the most famous shopping streets in
Belgium. The streets Hopland and Schuttershofstraat are the shopping terrain of the rich
and famous with exclusive fashion shops like Cartier, Hermes, Scapa, Armani, etc. The
Huidevettersstraat, Nationalestraat and Kammenstraat (all located close to the Meir) are
also very interesting shopping streets to visit.
Purchasing a diamond at one of the many tourist jewelry shops around the Central
station can be an unpleasant experience. Like any bigger diamond city in world there are
many tourist trap diamond shops located around the actual diamond district centre.
Wealthy diamond buyers should do their investigative shopping online prior to visiting
Antwerp. If you're less wealthy and someone asks you to bring back some diamonds from
Antwerp, buy diamond-shaped chocolate pralines at e.g. Burie (Korte Gasthuisstraat 3) or
Del Rey (Appelmansstraat 5).
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Antwerp airport, ANR. There are a few airlines serving this airport. Most
flights are with VLM Airlines, catering to business travelers. - Flights go to London,
Liverpool, Jersey and Manchester in the United Kingdom. There is a regular bus to the
centre, and a taxi costs around 10 Euro.
Every hour there is a direct bus from and to the national airport Zaventem (Brussels), it
costs 10 Euro, and has two stops in Antwerp, at Hotel Crowne Plaza and in the city centre,
in front of Central Station. Taking the train from Zaventem is also an option to arrive in
Antwerp (tickets at around 4 euro, change trains in Brussels-North).
It takes 45 min to 1 hr to reach Zaventem airport from Antwerp. On weekends, this could
extend to an extra 30 minutes
By train - There are good train connections from and to the national airport Zaventem
(Brussels). International trains from France and the Netherlands stop in Antwerp- central
and Antwerpen-Berchem. To plan your trip you can consult the website of the NMBS for
national and international travels.
By bus - Antwerp has Eurolines (at Rooseveltplaats) and Ecolines (at Berchem
station square) offices with buses coming from all over Europe.
