Holiday in Antwerp

About Antwerp

Antwerp is the secret capital of good taste — a Flemish metropolis where diamonds, fashion, Rubens paintings, chocolate, and craft beer come together in a fascinating way. The second largest city in Belgium on the banks of the Scheldt was the richest city in Europe in the 16th century and has preserved this sense of abundance and elegance to this day. The Grote Markt with its magnificent town hall (UNESCO World Heritage) and the narrow guild houses forms the historical heart of the city. In front stands the Brabo Fountain, which tells the legend of the Roman soldier Brabo, who cut off the hand of the giant Antigoon and threw it into the Scheldt — hence the city's name (Hand werpen). The Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal), with a height of 123 meters, is the tallest church tower in the Benelux countries and houses four masterpieces by Peter Paul Rubens. The Diamond District around Hoveniersstraat processes 84 percent of all rough diamonds in the world: over 1,700 diamond companies are concentrated on a few streets near the central station, which is itself considered the cathedral of the railway — regularly voted the most beautiful train station in Europe with its neo-baroque dome from 1905. The Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) in the old port district Eilandje is Antwerp's architectural landmark of the 21st century: the 60-meter high tower made of red sandstone slabs and curved glass facades offers a 360-degree panorama of the city, port, and Scheldt from the rooftop terrace. The Rubens House (Rubenshuis) in the old town shows the workshop and private rooms of the Flemish Baroque painter, who spent his most productive years in Antwerp.