The rise and grandeur of the unspoken capital of Flanders is inextricably linked with shipping on the Skhelda River. Throughout the ages, with the exception of the bloody pages of the Spanish Fury and the Dutch Revolution, Antwerp has been one of the main economic centers in the Old World. Today the city is the second largest European seaport after Rotterdam.
Merchants and adventurers, missionaries and pragmatists, bankers and artists have flocked to Antwerp since ancient times. People of different aspirations, unique fates and numerous nationalities have created a multifaceted city, which will open from a new side with every return visit.
How to get to Antwerp
Trains from Brussels, Ghent and Hasselt, as well as high-speed trains from the Netherlands, Germany and France, stop at the Antwerpen Centraal train station. Brussels Zaventem International Airport, from which you can get to Antwerp by bus, receives flights from various Russian cities.
What to see in Antwerp
Antwerp can rightfully be called the cultural capital of Flanders: there are countless architectural monuments and museums.
The central part of the city, centered around the Cathedral, has been declared a pedestrian zone. The narrow streets adjacent to the Cathedral Square are home to numerous restaurants and shops, as well as house-museums of the great artist Peter Paul Rubens and his contemporary, patron of the arts, Rococks. Paintings by the great Flemish artists from the Guild of St. Luke can be seen in the collection at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, as well as at the Mayer van den Berg Museum, which boasts works by Pieter Brueghel the Elder.
The interior decoration of the Antwerp Cathedral is striking in luxury and splendor. Here you can see the famous paintings of Rubens "Descent from the Cross" and "Exaltation of the Cross". The bell tower of the cathedral is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. A statue of Rubens is installed in the square in front of the cathedral.
The market square is surrounded by the town hall, lavishly decorated with decorative ornaments, heraldic symbols and flags of European states, and the old houses of the Antwerp guilds. In the center of Markt Platz is the Brabo fountain. According to legend, the giant Antigonus blocked the passage along the Scheldt and demanded a ransom from the captains of the ships. For those who refused to pay, he tore off their hand. The brave youth Brabo threw down the giant and threw the severed hand of his hand onto the shore. The name of the city allegedly originated from these bloody events: "hand werpen" is translated from Dutch as "to throw a hand".
On the coast of the Schelda stands the Sten Castle, erected in the 13th century, from which the river was controlled in the Middle Ages. Nowadays it houses a maritime museum.
In addition to art museums, Antwerp is worth visiting the Diamond Museum, the Plantin and Moretus Museum of the First Printers, and the modern MAS Museum, which offers breathtaking views of the city from the roof and unforgettable views of the port.
You can endlessly enumerate the various sights of the city, but it is best, of course, to see everything with your own eyes: after all, everyone has their own Antwerp.
