Sunday, September 6, 2015

Antwerp, Belgium: A Walk Around the City


It is time to venture outside the historical Antwerpen-Centraal Station.

Cities in Belgium are just the way I like it, suitable for a day-trip, yet charming enough should you wish to stay longer.  Using the Google Maps offline features, I had earlier saved some attractions in Antwerp for my Walking Tour, Antwerp Edition.

ANTWERP

Antwerp – city on the Scheldt, city of Rubens, of diamonds, of fashion, a port city... The sum of all these different aspects is what makes Antwerp into a real city: a vibrant, welcoming metropolis, which is also great fun and heart-warming, with green areas where you can relax and peaceful corners. Antwerp is a veritable cultural capital, which prides itself on its impressive architecture and splendid art. Moreover, Antwerp is a fashionista’s dream destination thanks to the stores of its world-renowned designers. The cafes only serve the best beers and foodies can enjoy the most delicious traditional and multicultural cuisine in the city’s restaurants. Antwerp: a pocket-sized metropolis which is sure to conquer anyone’s heart in no time at all. - Credit

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Here are some of my picks*:

1. Antwerpen-Centraal Station (full post here.)

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Antwerp Train Station

Antwerp Train Station

2. Antwerp Diamond District

A stone's throw away from the Train Station is Antwerp's Diamond District, or Diamond Quarter. While it is intriguing to wander around what is the largest diamond center in the world (comprising workshops, banks and exchanges that deal with more than half of the world's rough diamonds), if you are not looking, there's only so much you can do here. Spot the various characters of the diamond trade: brokers, merchants, and craftsmen (or diamantaires).

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3. The Meir

The Stadsfeestzaal Shopping Mall is located along the wide, cobbled street of the Meir, Antwerp's main shopping street. With shopping, food, buskers, good art and no traffic, the stroll along the Meir is both leisurely and entertaining. Pop by a genuine palace, Paleis op de meir, once the residence of important rulers such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Willem I of the Netherlands and the Belgian Royal House.

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Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

 

4. St. Carolus Borromeuskerk

St. Charles Borromeo Church is a perfect example of Baroque architecture in the Southern Netherlands.

Rubens
The church was commissioned by the Jesuit order and built between 1614 and 1621. The decoration of the facade, the top of the tower and many paintings inside the church are the the work of Rubens. The church was part of a larger Baroque complex in what is known as Conscienceplain today.

Status Symbol
The church was a status symbol of the Jesuit order until it was disbanded in 1733 by order of the Pope. In 1803 the church was designated as an independent parish church. Under Dutch rule WIlliam I of Orange wanted to turn over the church to the Protestants, but the Catholic parishoners raised sufficient funds to buy the church and carefully restore its facade.

Flammable
Unfortunately the church also suffered several calamities. On 18 July 1718 the church was struck by lightning. During the ensuing fire the amazing marbles and 39 unique ceiling paintings by Rubens were irretrievably lost. In 20009 a fire raged in the church once again but this time around all the masterpieces were preserved.

Did you know?
There are two secret doors in the sacristy. These enabled the Jesuits to eavesdrop.

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Antwerp

Antwerp

 

5. Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp

Apart from the Train Station, the Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp is another landmark of the city. Read more about it on Wikipedia here. This world heritage site is an work of art inside and out, itself a home for many works of art. It is free to examine the outside of the Church but it will cost you to explore the inside.


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Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

6. Grote Markt and Antwerp City Hall

If there is one place you have to visit in any Belgian city, it has to be the Grote Markt or Great Market Square - an expansive space in the heart of the city, surrounded by iconic (and photogenic) buildings. In winter time, Antwerp's Grote Markt transforms into a Christmas market and an ice rink, or so Wikipedia says.

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Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

7. FRITUUR NO. 1 (HOOGSTRAAT 1)

A Belgian I met while trekking in Sapa proudly shared that French Fries should really be called Belgian Fries. Frituur No. 1, overrated or understated, it doesn't matter, I had to try some Frites for myself.

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Antwerp

Antwerp

 

8. Schelde River and Hetsteen

Schelde or Scheldt River is an important waterway that passes through France, Belgium and Netherlands, so it's no surprise that Antwerp would be home to one of the largest ports in Europe (after Rotterdam).
The Fortress's gatehouse
The Steen is Antwerp's oldest building. It is situated along the River Scheldt near the former Werf peninsular. A first settelement with earth fortifications was built on the Weft in the ninth century, which subsequently became a fortress. Around the turn of the century (1100- 1200) a stone wall and the Steen, one of the fortress's three gatehouses, were added. Under Charles V, in the early sixteenth century, the Steen was completely refurbished as can be evidenced from the differences in colour in the facade.

The Steen held its ground
The Werf was stripped at the end of the nineteenth century in order to straighten the Scheldt quays. Today the Steen is the only reminder of the fortress that once stood there. The Steen was renovated, refurbished and expanded in 1889-90 with a neo-Gothic wing.

From prison to museum
The Steen was used as a prison until 1823. After the Steen had been consecutively used as a residence, a saw mill and a fish warehouse it reopened in 1862 as a museum. Initially the museum focused on ancient times; from 1952 until 2008 it was home to the National Maritime Museum. Today this collection has been moved to MAS | Museum aan de Stroom where it is now on display.

Did you know?
A striking detail above the Steen Gate is the Semini Statue, an ancient fertility symbol. The Jesuits maimed the statue in the sixteenth century, hacking off the penis.

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Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

9. Plantin-Moretus Museum (full post here.)


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Museum Plantin Moretus

Museum Plantin Moretus

Museum Plantin Moretus

Museum Plantin Moretus

10. Bakkerij Goossens (Korte Gasthuisstraat 31)

This bakery had great reviews on Yelp, but I didn't manage to find it (or was it closed?). :(

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11. Rubens House

A beautiful backdrop
In 1610 Peter Paul Rubens and his wife, Isabella Brant purchased the house and land along Wapper. The artist would enlarge the house and designed a semi-circular statue gallery, a large studio, a portico and a pavilion in the garden. He drew inspiration for his plans from Roman Antiquity and the Italian Renaissance. Peter Paul Rubens and his family lived in this beautiful house for more than 25 years.

Unprecedented grandeur in Antwerp
This building with its opulent decorations, which were inspired by Classical Antiquity, was unrivalled in Antwerp. Rubens' interventions turned the house and garden into a veritable palazzo, an Italian urban palace. Here he also stored his impressive art collection.

An impressive art collection
After Rubens died in 1640 the Rubens House remained an attraction until the 18th century. IN 1946, the Rubens House finally opened its doors as a museum. The master painted the majority of his masterpieces, such as the Descent from the Cross and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in his studio in the Rubens House. The museum's collection includes a self-portrait and the art room with part of Rubens' original art collection.

Did you know?
In Rubens' time, Wapper was not a square. In fact, a canal, named Herentalse Vaart, flowed here supplying the city with fresh water. To draw water from the canal a crane was positioned near the canal, which moved up and down ('wippen' in Dutch). Hence the name Wapper.

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Antwerp

Antwerp

More Information

Getting around

It's easy to get around the city on foot as there are signposts that will guide you to the key attractions around the city. That said, the trams, trolley buses and horses are other options to get around the city.

Antwerp

Antwerp

Antwerp

*There are stars on the map I deliberately left out, don't fret. With limited time and money, there were some attractions which I did not pay to enter, or were closed on the day of my visit.

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