Antwerp

Travel Guide & Travel Information

Not far from the Dutch border, in the north of Belgium, lies Antwerp, capital of the province of the same name. The major city, which belongs to Flanders, is home to over 500,000 inhabitants. The settlement history of this historic city in northern Belgium dates back to Roman times. And although Antwerp presents itself today as a modern port city, its rich history is reflected in the numerous sights of the metropolis. Buildings such as the Plantin-Moretus Museum and parts of the Cathedral of Our Lady are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Antwerp's central square is the Grote Markt, in the heart of which stands the 19th-century Brabo Fountain, decorated with statues. The city has gained a national reputation through the diamond trade, which has historically flourished locally. Nowhere else are so many rough diamonds still traded today as in Antwerp - the city is home to numerous diamond companies and a diamond museum.

However, Antwerp also gained economic importance through its favorable location as a port city. But Antwerp is not only an economic center, it is also a recognized cultural center of Belgium - the central cultural institutions of the Belgian city include the Plantin-Moretus Museum, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum aan de Stroom. Closely interwoven with the city of Antwerp are the biography of the artist van Dyck and the life story of Peter Paul Rubens, to whom the Rubens Museum is dedicated on site.