What to see in Antwerp. A walk around the city of Antwerp: attractions and pastime in the “pocket” capital. What to bring from Antwerp

During a trip to Belgium in May we visited the city of Antwerp. In this article I will tell you about our walk through incredible Antwerp and show you the most interesting photos.

We gathered in Antwerp quite spontaneously - for a long time we decided where to go that day from Brussels - to or Antwerp. However, thanks to the fact that we were able to book a walking tour of Antwerp, which only ran once a week, we decided it was a sign and headed to the city. I knew practically nothing about Antwerp before the trip. I only heard that it is a major seaport, that’s all.

We left Brussels on the morning train and reached our destination in just an hour. About halfway between Brussels and Antwerp, I noticed that the names of the train stops began to be duplicated in Dutch (first the version was in French, then in Dutch), and closer to Antwerp the French version disappeared completely. It became clear that we were moving away from the French-speaking areas of Belgium and closer to the Netherlands.

As we already described in the article “Belgium has several official languages, as a result of which even the names of destinations on trains are written in either French or Dutch. Because of this, we missed the first train to Antwerp from Brussels - the sign on the windshield of the train said Anvers, but we were waiting for the inscription Antwerp or Antwerp and only then found out that Anvers is Antwerp, but in French.

But let's get back to our trip. The train was comfortable, with comfortable seating sofas placed opposite each other for 2 people. A one-way ticket per person cost us 7.7 Euros. The trip was quick and not tiring. The first thing that amazed us upon arriving at the main train station, Antwerpen Centraal, was the vaulted ceilings of the station. We couldn’t resist taking a few photos, after which we went to explore the station, because we still had 30 minutes left before the start of the excursion.

It should be noted that the Antwerp station building itself is one of the main attractions of the city. The first railway station building was built here between 1895 and 1905 to replace the then existing terminal of the Brussels-Mechelen-Antwerp railway. The station has been awarded many prestigious awards as the most beautiful station in the world. Look at the photo and see for yourself the beauty of the station. The facade of the station is made in the neo-baroque style, the height of the station dome made of metal and glass is 75 m. Currently, the station accepts the most modern models of trains - high-speed Thalys and ICE.

After a snack with a croissant and coffee in the station cafe of the Panos chain, we met with the guide.

Our excursion route

Our tour of Antwerp began with a walk along De Keyserlei street, which departs from the station. The first thing that caught our eye was the widespread construction and the incessant roar of road construction equipment. At times it was difficult to hear what the guide was telling us; we just wanted to walk this street faster.

After crossing the wide Franklrijklei highway, we gradually began to move away from the main noise. We moved to Leysstraat street, where a monument to the Flemish artist David Teniers caught our attention. Behind the artist, on both sides of the street, there are two neo-Baroque buildings. This style is well known to residents of St. Petersburg, and in Flanders such buildings are quite common. The building on the right, on the ground floor of which there is a Benetton store, was formerly the Grand Hotel Métropole. We noticed that Benetton is often located in very pompous buildings - just remember the Palazzo Mincuzzi building in. Both buildings symbolize the gateway to Antwerp. Among the details of the building are lion heads, bunches of grapes, griffins around the coat of arms of Antwerp.

In the arcades of the surrounding buildings there are shops selling clothes, sweets and traditional Belgian chocolate. Among them, the chocolate shop of the Dominique Persoone chain stands out, where chocolate is sold in jars in the form of tablets. An original gift for 6-8 Euros depending on the size of the jar. However, we did not rush into the purchase, because we were told that there was a store of the same chain in Bruges, where we were going the next day.

Our walk continues along Meir Street to the Rubenshuis House in Antwerp. The great artist spent most of his life in this house. The city bought the house in 1937, carried out extensive renovations, and opened the house to the public in 1946. In the house-museum you can look at the interiors of the artist’s house, his self-portrait, and some of his works. Rubens lived in this house until his death in 1640. A ticket to the museum costs 10 Euro. Our excursion did not include a visit to this museum, so we moved on.

And we walk further along Meir Street. In the photo - the KBC Bank building, the descent to the underground tram (yes, in Antwerp some tram routes are laid underground - like in Vienna!). It's hot outside - about 30 degrees, so all the people are walking around naked. By the way, the KBC Bank building - also known as Torengebouw van Antwerpen - was built in 1932 and is the oldest skyscraper in Europe.

There are also surface trams - like this PCC tram. Despite it being a weekday, there are no crowds of people at this central stop.

We move towards the seaport of Antwerp, on the way we meet the Carpe Diem cafe with an interesting decoration with hats.

Having walked along the entire Meir street and turning onto Eiermarkt, we come out to the square in front of the majestic Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp. The area around the cathedral is framed by souvenir shops and shops, restaurants with the famous Belgian beer.

It is impossible not to notice the sculpture of a boy with a dog, covered with asphalt. According to legend, the boy had nowhere to go in winter and froze to death on the steps of Antwerp's main cathedral. In his honor, they made this interesting sculpture, which the asphalt covers like a blanket - so that the boy will never freeze again.

The height of the tallest tower of the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp is 123 m. The cathedral was founded in 1352, and its construction lasted for 250 years. If you go inside, you will notice that the decoration intertwines different styles - Baroque, Gothic, Neo-Gothic. Just imagine, the cost of maintaining the cathedral is 1.5 million Euros per year. The cathedral bell tower, which includes 49 bells, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp houses famous paintings by Rubens - the Exaltation of the Cross, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Descent from the Cross. It’s worth visiting the cathedral at least for these paintings; the entrance fee is 6 Euro.

Next to the cathedral is the incredibly beautiful Grote Markt square, surrounded by waffle houses with a fountain in the center. The roofs of some buildings are topped with gilded figures. The sculpture group on the fountain in front of the town hall explains the origin of the name of the city of Antwerp. According to legend, on the banks of the Scheldt River, on which Antwerp stands, lived a giant named Druon Antigonus. He charged a fee to all people who wanted to cross the river. If someone refused to pay, the giant cut off his hand and threw it into the river. Everything changed one day when the brave young soldier Silvius Brabo cut off the giant’s hand and threw it into the river. This is how the name of the city of Antwerp appeared - from the Dutch “hand” (hand) + “werpen” (throw). There are other versions of the origin of the city’s name, but this is the one I remember best.

Our walk continues and we head to the Scheldt embankment. From afar you can see the walls of the mighty Sten Castle, which was once part of the city wall. For 500 years this fortress was used as a prison.

Now the fortress houses the National Maritime Museum, in front of which there is a monument to the Long Whopper. According to legend, the Long Wapper is the terror of all drunkards in the city, so don’t go overboard with Belgian beer in Antwerp.

Many people have heard that Antwerp has a large seaport. It is the second largest port in Europe after Rotterdam. Just think about it, the port of Antwerp transports about 200 million tons of cargo per year. The port is one of the main employers in Antwerp. By the way, the average salary in this Flemish city is about 1900 Euros per month after taxes.

At the end of the tour, the guide led us through narrow streets dotted with typical Dutch houses to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp.

On the way to the cathedral, the guide showed us another interesting place - a keyhole, which was once shown in the program “Heads and Tails”. As you can see, the keyhole is surrounded by grooves that help the key to fit into it. When the owner of the house, a shoemaker, got very drunk, he could open the door only thanks to these grooves - that’s why there are so many scuffs around them. The house with the well is located on Vlaaikensgang street, the entrance is through a small passage near the Parlement cafe.

The excursion lasted 3 hours, we had a great time, but managed to get hungry. And it was lunch time, so we went to one of the restaurants - Gollem - with a terrace on Suikerrui Street. The cathedral tower was visible in the distance. We grabbed a burger and Belgian beer and enjoyed the nice sunny day. Lunch for two with beer cost us about 30 Euros. Service was slow, but we were in no hurry to wait out the heat.

Afterwards we walked along the same streets where the tour began, to the diamond quarter. Did you know that Antwerp is one of the most important diamond processing centers in the world? More than 85% of the world's rough diamonds are bought and sold here. The Diamond District is made up of several streets lined with shops selling diamonds. I think there is no need to explain that there are police and security guards on literally every meter of this block. Photography is strictly prohibited, but we still managed to take a photo for our readers. In the largest store in the Diamond Land quarter, you can even watch the diamond cutting process.

Conclusion

This concludes our walk around Antwerp. I can confidently say that a few hours is not enough to explore Antwerp. Although during the excursion we visited the main tourist attractions, much remained behind the scenes - the largest zoo, the museum complex an de Strom, pedestrian tunnels dug under the river, and the streets of the old city hidden from the eyes of tourists.

We recommend coming here for at least 2-3 days and not only sightseeing, but also visiting museums and cathedrals - they are worth it. You can stay at the 3-star Antwerp City Hotel, which has a central location on a quiet street.

I am attaching below a detailed map of the route of our walking tour of Antwerp. Print it out and you will have a ready-made itinerary for one day in your hands!

We arrived in Antwerp from Brussels. Let's go on Saturday. From Brussels North Station to Antwerp Central Station the train takes 40 minutes.
A round trip ticket costs 8 euros. This is with a 50% discount, which is valid from Friday evening to Sunday evening.
The same price applies on holidays.

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Antwerp is a city of art. Museums, galleries, antique shops, art workshops and salons simply overwhelm it. And this is understandable, because it was here that Rubens, Antoine Van Dyck, Adrian Brouere, Quentin Matsesa and Pieter Bruegel were born. Antwerp is also Europe's second largest port and the world's largest diamond cutting center. Antwerp is located in a bend of the Scheldt River. There is a legend that the giant Druon Antigonus once lived here. He demanded an exorbitant tribute from everyone who sailed along the river to the city’s piers. The giant tore off the hands of those who refused to pay and threw them into the water. The Roman warrior Silvius Brabo managed to defeat the giant. Brabo cut off his hand and threw it into the river. Hence the name of the city - “Hand werpen” (“thrown hand”). Scientists, however, have a different opinion. The name Antwerp comes from the Dutch expression "aan de werpe" ("to sketch") - the place where the river deposited sand. And here we are in Antwerp - the second most populous city in Belgium.
The central railway station, a monumental marble and glass structure, can easily be considered one of the city's landmarks. This is rightfully one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. When we got off the train, it seemed to us that we were not in a station, but in a museum.

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At the station we immediately noticed modern installations,

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We went to the tourist office, where we got a free map of the city.
There are also numerous jewelry stores here. They say that there are about 30 of them at the station alone.

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Truly Antwerp is a diamond paradise! But we didn’t plan to buy diamonds (We’ll leave it until next time! Maybe we’ll get rich!), so we went to the historical center of the city.
It's not difficult to do. There are signs.

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We always walk straight along De Keyserlei street.

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You can sit on chairs and benches.

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But we are not tired yet.

In a small square there is a monument to David Teniers the Younger, the famous Flemish artist of the 17th century. The square is named after the artist. He holds in his hand the permission issued by the Spanish king in 1663 to create the Academy of Fine Arts, of which he was the founder.

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Soon we see a monument to another great artist of the early 17th century, Antoine Van Dyck. A monument was erected at this site in 1992. Initially (1856) the monument stood in front of the Academy of Fine Arts. But in the 20th century, Van Dyck “traveled” a lot! The monument was moved four times from one place in the city to another. In connection with this, the townspeople, sharp-tongued, proposed putting this monument on wheels.

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Next, Leysstraat street smoothly turns into Meir street, which is the largest shopping street in Antwerp. In the morning it is not too crowded yet. But a few hours later there is nowhere for the apple to fall.

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At the end of Meir Street is the "Hand" - a sculpture sculpted in 1986 by the French sculptor Henri de Miller. The “Hand” appeared in the center of Antwerp in 1992, when the city was preparing to become the cultural capital of Europe for a whole year. The sculpture symbolizes the openness and hospitality of Antwerp, and at the same time reminds of the legend associated with the origin of its name.

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We reach the Green Square (Groenplaats).

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This is the most popular square in the city. On hot days, locals and guests gather here on the open terraces of numerous cafes and restaurants to taste luxurious local beer.

In the middle of the square there is a monument to the brilliant Rubens, made in 1843 by the sculptor Gifs.

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The right side of the square is occupied by the imposing Hilton Hotel building, built in the 19th century. There is also a small flower market here.

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The stunning Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary rises above the square.
The Gothic tower of the cathedral is the tallest church tower in the Low Countries. Its top rises 123 meters above the historical center of the city. The first stone for the construction of this Gothic church was laid in the 14th century and only two centuries later the work was completed. In the 16th century, glass windows, paintings, relics, tombs and dozens of altars were destroyed.

If you're visiting Antwerp for the first time and you only have one day to explore this amazing city, don't worry! Of course, in one day it is impossible to visit all the museums of Antwerp and explore every one of them, but we have a route for you that will allow you to feel the atmosphere of the city and appreciate all the most important things.

A walking tour of Antwerp with all the stops, photographs, snacks and searches for that very souvenir will take you 6-7 hours. We give you an approximate map of traffic in Antwerp, the numbers indicate the most interesting places in the city.

Antwerp Central Station

Diamond Quarter of Antwerp

Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world, and you will see this for yourself by walking around the famous ( 2 ), located next to the station between Pelikaanstraat and Lange Herentalsestraat. Where else will you see a neon sign that says “Diamonds 24 Hours”?

You can learn more about diamonds and admire them.

Walk to the center of Antwerp, shopping while listening to music

Next, head to the historical center of the city. First follow De Keyserlei and cross the wide Franklrijklei highway. You will find yourself on the pedestrian shopping street Leysstraat, look out for the beautiful buildings at Leysstraa 29 and Leysstraa 30 at the intersections to your left and right. Leysstraat street smoothly flows into Meir, where, in addition to shops, street performers perform every 100 meters in good weather: musicians, clowns, jugglers.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp

Having passed Meir almost to the end, turn onto Eiermarkt, then onto Groenplaats, you will see the tower of the main attraction of the city - the Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal Antwerpen, 4 ). The walls of this church are quite difficult to see up close because the building is surrounded by a number of houses with numerous shops. In front of the entrance to the cathedral, starting at 11 am, one of the street performers always performs; don’t be afraid to become part of the performance.

Even if you don't like churches, Notre Dame Cathedral is still worth a visit, as this building is not only a true masterpiece of architecture, but also contains many paintings inside, including four canvases by Rubens. Entrance to the cathedral costs 6 euros (children under 12 years old can enter for free). Since Notre Dame Cathedral is a working church, tourists with cameras are not allowed during services; you can go inside for free, but only as a parishioner. Therefore, if you want to see the entire cathedral, visit it from 10 am to 5 pm on weekdays, from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday and from 1 pm to 4 pm on Sunday. Please note that even a quick tour of the attraction will take about an hour. To have enough time, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the schedule of church services in advance.

What to see at GroteMarktin Antwerp

After visiting the cathedral ( 4 ), turn onto Maalderijstraat, you will end up at Grote Markt ( 5 ). Admire the city council building (Stadhuis van Antwerpen), the famous Brabo fountain (Brabo monument), which is one of the symbols of the city, and simply the beautiful facades of medieval waffle houses.

If you feel tired of the noise and crowd of tourists, and the weather is good, then head to the Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk church (6 ). In front of it there are many benches where you can relax in the shade of the trees. Musicians often play there. If you are full of energy, then walk along Suikerriu street towards the Scheldt embankment. Cross Ernest van Dijckkaai street and go up to the pier ( 7 ) and turn around - a beautiful view of the city will open in front of you. This is a great vantage point for photos with the cathedral in the background.

Now look at the other side of the Scheldt. There are two bridges across the river in the city, but who will be surprised by a walk across the bridge? But in Antwerp you will have the opportunity to cross the Scheldt, passing under its bed!

Walk along the river bottom - St. Anne's Tunnel

From the pier ( 7 ) to the St. Anna Tunnel (Sint-Annatunnel, 8 ) you can go several ways, in particular directly along the embankment, but it is better to stroll along the Hoogstraat street, where there are many bars, cafes and shops, most of which are open on Sunday. In a small area in front of the tunnel entrance ( 8 ) there is a flea market on Sundays.

You can go down into the tunnel by elevator or escalator. Sint-Annatunnel is not only an attraction for tourists, the tunnel actually provides ease of movement for city residents. Before descending, consider two points:

1) cyclists travel through the tunnel (although they should drive their bikes nearby, you should still be careful);

2) it’s a little loud down there because of the echo and cold because of the depth.

After walking 572 meters along the river bottom and rising to the surface, you will find yourself on the Scheldt embankment ( 9 ) is a park area with a good view of the city center (in clear weather, of course).

A piece of ancient Antwerp

Returning to central Antwerp, head to the Castle Walls (Burg Steen , 10 ) and the monument to the Long Whopper, who, according to legend, appears at night and chases drunks on the city streets. Do not overuse local strong beer! ;)

Free Antwerp observation deck

Having examined the remains of the old fortress wall of the city ( 10 ), walk along the banks of the Scheldt to the Pilotage Building Loodsgebouw, you will find yourself at the beginning of the port part of the city, where the next point of our walk around Antwerp is located - “Museum aan de Stroom” (Museum aan de Stroom or simply MAS, “museum on the river”) . This modern building is not only a museum, but also an excellent observation deck, and it is free. The MAS roof is protected from wind, but not from rain, by glass walls.

If you are tired or need to return to the station as soon as possible to catch the train, use. Please note that trams run underground in the central part of the city - it’s so unique. If you plan to travel a lot around Flanders, where the carrier is De Lijn, then save money and buy a ticket for 10 trips for 14 euros.

Bonus points for walking around Antwerp

Antwerp Zoo, is it worth going?

If you love watching animals, the weather is good, and you have a few hours to spare, then this Antwerp attraction is worth your time. Antwerpen Zoo ( 12 ) - the oldest in Europe. It is located next to the central station on Koningin Astridplein. Elephants, giraffes, seals, lions, koalas, raccoons and many other animals live here. A quick inspection of all the inhabitants will take 2-3 hours. A ticket for an adult costs 24 euros, for a child from 3 to 11 years old – 19 euros.

Advice: if you arrive in Antwerp by train and are planning a visit to the zoo, then take advantage of the B-Excursion: Antwerp Zoo offer by purchasing at the train ticket office or online a train and zoo ticket at the same time, it’s cheaper and you don’t have to stand in line at the zoo ticket office .

Antwerp for adults - red light district

Expensive, recognizable brands and the famous Laduree confectionery are located on Hopland Street ( 14 ).

Antwerp chinatown

If you like Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai food or want to try rare Chinese sweets or Asian fruits, then visit Van Wesenbekestraat ( 15 ). It is located near the central station, where you will find a variety of Asian restaurants and supermarkets.

What to bring from Antwerp?

From Antwerp, in addition to magnets, postcards, etc., which can be bought in any city? Antwerp liqueur – Elixir d'Anvers! Of course, this product can be bought in any supermarket, but in Antwerp in every souvenir or chocolate shop you can easily find a bottle with a volume of less than 500 or 700 ml.

What should you know before visiting Antwerp?

If you don't like crowds of people, then don't plan to visit the city on Saturday. This is the only day of the week when residents of the city and surrounding area can go shopping, so almost all the streets in the center will be crowded with people, the same applies to the first days of sales.

This is where our walking route ends. We hope you enjoyed the walk and managed to get to know Antwerp at least a little in one day!

The historic city of Antwerp is the country's second city after Brussels, the capital of Belgium, with many wonderful attractions and a unique atmosphere. Tourists from all over the world come here to experience all the charm of the city, walk along the ancient streets, go back in time and find themselves in ancient Europe. It was this city that inspired the famous painter, founder of the Baroque, Peter Paul Rubens, for many years. You can feel the spirit of the creator in almost every corner of the Belgian town; most of the attractions are associated with the creative activity of the artist, since this is where he was most of his life. The sights of Antwerp convey the atmosphere of ancient Europe. Don't know what to see in Antwerp? Especially for you, we have made an overview of the most interesting places in this ancient city.

Sights of Antwerp, a city in Belgium

Famous places in the city center

Plantin Moretus Museum in Antwerp Ad Meskens

You should definitely go to the unique Plantin-Moretus Museum to get acquainted with the ancient library and printing presses from 1600. The library contains about thirty thousand book publications. Historians will be especially interested in visiting this place to learn as much as possible about the life of old Antwerp. It is also proposed to consider many works by the painter Rubens.

Museum aan de Stroom and observation deck of the Antwerp Zinneke Museum

Antwerp - the city of museums

One of the modern attractions of Antwerp, a city in Belgium, of interest is the Museum aan de Strom, opened to visitors only in two thousand and eleven. The building was built from Indian red sandstone of various shades. On the walls of the building you can see images of a hand, which again reminds us of the legend of the appearance of the city. The museum is an art museum and at the same time a shipping museum. Here you can view various finds of archaeologists, stone crafts, jewelry, unique works from all over the world.Astro vls

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1801, is located on the ancient Place Leopold, built in 1890. The museum reflects the development of art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the city acted as the cultural center of Europe.

Garden in front of the house of the artist Pedro Pablo Rubens in Antwerp Alonsolej

And finally, one cannot ignore the Rubens House, a museum that reflects the versatility and depth of the artist, known throughout the city and beyond. Here you can see the artist's art collections and incomplete reproductions of the artist's interiors. Unfortunately, the museum has very few original items from Rubens' collections. It is not possible to recreate Rubens' original paintings, since they were located far beyond the borders of Belgium. Many are already in other famous museums, for example:

in New York, USA - Metropolitan Museum of Art;
in Madrid, Spain - Prado;
in Paris, France - Louvre;
in St. Petersburg, Russia - the Hermitage;
in Munich, Germany - Alte Pinakothek.

Lisby

If you want to get more information, the sights of Antwerp are presented in full on Wikipedia, you can read about them and see photographs. Armed with knowledge about the history of the city and its main interesting places, you can safely go there to enjoy its originality and unique atmosphere. Read also about and get inspired for your further journey through Belgium.

The main cathedral of Antwerp, one of the largest churches of the Roman Catholic Church, a monument of medieval Gothic culture. The cathedral is visible from anywhere in the city and is considered a symbol of Antwerp. This is the tallest cathedral in Belgium. In addition, it has the tallest church tower in the Benelux (123 meters).

Notre Dame Cathedral was founded in 1352, and although the first stage was completed in 1521, the construction of the cathedral is still considered unfinished.

The cathedral has not only architectural value. It now houses works by such famous artists as Peter Rubens, Otto van Veen, Jacob de Backer and Martin de Vos. The cathedral has two organs, one of which is already 130 years old. This organ is 10 meters long and occupies a space of three floors. It consists of 90 registers.

Sten Castle

Castle in the center of Antwerp. The exact date of the emergence of Sten Castle, like Antwerp itself, is unknown. Most likely, this happened no earlier than the 7th century. The castle walls were laid back in the 9th century. This is the most colorful monument on the Scheldt River embankment and at the same time the oldest surviving remains of a settlement.

The castle once belonged to Godfrey of Bouillon, the famous leader of the first crusade. Later it became the seat of city government. During Spanish rule, the Inquisition was located here, which dealt harshly with heretics, freethinkers and witches.

Currently, the castle houses the National Maritime Museum. In 1963, in front of the entrance to the castle, a monument was erected to the Long Wapper, a character from Antwerp folklore, who, turning either into a dwarf or a giant, scared naughty children and drunks who had gone astray.

What sights of Antwerp did you like? Next to the photo there are icons, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.

Antwerp Town Hall

Antwerp City Hall was originally the design of a Flemish architect named Cornelis Floris. During the construction process, he used his own decorative framing system, which in the future acquired the name “Floristil” and significantly influenced the artistic traditions in Belgium.

It is difficult to judge what the town hall was like inside before its destruction, but we can say with certainty that it is one of the best architectural monuments of the Renaissance. The reconstruction of the town hall in the 19th century took place under the direction of the architect Pierre Bruno Bourla. The façade of the building was completely restored, but the interiors still demonstrate eclecticism, as if everyone who has ever been here tried to fill the premises with their own ideas of beauty.

Among the austere Gothic houses of the main square of Antwerp, the town hall stands out with its softened lines of the Flemish style. Nowadays it is decorated with numerous gilded coats of arms on the facade, its bottom is decorated with red marble, while the top contrasts with light stone trim.

The Town Hall is decorated with statues of Our Lady, as well as Wisdom and Justice. Its peak stretched up 50 meters, every now and then, sparkling in the sun.

The Scheldt or Escaut is a river that flows through the territory of countries such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Its length is 430 kilometers, and the basin area is 35.5 thousand square kilometers.

It was thanks to this great river, on which a trading port was once built, that the city of Antwerp arose. If she had not brought ships loaded with goods on her waves, perhaps no one would need these places. There would be neither the Old Town on its shores, nor a busy port, where ships of various types from many countries of the world are still crowded, nor seagulls romantically soaring over the water. The width of the river in the Antwerp area is 450 meters, and the average depth of the waterway is 10-15 meters. About seventy species of fish live in its waters.

Antwerp Zoo

More than a million people come to the Antwerp Zoo every year from different parts of the world to look at Dalmatian pelicans, Komodo dragons, spectacled bears and many other animals and individuals, the total number of which already exceeds 5,000. And the history of the zoo itself dates back more than 160 years, and During this time, Antwerp Zoo established itself as one of the best in the world, entering the top three.

It is noteworthy that, along with its more than century-old history, the zoo is popular not only for its local inhabitants, but also for the buildings in which they live, because most of them have become historical monuments.

On the territory of the zoo, which has increased almost 10 times and today has a total area of 10.5 hectares, there is a winter garden, a zoological museum, dens, aquariums, there is also its own Temple of the Moors, in which okapi live, and in the Egyptian Temple, giraffes and elephants rule and anoa.

By visiting the Antwerp Zoo you will also visit the “land of frost”, where penguins and sea otters will warmly welcome you. Some adults here remember the French writer Emile Zola and his work “Penguin Island”. And children are delighted with the planetarium and dolphinarium, which are also located on the territory of the zoo.

Rubens House

Rubens's house was purchased by the master in 1611, after which construction work lasted seven years on this site. Years later, one of the artist’s friends openly stated that the house causes not only surprise, but also admiration among many foreigners arriving in Antwerp. Almost the entire life of the author passed on this estate. His first son Nicholas was born, his beloved wife Isabella died during the plague. Later, having married his second wife Elena Fourman, five more of their joint children were born here.

The Rubens House became city property in 1937, and in 1946 it was opened as a museum. Prior to this, extensive work was carried out to restore the building and its interior. To this day, neither the artist’s personal belongings nor any household items have been preserved; one of the few valuable exhibits can be considered a jug in the dining room, which is marked “1593”. But the atmosphere of the patrician estate, inherent in the 17th century, was restored with maximum accuracy.

The hall and most rooms are decorated with works by famous artists who spent more than one evening with Rubens. The master’s office also deserves special attention, which during his lifetime became the storage place for collections of works by Raphael, Titian, Bruegel and many others.

MAS Museum

The MAS Museum is a futuristic museum complex built on the site of an abandoned dock, opened to the public in 2011 after five years of construction. The abbreviation MAS stands for "Museum aan de Stroom", which translates to "Museum on the River". The building is indeed located on the river.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the museum, in addition to art exhibitions, houses the Shipping Museum. The museum's collection includes more than 6,000 exhibits, including archaeological finds of ancient America, works of stones, terracotta, jewelry and others. In addition to permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions are held on the third floor of the building. The museum building has a bizarre shape and design, it is extremely difficult to confuse it, and therefore it is certainly worthy of a visit.

Museum opening hours:

Tue - Fri: from 10 to 17

Sat - Sun: from 10 to 18

Closed on Mondays and on especially important holidays: January 1, May 1 - Ascension Day, November 1 and December 25.

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Church of Saint Charles Borromeo

Baroque church with a magnificent façade, built in Antwerp by the Jesuits between 1615 and 1621. It is notable for the fact that the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens had a hand in the design of its facade and most of the interior.

On July 18, 1718, the church was struck by lightning. This caused a huge fire in which 39 of Rubens' priceless masterpieces were destroyed. Most of the original marbles were also destroyed. Only the apses of the main altar and the chapel of Mary have been preserved in their original form. You can admire them even now.

An interesting detail and landmark of the temple is the original mechanism that changes the paintings behind the altar. Since the 17th century, it has been preserved in working order and is still in operation, which is very impressive for tourists and visitors to the temple.

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