The most beautiful places in Belgium

As early as the Middle Ages, Antwerp was one of the richest cities. It gained its greatness in the 15th century, when the waters of the Zvin River clogged and made it difficult to access the economic center of Bruges, and then almost all trade moved from Bruges to Antwerp. The rise of Antwerp continued into the next century, along with the Age of Discovery and increased overseas trade. It was through the port of Antwerp that ships delivered Europe’s prized spices such as pepper and cinnamon, and the city became the sugar capital of Europe.

Today the city posses very well preserved lavish and rich homes and public buildings. Especially majestic is the cathedral, as well as the fortress near the port.

If you are traveling with children, we recommend you to visit the Antwerp Zoo, founded in 1843 and considered one of the oldest in the world. It is located next to the Central Station, whose beautiful facade and painted interior are also worth a visit.

For chocolate lovers, we recommend the Chocolate Nation Museum. Another interesting museum is the Museum of Diamonds, as well as the beautiful house of Rubens, where the famous artist lived and worked.

Interesting is the legend of the origin of the name of the city. According to it, a giant named Druon Antigonus lived on the banks of the river Scheldt (the same on whose banks Antwerp stands today), and he collected a fee from those who crossed the river, and whoever refused to pay, he cut off one hand and threw it into the water. The young hero Sylvius Brabon in turn managed to cut down and throw into the river the hand of the giant. Hence arrive the name of the city from the Dutch hand werpen “throwing a hand”. This story is presented on the statue on the main square of the city, and hands are a common souvenir. We took a picture of ourselves on the huge hand located on the shopping street Meir and we shook hands and agreed with the city to see and visit it again.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANTWERP:

Location: Anwerp is located in the north of Belgium in the Flemish region, on the banks of the River Scheldt, which connects to the North Sea.
Area: 204.51 sq.km
Population: 529 247 (2020 data)
Altitude: 3 m

Official language: Flemish (Belgium has 3 official languages: Flemish, French and German, with Flemish mainly spoken in the Flemish region, which is close to Dutch)
Climate: oceanic climate with frequent rainfall
Time zone: UTC+1
Currency: euro (EUR)
Additional information: www.antwerpen.be