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Antwerp

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Antwerp
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Antwerp Travel Guide

  • About Antwerp

Forget the beer and waffles cliché, Belgium’s second largest city is the latest European hipster hub, with an avant-garde cultural scene that blows all stereotypes out of the water.

The style revolution spearheaded by the Antwerp Six in the 1980s helped establish this modern metropolis as a capital of cool. Though it’s packed with contemporary art galleries and independent fashion houses, Antwerp has never lost touch with its historic roots.

The magnificent Old Town is home to some of the finest architecture in the Low Countries, and the stepped-gable buildings that line the Grote Markt are as impressive as anything you’ll find in Amsterdam.

Antwerp’s architectural achievements are mirrored by its artistic ones. The city has long been a magnet for painters, but not even Van Gough’s stint here could steal the limelight from Antwerp’s most celebrated resident, Sir Peter Paul Rubens. The house and studio of this legendary Baroque painter have been turned into a museum, and his work is proudly on display in a selection of world-class galleries.

If you prefer fashion to fine arts, a stroll through the bustling diamond quarter is a must. This small and fairly shabby district has been the capital of the world’s diamond trade for centuries, giving the city a long-standing reputation for glamour and sophistication.

The sprawling industrial cargo docks once added some grit to the Antwerp oyster but, thanks to a recent intensive programme of rejuvenation, the port has morphed into one of the trendiest parts of town. With a stellar array of restaurants.

Antwerp doesn’t disappoint on the foodie front either. There are Michelin-starred venues scattered across the city, not to mention an array of more eclectic places to dine, plus a few traditional Belgian gems too.

Unfortunately, eating out isn’t particularly cheap. Diners won’t find significant reductions by escaping the touristy Old Town, but you’ll soon forget about the exorbitant restaurant bills with an Antwerp-style shindig. The city’s energetic nightlife caters to everyone from rockers to ravers.

  • Key facts 

Population: 520, 504
Latitude: 51.217473
Longitude: 4.416687

  • Antwerp History

The name Antwerp has an interesting, albeit fanciful, story behind it. The legend goes that a cruel giant called Drone Antigoon once controlled the River Scheldt, which runs through the city, and demanded exorbitant tolls from ships navigating the waters.

Shipmasters foolish enough to refuse payment were punished by having their hand lopped off. Happily, the brave Roman soldier Silvius Brabo brought an end to the giant’s reign of terror by chopping Antigoon’s hand off and throwing it into the river.A statue situated in the Grote Markt still commemorates the origin story with great pride.

Antwerp loosely translates to ‘hand throwing’.As far-fetched as the founding of Antwerp sounds, the city has a long and interesting history in the real world, not least by the 14th century, when it became one of Europe’s most important trading centres.No sooner had it done so though, the city began to decline as it lost privileges to Bruges.

It took half a century to re-establish itself. But this second golden era didn’t last either, as Catholic Spain arrived in the 16th century to put the Protestant north in its place.

Antwerp fell in 1585, with the Spanish leaving the city to burn. From the ashes emerged a wave of artistic talent pioneered by painters such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens. But while the city thrived culturally, its economic recovery was slow. That was all helped by Antwerp’s involvement in the diamond trade. In the 16th century, when nearly half of the world’s trade was said to pass through the city’s port, Antwerp’s diamond cutters were among the most revered in Europe.

In 1795, the city was taken by Napoleon, who thought its strategic position would help him defeat the British. It didn’t.

A brief reunification with the Netherlands in 1815 ended with the Belgian Revolution of 1830. In retaliation, the Dutch closed the River Scheldt, pushing Antwerp into another period of economic decline. 30 years later, the river was permanently reopened, paving the way for the city’s third golden era.

Although the city suffered grievously during both World Wars, its upward trajectory continues today with modern Antwerp being one of the biggest and richest cities in Belgium. Its legacy of art and fashion makes Antwerp a unique tourist destination and cultural hub.

  • Did you know?

The first printed newspaper in the world was published in Antwerp in 1605.
The former home and studio of Antwerp’s most famous artist, Peter Paul Rubens, is now a museum.
The gothic Cathedral of Our Lady, started in 1352, boasts a 400 foot spire, making it one of Belgium’s tallest ecclesiastical buildings.

  • Weather in Antwerp

Antwerp has a sub-oceanic, humid climate marked by relatively cold winters and refreshingly cool summers brought in by the Atlantic Ocean. It’s regarded as a great year-round destination.

Summer (June to September) sees pleasantly warm and sunny weather with average temperatures between 20°C and 25°C (68°F and 77°F). August is typically the hottest month, but some say summer is a good time to visit Antwerp because many inhabitants go on holiday. Note that July has the greatest rainfall.

Autumn (October and November) offers cold, wet and windy weather. The average temperature falls in the mid-teens (around 55°F) and the sunshine is far less frequent.

Winter (December to February) is generally unpleasant, as night-time temperatures hover around freezing and sit a few degrees above this during the day. January is the coldest month, and while snowfall is frequent it is not abundant.

Spring (March to May) sees the sunshine levels gradually rise. The period has an average temperature of 18°C (65°F), which is a pleasant climate to explore street markets and festivals galore.

This means late spring and early autumn are probably the best times to visit Antwerp, as you’ll avoid summer tourists without having to endure chilly drops in temperature.

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