Antwerp - Belgium's largest city

Located in northern Belgium, in the Flemish Region, Antwerp is the country's second largest urban center. It is inhabited by more than 510,000 people. During the Middle Ages it was one of the largest centers of economy and culture. Antwerp is a large port city known for its diamond processing and its famous resident, the painter Rubens, but also for its many monuments, beautiful architecture and interesting museums.

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What to see in Antwerp?

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Most of Antwerp's most interesting and important sights are located within the boundaries of the historic old city, allowing you to explore Antwerp on your own feet. What is worth seeing there?

Antwerp Market

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Antwerp's Grote Markt is the heart of the city. In the center stands a fountain dedicated to Silvius Brabo, the mythical Roman soldier who was said to have saved the city from the monster Druon Antigoon who demanded tributes from people who wanted to cross the Scalda River. Take a closer look at the Renaissance town hall full of beautiful decorations and statues. In the northern part of the square are 16th-century tenements - former guild houses. Walking along the charming streets, one can often see antique chapels placed on the corners of the tenements, which are a visual manifestation of the Catholic faith that once flourished in the area.

The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Antwerp

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This Catholic cathedral is famous as one of the tallest religious buildings in the world and is the largest church in Belgium. Due to the time of its construction from the mid-14th to early-16th centuries and its numerous alterations over the years, it represents a mixture of styles with a clear predominance of Brabant Gothic. The cathedral consists of 7 naves, and inside it houses many valuable works of art, including paintings by the famous Rubens.

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Beginage of St. Catherine

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Beginage is a dwelling place for secular congregations of women-beginners or men-beggards. Typically, this type of architectural complexes are walled small houses with a small church, hospital and farm rooms. Beginages are most commonly found in Belgium, the Netherlands and northern Germany or France. The Beginage in Antwerp was built in 1554 for the Beginnes, who lived there until 1986. Today, it serves as ordinary apartments and provides a quiet, walkable oasis of calm in the city center.

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Antwerp Central Station

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This station, built between 1895 and 1905, is considered the most beautiful in the country. Its magnificent interior, towers, balconies, columns or glass domes are more reminiscent of a cathedral than an ordinary railroad building.

MAS Museum

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This museum is housed in a very distinctive, modern Indian red sandstone building near the Antwerp harbor. Its exhibitions are very diverse, with visitors exploring a different theme on each floor. There is a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of Antwerp and the River Scheldt.

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Chocolate Nation - Antwerp

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This is the country's largest museum dedicated to Belgian chocolate. It brings you closer to the history of cocoa and the origins of chocolate, as well as the production process of Belgian sweets. A visit to the multimedia, beautifully arranged exhibitions is, of course, combined with tasting and the possibility to buy chocolate products.

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