I visited Antwerp during my trip to discover Flanders. After Brussels, this was the city that struck me the least despite being noteworthy and there are many things to do and see.
We arrived during some sweltering days, and we started to get to know the city by visiting the (splendid) Rubens house museum [for all the information about tickets and timetables I always refer you to the official website]. The house is not very big, but indeed interesting as the small garden (where in summer there is not a thread of shadow, but I suggest you do anyway a short walk in it).
The first day we spent entirely in the city, we started by visiting the Cathedral which according to the guide is the largest in the Netherlands and, frankly, I do not have much trouble believing it! Its tower is the tallest in Belgium and one of the highest in Europe (due to its height it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, under the heading “Bells of Belgium and France”). During this travel among the Fiandre region, the thing that struck me most of churches and cathedrals was always the same: the complexity of the peaks at the expense of the walls, instead, they are (almost ) always “white and simple”.
To visit it you pay a ticket; you can find all the information on the official website of the cathedral (we, however, spent 6 euros). “Behind” the cathedral square there is the Grote Markt, where the Antwerp city hall is located, and that day was the headquarters, the starting square, for the Tour de France, and there was chaos! We enjoyed it very little because it was all hidden by barriers, inflatables and everything necessary for the ride, too bad because it must be a fantastic square.
We went forward, with the intention of going to visit the Castle of Antwerp but, shortly after, looking for the entrance and the ticket office, we discover that it would be closed until July 14! (tell me if it’s not bad luck!). At this point we had all the afternoon free, Antwerp has a “river”, and we decide to have lunch and take a boat ride along the river (even with the hope of refreshing us a little). The ticket, for what we have chosen us, cost 8 euros and the tour lasted about 50 minutes (there are various choices, for various durations and different prices.The ticket office is located along the tree-lined road in front of the castle). Honestly, I thought that the ride would have been better, in a sense of more interesting, but it is also true that Antwerp is probably the city that has less to show to those observing it from its stream! Our acquaintance with Antwerp, then, ends with a walk to the park at sunset, to peek a party night in the city.
Even today I leave you some more photos, hoping to make you want to visit these places that, in their way, surely know how to amaze visitors.