Antwerp, a pleasant surprise

I must say it pleasantly surprised me. Antwerp is certainly an enjoyable city, very compact and definitely fascinating, with many surprises and also outside the classic tourist tours. With a 45-minute train ride you reach it comfortably from Brussels, and Antwerp's central station is about a twenty-minute walk from the historic centre; the walk is, besides pleasant, also interesting. Just outside the station there are many shops selling diamonds, since Antwerp is one of the cities where the trade in precious stones and above all their processing is one of the most important elements of commercial activity. There are numerous cutting schools and of course the Diamond Exchange, where worldwide quotations are set. The shops, I must say, are varied, some run by Arabs, others by Jews.

They do not seem to me to be very trustworthy people, and I will explain myself at once to avoid misunderstandings. They are very inclined to bargain, and we are certainly not used to bargaining over items that cost even more than 1,000€... it seems there is a rip-off underneath, as they say in Rome, that is, being fleeced. Usually they look at you, put on a scene worthy of a De Filippo commedia dell'arte, and then give a price that they then adjust and then haggle over, and then they ask you how much you wanted to spend... no, we did not trust them and we did not buy. We cannot tell you about rip-offs in these shops (which are also very well kept), but certainly the gold in which the precious stones are set is 18 K instead of 24K, and perhaps the diamond cuts are not first choice (at least those that are the object of heavy discounts after bargaining).

Continuing along the main street you reach the Rubenshuis, that is the house of the artist Pieter Rubens, who, although born in Germany, artistically lived the most intense period of his career in Antwerp, and the city remembers him with his own house turned into a museum. In addition, many local churches house portraits and frescoes by the Flemish/German painter, some decidedly beautiful. Another attraction you cannot miss is the Onze Lieve Vrouwkathedraal, that is the Cathedral of Our Lady, which is the largest and most majestic Gothic church in all of Belgium. It is a stone's throw from the Grote Markt and its construction took 169 years, with numerous architects succeeding one another on the original project. The tallest spire measures 123 metres and is visible from several kilometres outside Antwerp.

Inside, a masterpiece by Rubens, The Ascension, could not be missing, but also paintings that cannot be called minor, again by the same artist and his "partner", Van Dyck. Entry is free and the paintings can be admired from a distance, while to get closer you have to pay 5€ (and visits are not allowed during masses or other celebrations). Certainly fascinating and a central place in the city is the Grote Markt, the main square of Antwerp, where the picturesque and characteristic town hall of the city (stadhuis) is found, along with the Brabo fountain, much loved by the citizens and photographed by countless tourists. This fountain in fact conceals the mystery of the origin of the city's name, a legendary story that has never been confirmed. It tells of a giant, Druon Antigoon, who lived along the river Scheldt and forced the captains of ships entering the city to pay a toll.

Those who refused to pay the toll lost a hand (!). But as in all proper fairy tales, one day the good (Roman) warrior arrived, Silvius Brabo, who not only killed the giant but cut off his hand and threw it into the river. Hence the name of Antwerp: Hand Werpen, that is, throwing the hand, which then became Antwerpen. Is it to be believed? I don't know, but in any case I love these stories madly. The only sad thing is that the fountain was switched off, perhaps because in the city of Antwerp and mainly in the Grote Markt the Belgian Gay Pride was being held in those days, so there was a big stage and numerous stands selling beer... so many things were more or less crowded with stalls... another interesting square is the Handschoenmarkt, that is the glove market square, where there is a very pretty well with wrought-iron decorations built by Metsys.

Here too, a nice legend: the artist was in fact the son of a blacksmith who became an artist only with the aim of marrying a painter's daughter. This is because in the 16th century marriages between people of different class and social background were strongly... Antwerp at the commercial port. Let us just recall that Antwerp is one of the largest and most important commercial ports in the world, but that when visiting the city you will have no way of seeing anything of the port except the passage of mega cargo ships along the Scheldt towed by majestic, puffing tugboats. To see the port you will need your own vehicle, also because the port's quays are 45 km long! Along the Scheldt, a stone's throw from the Town Hall, there is however the medieval castle of Steen, today a museum. You can skip the museum, but the visit to the exterior of the castle is certainly worthwhile.

We spent a whole day and you can manage to do everything and see every thing at a proper pace and without taking public transport. If you are tired, in any case there is the convenient metro to return to the central station.