Top 10 Pictures of Antwerp

I would like to continue this new photo series of Belgian cities that I’m doing with Antwerp, Belgium—the previous photo posts featured Ghent and Leuven.

Antwerp is Belgium’s second largest city, second only after Brussels, and is home to a plethora of world-class attractions and landmarks. There’s so much to see that a visit to Antwerp simply has to last at least two days.

Let’s start with the magnificent Central Station, a train station so huge and impressive it has been nicknamed “The Railway Cathedral.” If you arrive in Antwerp by train, as many visitors, will you be immediately be impressed by this superb architectural treasure.

Right next to the Central Station lies the so-called Diamond Quarter. This is the very place where about 85% of all the rough diamonds in the worlds are traded, cut, sold and bought. 85%! No wonder Antwerp is considered to be the world capital of the diamond industry.

In addition to jewels, Antwerp is also the home base of the Antwerp Six, a group of six fashion designers who studied at and graduated from the city’s world-renowned Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

Throw in some world-class art—Antwerp used to be where Peter Paul Rubens lived—and you have a cosmopolitan city that offers visitors a diversity that’s hard to find in other cities of this size. Antwerp is home to no more than 600,000 people.

Other landmarks worth mentioning are the castle Het Steen on the banks of the Scheldt River, the striking Cathedral of Our Lady which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the absolutely gorgeous Great Market Square and the Meir shopping street. If you have some extra time, also consider visiting the Antwerp Zoo, which is one of the oldest and greatest animal parks in the world. It’s located right next to the Central Station.

After this attraction-filled intro, it’s high time to continue with what this post was about in the first place: Antwerp photos. Enjoy!