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Antwerp, Belgium (December 2012)

Antwerp often gets overshadowed by the more popular tourist destinations Brussels and Bruges, but not rightly so. It is a vibrant city in the north of Belgium and predominantly known for its port and the largest diamond stock exchange in the world. It is a relatively small city but has a lot to offer from museums, antique shops and popular cafes and restaurants and all the sights can be easily visited on foot. 
According to a legend, a giant called Antigoon used to demand toll from people wanting to cross the river Scheldt, however anyone who refused to pay got their hands cut off. One day a hero called Brabo cut off the giants hand and threw it into the river and this is supposedly how Antwerp got its name (hand werpen = Dutch for throwing hands).
Welcome to Antwerp! Inside Central Station

Inside Antwerp Central Station


Antwerp Zoo



Outside view of Central Station

Entrance to the Meir, a popular shopping street




The hand, symbolical sign of Antwerp

Antwerp cathedral




Little square in front of the cathedral



Grote Markt - Grand Place



Brabo fountain and city hall in the background

Traditional guild houses

Brabo throwing the giant's hand




People keeping warm in winter




I could live in this chocolate shop!




Ice skating rink and river Scheldt to the left

River Scheldt


Het Steen - Medieval fortress




Beer is useful in many ways!







Comments

  1. IamVagabond30 December 2012 at 20:39

    Awesome Images. Feels like I am right there.
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ellen Braksator30 December 2012 at 20:53

    Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dennis Kopp25 February 2014 at 11:14

    Ellen, thank you for the friendly reminder to visit Antwerp, a place I still haven’t been to yet. It looks like a very interesting place and the ornate train station alone seems to be worth the visit… :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ellen Braksator25 February 2014 at 13:03

      Thanks a lot for taking the time to look at my post! It's a lovely city and worth to stop by if you're in Belgium :)

      Delete

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