You know you’re somewhere special when soaring arches of wrought iron and stained glass, topped by a glorious dome, belong to the train station and not the cathedral. Antwerp is somewhere special. Only 50 km from Brussels, the two cities couldn’t feel further apart. Antwerp’s history is writ large in architectural grandeur, dating back to when it was one of the most important cities in Medieval Europe. It is the vibrant cultural life, coupled with some of Belgium’s best restaurants, that have lured us repeatedly to Antwerp.
It also has a river, the Scheldt, which helped Antwerp to become one of Europe’s most important ports. Brussels also has a river, but the Senne is a stream in comparison. Considered to be a little more than disease-ridden sewer, it was completely covered over with roads and buildings at the end of the 19th century. Contrarily, it is the River Scheldt that covers over one of Antwerp’s hidden secrets, the Sint-Annatunnel. It was here we headed.
Inaugurated in 1933, the Sint-Annatunnel is a 572m long pedestrian tunnel (cyclists are also allowed) connecting the left and right banks of Antwerp. It’s not exactly a tourist sight, but who doesn’t want to walk underneath a river? Still with its original wooden escalators and Art Deco decor, it is absolutely wonderful. On a hot summer’s’ day it is one of the few places guaranteed to be cool.
We descended to a depth of 31.57 metres beneath the water and walked through the white tiled tunnel. I’ve been through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel in London, but this is much larger. On the other side is a riverside park and tremendous views back to Antwerp. We walked along until we came across a bar overlooking the water, grabbed a beer and sat watching the the river flow by.
The day had started with a walk through Antwerp’s most southerly district, Oud-Berchem. Famed for having a lot of Art Nouveau town houses, it is also an area of many good bars and restaurants. It feels a million miles from the tourist throngs in the centre. We were on our way to the reopened Royal Museum of Fine Arts – which was closed for 11 years while a €100m refurbishment took place. The result is magnificent, inside and out.
This area, close to the 17th century Waterpoort city gate, has developed into a cultural hub with the FOMU Photo Museum and Museum of Modern Art only a short walk away. The city is converting a former large open air car park in between the three museums into a park. It will be a huge improvement to the city when its completed. The nearby waterfront has been rejuvenated as well, and now makes for a pleasant walk.
Returning through the tunnel to the Right Bank of the river, you pop back up in a small square ringed by bars and cafes, as is the nearby Vrijdagmarkt. Here you can find the Plantin-Moretus Museum located in the 16th century mansion and former printing house originally owned by Christophe Plantin. The river was the lifeblood of the medieval city so it’s no surprise that this is where the ancient centre begins.
Despite being heavily bombed in the Second World War, this section of Antwerp still retains its medieval charm. The heavily touristed Grote Markt and the 14th century Cathedral of Our Lady, which towers over the whole area and is home to four paintings by Rubens, are only a short walk away. Grote Markt is surrounded by Guild houses and the 16th-century city hall, in the centre of which is Brabo Fountain.
Silvius Brabo is a mythological Roman soldier. The story goes that a giant named Druon Antigoon lived on the opposite bank of the river and extorted money from travellers and merchants. Anyone who refused the pay had their hand cut of and tossed into the river. Brabo fought the giant, was victorious and cut off his hand. The statue commemorates the moment he tosses it into the river.
From this it is claimed that Antwerp, or Antwerpen in Flemish, gets its name. In Dutch hand werpen means “hand throwing”, and while the origins of the name are disputed, this violent legend has stuck. Antigoon isn’t the only giant in Antwerp folklore though, to discover the legend of the giant, Lange Wapper, you have to head back to the river…
I love the city of Antwerp but am still traumatised by numerous hours lost to its hideous ring road. I probably ought to give it another chance!
We had the same nightmarish experience on that ring road when we lived in The Hague.You always lost at least an hour getting past Antwerp.
I loved Antwerp! It was my base when staying in Belgium and I thought it was great!
I can only agree, it has so much going for it.