The largest city and the capital of the province of Flanders, also known as the diamond capital of the world, Antwerp is both a city and a municipality with a population of over 475,000 called “Sinjoren” (derived from the Spanish word “senor” which means mister).

The market square of Antwerp, surrounded by the typical medieval guild houses, is the historical center of town. The city hall is designed in special architectural style with a combination between Gothic and early Renaissance. This style is almost exclusively found in this region of Europe. The area is still the heart of the old city. In the background the tower of Our Lady’s Cathedral completes the magnificent view.

The houses of the Guilds are unfortunately not the original ones. A large part of the Grote Markt burned down in 1576. Most of the houses were rebuilt afterwards by Hans Vredeman, the town architect, in Flemish Renaissance style. In the 19th century the houses were again renovated.

The house which ranks the first in beauty is the house number 7 which happened to be the house of the guild of Archers and is crowned by the statue of St. George. House number 25, a reconstruction of a house that used to stand at the ‘Meir’, stands on the spot where an Inn used to stand. This Inn was mentioned in the medieval play of  ‘Marieken van Nieumwhegen’.

Antwerp-Rubens House Museum stands at a place which happened to be the residence of Rubens for a major period of his lifetime. Most of his paintings (around 25000) were created by him and his students (with the likes of Anthony Van Dyck and Jacob Jordeans) here only.

The museum not only houses some of the greatest works of Rubens but also gives us an insight of the lifestyle of high class society in the 17th century. You can also admire the office of the master himself as well as the atelier where the actual work was performed.

The house has been designed in Baroque style. In 1930, the Government of Antwerp purchased this house and renovated it and opened it for the public as a museum. The museum is open every day (except Mondays), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on certain public holidays: 1st & 2nd January, Ascension Day, 1st & 2nd November, 25th & 26th December.

The museum has an entrance fees but the ticket to the Rubens Museum gives the visitors free access to the Museum Mayer van den Bergh. The visitors also get a free access to this museum on each last Wednesday of every month.

The city of Antwerp is a celebration of life for the locals because of its unique blend of sophisticated metro culture along with the serenity offered by the waters of the river Scheldt. The tourists are drawn to this city for its vibrant nightlife, world class shopping, exotic musical flair as well as its remarkable architecture. Apart from all these Antwerp is dotted with Diamonds, Excellent dining venues, superb museums and galleries, antiques, fashion, shops, Parks and Gardens.

Among the various places to visit in Antwerp, the fashion museum of the city is worth a mention. The interior of this new and trendy fashion museum housing contemporary fashion and historical collections is very organic with lots of wood and light.

The MOMU holds changing exhibitions usually creations of temporary fashion designers, especially those who took courses in the Royal Academy of Art in Antwerp. The exhibitions are very dynamic, creative and intuitive using various media.

A small gallery on the first floor houses the work of 3rd year students of the Antwerp-fashion Academy (Royal Academy of Art and FFI / Flanders Fashion Institute) with focus on topics like textile raw material and fibers, textile techniques, textile industry, textile print and dye, lace, embroidery and other fancywork, historic costumes and fashion.

The museum is open fromTuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM but the tickets are sold only until 5.15 PM.

Antwerp is a green city abounding in plenty of parks and gardens which act as a solace from the throbbing city life, a place to cherish for nature lovers and a recreational spot for children. When in Antwerp, you can visit these parks and gardens which happens to be the pride of the city:

Stadspark (City Park)
Rubenslei 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
This is a triangular park is situated between Rubenslei, Van Eycklei and Quinten Matsijslei. It may be noted here that all these avenues are named after the famous artists and take pride in featuring some of the best hotels of Antwerp. This park is laid out in English style and there are numerous walking trails, secluded seating and large lawned areas. The city park also features a playground, a large WWI monument, a number of statues and even a WWII bunker. There are varied species of plant life to be found here from yew trees, American linden and cypresses to a Japanese walnut tree.

Botanical Garden – Plantentuin
Leopoldstraat 24, Antwerp 2000
The Botanical Garden is open daily and the entry is free of cost. The 2 000 noteworthy plants of this garden have their origin in the herb garden belonging to the medieval St. Elisabethgasthuis, which is still a hospital today. The garden hosts an interesting selection of botanical specimens, all of which are clearly labelled and categorised for those interest in botany.

King Albertpark,
between Koningin Elisabethlei and Prins Albertlei
2018 Antwerpen
The place is just next to a busy tram/bus stop and is easily accessible as such. It is a favorite spot for children who crowd here to race around picking up fallen chestnuts.

Middelheim Park
The Middelheim park was earlier a private property which was bought by the city in 1910 and was opened to the general public. The park has an open air sculpture museum with a collection of more than 300 works of art. In 1950, an international open air sculpture exhibition was held in the park.

Provincial Groendomein Riverenhof
Turnhoutsebaan 232, 2100 Deurne
This happens to be the biggest park of Antwerp and the place takes pride in its wide display of seasonal flowers, such as azaleas, camellias and roses, along with a well-equipped playground for children and various outdoor concerts, which are performed at a large amphitheatre.