Antwerp Travel Guide

Antwerp is perhaps best known for its diamonds, and the city's sparkling allure attracts the glitterati with a thriving fashion and entertainment culture. The city also has countless shopping opportunities, trendy bars and nightclubs for the fashion conscious and young at heart.

As the second-largest city in Belgium and a major European port, Antwerp has a more modern face than many of its neighbours. Much of the city was destroyed in World War II, but its history is present in its beautifully preserved Gothic and Baroque architecture. At the centre of the city is the Grote Markt, with the baroque Brabo Fountain in the middle. The work of baroque sculptor Pieter Paul Reubens is visible all over the city, most notably at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.

A visit to Antwerp is a must on any Belgian holiday. Indeed, the city does a quintessentially European balancing act of old and new, offering plenty of pretty sights, good museums, family attractions and sidewalk cafes.