Top 5 Architectural Landmarks in Antwerp, Belgium

On a recent family excursion to Antwerp, Belgium, we were swept off our feet by this charming city. Aah, to stroll along a city so ancient but so alive with history and culture. Well, to distort Carroll ruthlessly, it is time to talk of many things … in Antwerp: of historic cathedrals and majestic castles, of towering guild houses and looming skyscrapers and about a really old meat house.

And I present you with the five sightseeing musts of Antwerp!

1. Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of Our Lady)

At the risk of sounding like an awe-struck tourist, I must gush profusely about this building. You cannot help but be amazed by the intricate designs and the attention to detail. Deemed as one of the tallest churches in the world, this elegant building witnessed many turbulent as well as interesting developments in Belgian history. As a history buff, it gives you shivers to visit a historic building that was part of or was directly affected by major upheavals in local history.

Alert for art lovers – to commemorate the founding of Bishorpic of Antwerp 450 years ago, there will be an interesting exhibition from June to November 2009. This is basically an exhibition of some of the great masterpieces from the Golden Age.

By the way, do note that those who wish to do so can visit this Roman Catholic church for Mass. Do check the website for times and details.

Tourist factor: Culture, history, Gothic artwork.

Entrance Fee: Euro 5*

Address (visitor’s entrance) : Handschoenmarkt, B-2000 Antwerp

Visiting hours:
Mon – Fri: 10 – 5pm
Sat: 10 – 3pm
Sun & public holidays: 1 – 4pm

*As stated on the website in January 2009.

2. Grote Markt (Town Square)

So what’s the fuss about the town square, you ask? Ah, but wait until you see this spot. It is a quaint town square that is blanketed by some of the most beautiful architectural wonders. Surrounded by bustling cafes and the like, this is a trendy area that boasts arts, culture and history. If special agent James Bond were to have a rendezvous at any spot in Antwerp, I would expect the Grote Markt to be the perfect backdrop for this meeting.

What’s to see in the town square? Call it an after-effect of reading too many Pratchett novels but my personal favorite were the Guild Houses. As it is, I had immense amounts of fun guessing the name of the guild simply by observing the statues perched on each roof (side note: some of my guesses were far off).

Then there is the Brabo fountain. If you relish collecting little bits of background information about places, this fountain will definitely interest you. The statue depicts a man preparing to throw a chopped-off hand. As charming as that sounds, there is a legend to this whole scenario. Story goes that a brave Roman Soldier, Brabo, gave an evil toll-collecting, hand-chopping giant his just deserts when he briskly cut off his hand and threw it into the river. According to popular legends, this was how Antwerp got its name – hand (hand) and werpern (throw) evolved to be Antwerp (Side note: It’s a fascinating legend but the real origins of the name Antwerp probably is based on its earliest settlement location and hence comes from words aanwerp (alluvial mound)).

Tourist factor: Culture, history, architecture, decorative arts, cafes with Belgian beer!

Address: Look for Grote Markt street.

3. Het Steen (The Stone)

Eddie Izzard’s wry comment about castles in Europe sums up the reason why I would visit a castle. Point is, no matter how often I have seen castles in adorable animated movies (and the occasional grownup drama where the scullery maid runs off with the family jewels), a real life castle is always that much more impressive. It’s a massive, looming fortress with all these intricate little designs and details. Perhaps the use of castles as a means of defense also adds to the appeal?

Het Steen or The Stone is one such castle. Not only is it a magnificent monument that tempts you to whip out your camera but it is also significant in the part (or parts) it played in the history of Antwerp. For instance, this 800 year old castle is one of the first structures to be constructed with stone!

An addition attractions can be found within the premises of the castle. One is the rather odd statue of a man with spindly legs. Apparently it is called Lange Wapper and depicts a man from ages past; a strange old one who used to scare children and frighten drunks.

Tourist factor: History, architecture, culture!

Address:

(Around) Steenplein 1
B-2000 Antwerp
Belgium

4. Boerentoren

Observe, a quaint art deco style monument from the 1930s. Currently it houses one of the biggest banks in Belgium (the Kredietbank). That explains the rather noticeable KBC sign on top of that tower.

At first glance, you don’t quite understand the significance of this tower. Unless you happen to be an art deco fan, in which case you’ve already whipped out your camera. Where interesting bits of historical titbits are concerned, I was told that this was one of the first skyscrapers in Europe. In today’s world of mega structures this might not seem as impressive now, but it would have been a matter of much excitement during those golden years.

As for the name itself, it means “farmer’s tower”. How did it come by this name? Seems like the biggest client for the bank in the time of construction were farmers’ corporation.

There’s quite a bit of history surrounding the tower. Those who love a bit of background story will find it interesting that this tower witnessed some of the attacks and assaults during the Second World War; in this way, it becomes part of the retelling of WWII stories.

Tourist factor: History, architecture, decorative arts.

Address:

Schoenmarkt 35, Antwerp, BE-2000, Belgium, BE

Between the Meir and the Groenplaats

5. Vleeshuis (Meat House)

Admittedly, this might not be everyone’s favorite sightseeing choice. Don’t get me wrong; it is not an active butchery as such. Rather it is a monument to the Butcher’s Hall from the good old days of Guilds. However, if you would rather avoid meat references as such, give it a miss.

This brings me to the description of the massive towering monument. Dating back to the 16th century, it was apparently built by an architect by the name of De Waghemakere. It was constructed, in all this magnificent splendor, for the butcher’s guild. During the days of artisans and guilds, this was apparently the only place authorized to sell meat.

I found it fascinating that the colloquial term speklagen (bacon layer) was used to describe the red on white the construction style (red brick + white sandstone).

Don’t fret too much about the worrying aspects of visiting a butchery, the Vleeshuis is no longer a meat hall. Instead, it is now the impressive structure that houses a museum for arts and archaeology.

Address:
Vleeshouwersstraat 38-40
B-2000 Antwerpen

Opening hours: Tue – Sun (10 am – 5 pm)

Official Website: Museum Vleeshuis

Photo of the Cathedral of Antwerp, Belgium by © bart

Topic:  Top five Monday | 3 Comments
Tags:  Art, Belgium

About the author

Ami K. Goemans is a freelance writer and webdeveloper who is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She moved to Rotterdam from South Africa after living there for 5 years. In addition to visiting little eateries, she loves exploring book stores, museums and computer game stores.