Antwerp

I ended up in Antwerp by mistake and it was a great mistake as I really enjoyed this beautiful city. Although the city was reasonably easy to drive around we did end up getting stuck for ages in the port area of the town. If possible avoid this part as it causes chaos when the bridges lift for ships and there are a lot of ships! The city is very scenic with lots of beautiful architecture. There is also some very cool shops for the expensive and the cheap. The diamonds are the obvious draw to this famous city but i found some of the retro clothes shop awesome. There was a lot of unusual and inspiring independent art exhibitions. I especially enjoyed one with John Lennon, ...  Read the complete review

I have been to Antwerp for a number of weekends away from London as I believe it is the most culturally and gastronomically satisfying experience for anyone who can get on the Eurostar easily. The travel aspect is also very comfortable, with no airport or long hikes from out of town stations and when you get there, you will find relatively few tourists, lots of art and culture and some epic meals and beer on offer. The Eurostar pricing system enables you to go to any station in Belgium for the same price as a London - Brussels return. When you reach Brussels Midi you need to change for a local train to Antwerp- making sure you doin't get on the high-speed ...  Read the complete review

Antwerp allegedly gets its name from a legend in which a mythical giant, Antigonius, decided that he was going to enforce a toll on those who wanted to cross the river Scheldt and appointed himself collector of said toll. Anyone who was sily enough to refuse to pay in cash paid instead with their bodies as Antigonius would then chop off one of their hands and throw it in the river. "Hand werpen" (hand-throwing) morphed over time into "Antwerp". This isn't the only theory - another one says the name originates from "an t werf" (on the wharf) - but it's certainly the most entertaining one, and one of the first things we spotted when arriving ...  Read the complete review

Antwerp or Antwerpen, Belgium. Not the capital of Belgium, but I do believe it once was. In fact, she was the second largest city in Europe once, behind Paris. Which I guess means the second largest in the world, as America hadn’t been bastardised yet by the settlers. What charms lie in this architecturally sound city, that compel me to churn yet another travel op for your already weary eyes! Well, I visited Antwerp in 1994, when Newcastle United drew Royal Antwerp in the UEFA cup. We won 5-0 and it was the best footballing experience I have had since my trial for Southampton as a nipper. I would love to base ...  Read the complete review

I’m probably biased here, seeing as the Belgian side of my family comes from Antwerp originally, but I think that this town really is underrated as a tourist destination – it’s the kind of place that most people have heard of, but no-one really knows much about it, or goes there! This in itself is a shame, as this is a place with plenty to offer, whether you are just passing through or planning a weekend break. Antwerp is a very easy place to get to by car or train, being only about half an hour’s drive from Brussels and well served by the Belgian rail network. There is also a small airport (Antwerpen-Deurne), which is served mainly by ...  Read the complete review