Your cart is currently empty!
Visiting the Diamond Capital in 2024
#belgium #antwerp #diamondcapital #travelblogger #adventure
The No. 1 place I’ve visited so far was Antwerp, Belgium… Every day I woke up, I felt like I was in a movie.
Previous posts in the series: Brussels.
…And we left Brussels off in the rain. Spending the first time in a new city, in the middle of the break of clouds seemed inappropriate. Especially since our timeline allowed for only one day in Antwerp, after two days in Brussels. We arrived in the evening, while the rain was stopping. Water running from the skies is not a fun activity to witness, especially from directly below. Wet ground, moist air, hot vapor in cold weather – all the things that can pass. There was no point in having any activity that night, other than checking out the hotel room and going to bed nice and early. (The following promotion is not paid – it is completely honest.) We booked a room in Citybox hotel, in the center of Antwerp. There were really no expectations from our side, other than to have a comfy bed and a clean room. By all means, the expectations were exceeded! For a couple of frequent travelers, who notice even the slightest dissatisfactions, it was incredible to find a hotel we would 100% certainly mark with a 10/10. A good discovery was that the same hotel exists in Helsinki – guess where I’ll be staying once I visit! The next day was short, but filled with endless adventure.
Antwerp Train Station
Before coming to Antwerp, for whichever reason, I memorized that the city was located in the Netherlands (in reality, it is in Belgium). Visiting this part of the country, Flanders (of Dutch origin), this illusion kept not only prevailing, but also becoming stronger. Everyone speaks Dutch, but luckily most people speak English, as well. A local Turk that sold us doner, although unable to speak English, spoke to us in a combination of ex-Yugoslav languages, good enough to exchange information. We were impressed! But other than that, Dutch is the prevailing main language in this area – in the whole northern part of Belgium. Fun fact: if you decide to visit Brugge or Ghent, another two famous travel destinations in Belgium, you’re in for the same feel.
Anyway, the railway station. Approaching it, you will see a Ferris wheel, similar to the fancier ones, such as in Vienna or London. It is positioned right in front of the Station, which makes no sense. Due to moist weather (and also remembering how slow the Viennese one was), we decided to skip it. However, visiting the train station was one of the brightest decisions we had right here. I have a friend who says there are three main attractions to see in every city – train station, marketplace and graveyard. If you are reading this, know that I disagree with you publicly. The latter two can provide insight into how the locals communicate and live. That’s not what we need to find out about every city in existence. However, train stations provide this amazing combination of architecture, design, exchange (in the most general sense of that word), daily life and everyday customs of the locals. As unbelievable as it sounds, you can find them to be much more vivid, lively and upbeat than a market (and especially than a cemetery).
Something particularly lovely about the one in Antwerp is how multi-levelled everything is. And this is really difficult to explain in words. I’m not only talking about platforms that sit atop multiple floors, but also the significance of everything inside. Gold ornaments everywhere truly represent the riches and the vast capital of Belgium. The construction itself represents a resistant model, a skeleton of architecture of recent periods in time. But most importantly, the World Peace statue is depicted both as an open arm and a dove. There is an intricate detail, and I cannot confirm whether this is a major coincidence or an added element into its design. Does this hand not resemble the Hand of Fatima, most frequently ornamented with an Evil Eye, one of the main means of protection originating from the east? Let me know in the comments what you think about the resemblance.
Chocolate Nation
Chocolate Nation is the name of the Antwerpian museum of chocolate. I bet right now you are hoping to read an endless story about the feel this majestic place brings into the heart of its visitors? Tough luck, you’ll need to wait for next week’s post for that. However, good news is that the post will be 100% dedicated to this museum. The wait will be short, but it will pay off in a very sweet and soft feel around your hearts.
Antwerp Christmas markets
Before we dive deep, I can tell you openly I was never a fan of these. The first time I noticed a Christmas market was in Berlin, in December 2018. My hosts wanted to spend a whole day outside – which I found amazing. Until the point I realized we were to walk around each possible square and open space only to visit one and the same market in 20 different locations. What I don’t like about these markets is the fact that one can buy only items from three categories in all of them – mulled wine, ginger bread and overly sugary sweets. Suffice to say I don’t consume any of the three.
Fortunately, Christmas markets in Antwerp were much better organized and containing more content, in comparison to the ones back in 2018. Of course, these will not be active year-round, but they provide a fun-to-witness activity, especially when you walk down the main pedestrian streets, from the city center, to the port. The stalls are brimming with various products, and every cabin is ornamented in a different fashion. There are wood-carvings and depictions of Christmassy fairytales, such as (you guessed it) The Nutcracker. Nativity scenes are located all around the city – whether you believe in the story or not, it will fill your hearts with joy and hope for a better tomorrow.
Pointed-roofed buildings
This is my favorite scene from Belgium and the Netherlands. You’ve seen these in pictures from this part of Europe, certainly! In some cities, they are more and less colorful, but in all, they represent the same architectural style, specific to Northern Europe only. Gilded rooftops or golden statues are a special trait that is seen all around Belgium, both Wallonia and Flanders. Magnets and other souvenirs will have these in the basis of their design. Tall cathedrals, like the ones in Brussels, are to be found scattered around Antwerp. Everything is pointed, arched and spiked. But the gothic atmosphere does not resemble the one in Central Europe, like Prague, at all. As if medieval times in this part of Europe were neither dark nor scary.
The Diamond Port
Do you know why Antwerp is called the Diamond Capital of the World? Simple – because around 80% of earthly diamond trade goes through the port of Antwerp. In fact, have you heard about Free State of Antwerp? This was a political idea, aiming at creating a new country that “almost existed” – it did exist four about three weeks back in 1830, but it ended in Belgium receiving independence from the Netherlands. In fact, other countries were trying to get their hands on the Free State of Antwerp. And no wonder, accounting for the amount of diamond trade that it holds.
The port is nowadays well-developed, and still runs on diamonds and chocolate. We can deduce this to be one of the reasons why Belgium is still as rich as it is. With more time on our hand, we would’ve gotten deeper into the port, as well as into the Diamond Museum. The lucky part is that we now have something left for the next visit. Another hint was we should go to the Red-Light District. Let’s bear it in mind for when we next decide to go to Antwerp.
Chinatown
I know you cannot wait to read about the chocolate museum – and that must still be your only thought, reading through this post. No worries, I will only tell you that the entrance to Chinatown in Antwerp is physically bordered by the entrance to Chocolate Nation. And I will leave these nice pics for you to bask in the beauty of actual Chinese culture in one of the most significant trade-route cities of Europe.
The Spirit of Antwerp
The best for the end! Remember my posts about Barcelona, claiming how lively and even living the city is? Well, I also mentioned this does definitely not go for Brussels. On the other hand, it most certainly does go for the Diamond Capital. The city is alive! It has this aura flying all over it, as an entity talking of its rich history and culture, to anyone who wanders here. As if the city were haunted, but by a benevolent presence that wishes to share the beauty and depth of its story with the travelers. This most welcoming ghost will be the most hospitable, wishing you a pleasant stay and a great time in this marvelous diamond of a city.
One day in Antwerp is most certainly not the amount of time one needs to feel the atmosphere live in this area. However, two whole days would be a bit much. We exchanged our opinion of this majestic place with the hotel staff (apparently from the UK) – who helped us confirm this notion. However, still, he told of people loving what they can see here in a day’s time, talking of coming back. And I can completely see why. Please let me know as soon as you decide to visit the marvelous Diamond Capital of the World. I will be more than happy to provide more insight and recommend places to see and experiences to live through. And don’t forget my next week’s post about the one and only – Chocolate Nation!
Comments
-
[…] Previous posts in the series: Brussels and Antwerp. […]
-
[…] What I found 100% unbelievable is the content of the Christmas market. As we managed to visit quite a number of them in the past months (and believe me, you are looking at a story about all the Viennese ones), I […]
-
[…] What I found 100% unbelievable is the content of the Christmas market. As we managed to visit quite a number of them in the past months (and believe me, you are looking at a story about all the Viennese ones), I […]
-
[…] What I found 100% unbelievable is the content of the Christmas market. As we managed to visit quite a number of them in the past months (and believe me, you are looking at a story about all the Viennese ones), I […]
-
[…] endless, especially after the unforgettable moments in Belgium and the Netherlands (in particular Antwerp!). Vienna definitely falls into the same category as the above-mentioned Antwerp or Barcelona. […]
-
[…] endless, especially after the unforgettable moments in Belgium and the Netherlands (in particular Antwerp!). Vienna definitely falls into the same category as the above-mentioned Antwerp or Barcelona. […]
-
[…] and sharing higher levels of appreciation for its visitors. Even though Barcelona, Nice and Antwerp are my cities, Vienna will never stop having a very special place in my heart, memories, and a […]
Leave a Reply