ANTWERP
Antwerp lies in the Flemish speaking part of Belgium and plays the role of unofficial capital of Flanders.
The city is situated on the Schelde River, about 88 km. from the North Sea.
The Schelde, together with the Meuse and the Rhine, forms the biggest estuary in western Europe, and Antwerp is an essential part of an enormous harbour complex, one of the greatest in the world.
The old city, within the arc once formed by the 16th-century fortifications, has many narrow, winding streets and old buildings. This area contains the Cathedral of Our Lady, begun in the 14th century and restored in the 19th and 20th centuries; it is one of the nation’s finest Gothic buildings.
Diamonds are another reason for which Antwerp is famous: the first diamond was cut in Antwerp in 1476. Since the 16th century, cutting and dealing establishments have thrived in the so-called Diamond Quarter adjacent to the Central Station, and Antwerp became the international centre of the diamond industry. It also became an important fashion centre.
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GETTING THERE
TRAVELING BY PLANE
Visitors flying to Brussels International Airport profit from a direct train connection to Antwerp Central Station. Brussels International Airport has about 75 airlines with over 200 destinations. The train journey from Brussels International Airport takes only 34 minutes​.
TRAVELING BY TRAIN
A Room with a ZOO is located next to the famous Antwerp Central Station. This station is considered to be one of the most beautiful stations worldwide with both national and international connections. Thanks to its central location in Europe, connection times to major cities are short and comfortable. Antwerp has high speed rail connections with Paris, Amsterdam, London and Cologne. All information, timetables, and fares can be found on the NMBS website.
In 2014 the British-American magazine Mashable awarded Antwerpen-Centraal the first place for the most beautiful railway station in the world.