Antwerp is the second largest city of the small European country Belgium. It's a lovely city with 0.5 million inhabitants (1.2 million metro area). The city is very underrated, therefore I started this threat. To show you what secrets it keeps.

1: Antwerp downtown
http://www.familie-antoine.net/photos/Panorama002.jpg

2: Ringroad, one of the bussiest highways in Europe.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/1834/img1156og7.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim0947.jpg

3: Fina Terminal in the Antwerp harbour
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s80/taboe/DSC01526.jpg

4:
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2-8Gng2rMb1MTXMJPyUzaLQfDgEuTeoj8SH-3W4CpKRHBz6HVM22tnG0CqGFAuWyPyg

5:
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2-_W7NZLAkbksDx5dq7K3JBi_n-MZLESg8TNTJSp4XQkxCCTCwaB5h-I1UC905M1EAE

6:
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2-9Y84RTZWKdGiMcOGabnxCZa-nHcEck4fuH_yuKCodax2aXbP9WIfDocagjIaWoEUE

7:
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2-_AENiSXV5jQfh1FKIfu9TUZ7tPFWQym_jl89ZpASwfyG05TNICNlb7CWGp30wBaho

8:
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2-9uhiuDSFfgEijRA90Ytdw0EgjtLAjV_8GHbHHk2i5rK7A6WUskyOyV1A1u-hH_Wp8

9:
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2-9RRNIdUDbgG-UxeOcAn5z3MyFPGkZ2pewN5T3NN7IpjYWRvrvhNanyw-gahJ_nzBw

10: Small park
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2-_kTQsMWxzmD-MRBESiXVlK8Kfns5YTOnQhHjWJCI0no118AdJNVYBxfELiUWTysoE

11: Christ King
http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pAMY-eb9s2--WMI8V0EE_oazcuLOzGM5mYtCmt_tucX3pRx2xdjr9VJ92skqWC2Tf3Ww3c_rWspI

12: Lotto Arena & Sportpaleis, one of the biggest eventhalls of the country
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/498434843_cd0bc20496_o.jpg

13: At the left side of the river Scheldt
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/Nielsv/L1010124bis.jpg

14: Southern part of the city centre, with the palace of justice
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/Nielsv/L1010144bis.jpg

15: Central Square
http://img151.exs.cx/img151/6990/05003medium1bz.jpg

16: Townhall
http://img153.exs.cx/img153/5446/05005medium1ou.jpg

17: Cathedral
http://img153.exs.cx/img153/2635/05007medium2fi.jpg

18: Antwerp CS
http://img153.exs.cx/img153/1605/05038medium7ip.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1910.jpg

19: Bourla
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim0617.jpg

20: KBC Tower, the oldest skyscraper in Europe (+- 100m)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1071.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1785.jpg

21:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1073.jpg

22: Museum of Fine Arts
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1147.jpg

23:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1092.jpg

24: Chicago Tower
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1465.jpg

25:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1469.jpg

26: Central Park
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1906.jpg

27: Keyserlei
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim1920.jpg

28: Frankrijklei
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim2141.jpg

29:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/poller1/Hpim2608.jpg

And so on...

Looks like a fun city to get lost in. Nice pictures, especially the first one.

Idd, Antwerp is a beautiful city! I live in Gent (Belgium), but I study in Antwerp. I enjoy the city a lot!
Some other pictures:

A view at the magnificent cathedral of the city:
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/6201/6933262025f1ae40e9b2xq.jpg


123 meters high...
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/8679/271683168dd088f7877b4le.jpg


The 'Grote Markt':
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/4082/32509792930ef440324b1ny.jpg


The 'Meir', the most famous shoppingstreet of the city, is full of splendid buildings:
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/3184/1183421308898b254d3o9pj.jpg


http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/4595/meir25lu.jpg


http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/6370/antwerpenopenmonumenten6og.jpg


The 'Rubenshouse', the place where the famous painter Pieter Paul Rubens lived and worked from 1587-1640:
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/7430/antwerpenopenmonumenten1ax.jpg


http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2621/antwerpenopenmonumenten0ux.jpg


The 'Diepe Fontein' or 'Deep Fountain' in front of the royal museum for beautiful arts:
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7167/2575249029431043ba2o1pr.jpg


http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/9569/25114849736c3fd592eo5cu.jpg


http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9862/116524540ebddd1ae4bb8qt.jpg


On our way to...
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8818/wegnaarhconcienceplein6fa.jpg


...the 'Hendrik Conscience square':
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9432/hendrikconsienceplein0ju.jpg


The 'Carolus Borromeus church' at the same square:
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4552/450pxantwerpcarolusborr3gm.jpg


http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1999/antwerpenopenmonumenten0id.jpg


The famous 'Antwerpen-Centraal' station (1899-1905), one of the most beautiful stations in the whole world :):
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/9823/17731807a0ec9d7704b4ct.jpg


http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/3932/centraalstationhal29wd.jpg


Big works are going on:
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8721/hslantwerpen15hh.jpg


The waiting room:
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5977/285968309b96d74e456o5gn.jpg


http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5259/centraalstationinkom3vt.jpg


http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/7629/savonds0ml.jpg


The 'Zuiderterras', nice place to have your lunch :)...
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/7361/zuiderterrasm9tm.jpg


...with this view:
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/2834/152125836b44e22feaao8uz.jpg


http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/281/2559081996884ad0431o6ls.jpg


The 'Zwart-Witte Huis' or 'Huis van Roosmalen':
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/4241/huisvanroosmalenhetzwar2rj.jpg


The 'Bourla theatre'...
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/2852/163221857f391c0b1eao2zs.jpg


...where you can have a drink in this beautiful decor:
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1844/144750545d85fc488e3o5md.jpg


The roof of the new courthouse in Antwerp:
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/770/justitiepaleis7pz.jpg


The entrance of the Antwerp zoo, located next to the Central Station. It opened in 1843 and is one of the oldest zoo's in the world with a nice collection of animals and beautiful buildings:
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/9251/134294770106100c56ab3tf.jpg


http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/4012/187994720e432f4029fb9uh.jpg


It really lies next to the Central Station...:)
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/7469/174575230dfe64d7d4ao4fb.jpg


Evening is falling in the city, at the right you can see the dome of the Central Station:
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2364/651057307456fb89ccb1qp.jpg


A cold winter evening with snow:
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1784/876696745f6fe9682do5ua.jpg

Thanks for the nice photos. The central square looks terrific, and the city gives me a better impression on the pictures than Brussels gave me when I visited it.

...the city gives me a better impression on the pictures than Brussels gave me when I visited it.

It's hard to compare these two cities. It depends on what you like, Antwerp invests a lot of money to restore old buildings and Brussels doesn't. Therefore I like Antwerp a lot, and Brussels not at all... But yeah as I just said, it depends on what you like.

It's hard to compare these two cities. It depends on what you like, Antwerp invests a lot of money to restore old buildings and Brussels doesn't. Therefore I like Antwerp a lot, and Brussels not at all... But yeah as I just said, it depends on what you like.

What kind of crap is that? Complete neighbourhoods and historical monuments have been renovated in Brussels.

kEWL

nice retreat from the bustling brussels... didn't really stop in this city when I was in belgium this summer

What kind of crap is that? Complete neighbourhoods and historical monuments have been renovated in Brussels.
Look, no offence. I'm proud of my capital as well. But you can't deny that people in Brussels have more the intention to build new structures instead of renovating old ones, except for the Art-Nouveau houses of Horta and the "grote markt". I've been in Brussels a lot, but I haven't seen streets full of (Medieval-)Newage structures like in Antwerp (Nationale straat etc.) yet. Maybe I looked over them ... :lol: I think you're talking about neighbourhouds of max. 100 years old, but I'm talking about 300-400 year old stuff. Maybe you should come to Antwerp onces, than you'll see what I mean. But as I already said, no offence. It's just my opinion, something that's allowed since democraty appeared in our world.

Look, no offence. I'm proud of my capital as well. But you can't deny that people in Brussels have more the intention to build new structures instead of renovating old ones, except for the Art-Nouveau houses of Horta and the "grote markt". I've been in Brussels a lot, but I haven't seen streets full of (Medieval-)Newage structures like in Antwerp (Nationale straat etc.) yet. Maybe I looked over them ... :lol: I think you're talking about neighbourhouds of max. 100 years old, but I'm talking about 300-400 year old stuff. Maybe you should come to Antwerp onces, than you'll see what I mean. But as I already said, no offence. It's just my opinion, something that's allowed since democraty appeared in our world.

Tell me you're joking :shocked:

Nice shots.
I really like the central square, looks a lot like the famous square in Brussels (what was it called again?).

Nice shots.
I really like the central square, looks a lot like the famous square in Brussels (what was it called again?).

Grote Markt :)

Wow, some of those old streets with the 5-7 story older buildings are amazing!



One thing no one has mentioned: http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/1834/img1156og7.jpg

Is this parking in the median strip of a 4 lane road? That looks crazy! Are you supposed to be driving along and then just pull out of the fast lane of traffic and zip into a parking space (what if you have to back up to adjust your parking?)

What are you supposed to do once you get parked? Dash across the oncoming traffic? I might have missed a crosswalk somewhere... (Serious questions, really perplexed by this pic)

So beautiful and dreamy :)

Look, no offence. I'm proud of my capital as well. But you can't deny that people in Brussels have more the intention to build new structures instead of renovating old ones, except for the Art-Nouveau houses of Horta and the "grote markt". I've been in Brussels a lot, but I haven't seen streets full of (Medieval-)Newage structures like in Antwerp (Nationale straat etc.) yet. Maybe I looked over them ... :lol: I think you're talking about neighbourhouds of max. 100 years old, but I'm talking about 300-400 year old stuff. Maybe you should come to Antwerp onces, than you'll see what I mean. But as I already said, no offence. It's just my opinion, something that's allowed since democraty appeared in our world.

The Nationalestraat was laid out in the late 19th century and the buildings in the street certainly aren't medieval nor new age. You can tell by the straightness of the street and the uniformity of the architecture. Fairly few buildings are actually 300-400 years old in Antwerp, even in the oldest parts of town. Neogothic architecture may often create a different impression though. A lot of buildings on the Market Square are actually 19th century as well, for instance. Things are no different in Brussels of course.

The Nationalestraat was laid out in the late 19th century and the buildings in the street certainly aren't medieval nor new age. You can tell by the straightness of the street and the uniformity of the architecture. Fairly few buildings are actually 300-400 years old in Antwerp, even in the oldest parts of town. Neogothic architecture may often create a different impression though. A lot of buildings on the Market Square are actually 19th century as well, for instance. Things are no different in Brussels of course.
I know, but I wasn't really talking about those buildings... Still, my opinion is that you can't compare antwerp with brussels... two different cities, both chauvinistic. Typically Belgian :lol:

One thing no one has mentioned:

Is this parking in the median strip of a 4 lane road? That looks crazy! Are you supposed to be driving along and then just pull out of the fast lane of traffic and zip into a parking space (what if you have to back up to adjust your parking?)

What are you supposed to do once you get parked? Dash across the oncoming traffic? I might have missed a crosswalk somewhere... (Serious questions, really perplexed by this pic)

I thought the same! That looks insane! :nuts: :lol:

Hopefully, someone can answer. ;)

Antwerp is very nice!!!

Very exciting looking..! :) All I can say is HELLO..!:)

I thought the same! That looks insane! :nuts: :lol:

Hopefully, someone can answer. ;)


Well, it's like you say: you have to park your car and cross the street 'like you want'... I mean, there's no fast traffic on that street, so if you be careful you won't get smashed...