Our Day Trip by Regional Train to Antwerp - Belgium.

A Day Trip by Regional Train to Antwerp- Belgium.

Antwerp is Belgium’s second largest city and one of the largest ports in Europe. We decided to do our own thing and go the 80klms from Brussels to Antwerp by the local regional train. The Trafalgar Tour group did a special excursion to Antwerp last Saturday but we decided not to join them as there were other places in Antwerp that we wanted to visit and we also wanted to spend more time at some of the special sites.

The train ride was less than exciting, but it did give us a good opportunity to see the Belgium countryside and also the opportunity to see the main beautiful central station of Antwerp when we arrived in Antwerp.

 

The elaborately decorated Central Train Station at Antwerp.

 

We planned to do a self-guided walk through the older area of Antwerp and the local metro train dropped us right near the Cathedral which is the start of our walking tour.

The Antwerp Cathedral is the largest Gothic Cathedral in Belgium and occupies 2.5 acres in the heart of Antwerp. Work began on this Cathedral in 1352 and was not finished for 200 years. The graceful tiered spire rises to a height of 123 m above the winding streets of the medieval city centre, the second spire has been left incomplete.

Inside is huge and it is just full of magnificent natural light with many wonderful stained glass painted windows. It is more like a museum than a church as it has many world renowned sculptures and paintings including three works by the 17^th century artist Rubens. Antwerp was the city in which Rubens lived and many of his most famous works were produced in this city.

                                Statue of the famous painter Rubens with the Cathedral behind.

                           One of the many fantastic stained glass windows in the Cathedral.

 

View of inside the magnificent Antwerp Cathedral.

Close up of part of a picture I particularly liked in the Cathedral.

Next we ventured to the Grote Mark or Central Square which is flanked by the ornately Gabled Stadhuis which was completed in 1564. One side of the square has a series of guild houses all decorated with gilded figures, there is also a very impressive fountain in the middle of the square it is called Brabo Fountain named after a Roman soldier.

 

The beautiful old market square with the Guild houses and the Brabo Fountain.

 

Down near the old harbour is Hot Steen which is Antwerp’s Castle dating back to the 10^th century.

 

View from the Old Port area back towards the Cathedral.

 The small but architecturally  interesting Castle in Antwerp.

We also saw and visited a couple of other beautiful churches and also the Vleeshuis, the old Meat Hall.

                                                     Inside other churches we visited.

 

                       One of the many exquisite Rubens painting in one of the many churches in Antwerp.

The Old area of Antwerp was charming and a delight to walk around. The medieval area was full of well-preserved richly ornate old buildings with beautiful architecture and distinctive features. There was a little tourist train driving around the cobblestone street and through the main square and a grand horse drawn coach giving tourists rides.

 

The horse drawn coach in the centre of Antwerp.

We enjoyed a really nice lunch in one of the pretty local cafés and then took the metro train and the regional train back to Brussels.