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Interesting Facts
- Birthplace and hometown of Baroque painters Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens, whose works appear in many of the city's churches and the museum of fine art, Antwerp has a prominent artistic presence. MUHKA, a contemporary art museum housed in a grain silo, and the Zuid district, a bohemian enclave, exemplify the creative spirit the city continues to foster.
- Antwerp's fashion scene boasts bold, original designs. Several graduates from the fashion department of the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts have become world-class designers.
- Located in the Scheldt-Rhine Delta, the Antwerp is the most inland and second largest seaport in Europe. It welcomes about 16,000 ships each year.
- A city for major industry, Antwerp is the economic capital of Belgium. Many large, international businesses have plants in Antwerp, and the city contributes more than a third of Belgium's exports.
- In the center of the Grote Markt stands a bronze statue of Brabo, a legendary hero renowned for cutting off the hand of the Druon Antigoon, the giant who guarded the river Scheldt and demanded a cruel toll from travelers.
- Always on the cutting edge of technology in Belgium, Antwerp possesses the world's first metropolitan area network, the Metropolitan Area Network for AntwerP (MANAP), which promotes collaboration among businesses and institutions within the community. The city also provides information stands in district offices and other public areas for anyone wishing to use Antwerp's online resources or even just surf the Web.
- Antwerp was an established town as early as the 8th century, when a wall was built around the city. Flourishing through the Middle Ages, the city reached a cultural and economic peak in the 1500s with the development of the Antwerp Bourse and the success of its print shops. This period of prosperity ended when the Spanish took the city in 1585.
- Often called the "Jerusalem of the West," Antwerp has the largest Hasidic Jewish population outside of New York.
- This place is a zoo! Actually, the renowned Antwerp Zoo lies in the center of the city and is one of the oldest zoos in the world. Home to 4000 animals, the zoo includes some fascinating architecture, such as the Egyptian Temple (1856) that houses elephants and giraffes!
- Architectural highlights in Antwerp range from Baroque churches to extremely modern buildings along the river that grab your attention with innovative nautical features. For a glimpse into the city's political history, don't miss the grandiose City Hall or the Steen, a medieval castle.
