Both economically and culturally, Antwerp is and has long been an important city in theLow Countries, especially before and during theSpanish Fury (1576) and throughout and after the subsequentDutch Revolt. TheBourse at Antwerp, originally built in 1531 and re-built in 1872, was the world's first purpose-builtcommodity exchange.[b] In 1920, the city hosted theSummer Olympics.
The inhabitants of Antwerp are nicknamedSinjoren (Dutch pronunciation:[sɪˈɲoːrə(n)]), after the Spanish honorificseñor or Frenchseigneur, "lord", referring to the Spanish noblemen who ruled the city in the 17th century.[8] The city's population is very diverse, including about 180 nationalities; as of 2019, more than 50% of its population had a parent that was not a Belgian citizen at birth.[9] A notable community is theJewish one, as Antwerp is one of the only two cities in Europe (together withLondon and itsStamford Hill neighbourhood) that is home to a considerableHaredi population in the 21st century.
Early recorded versions of the name includeAndo Verpia onRoman coins found in the city centre,[10] GermanicAndhunerbo from around the timeAustrasia became a separate kingdom (that is, about 567 CE),[11] and (possibly originally Celtic)Andoverpis inDado'sLife ofSt. Eligius(Vita Eligii) from about 700 CE. The formAntverpia isNeo-Latin.[12]
A Germanic (Frankish orFrisian) origin could contain prefixanda ("against") and a noun derived from the verbwerpen ("to throw") and denote, for example: land thrown up at the riverbank; analluvial deposit; a mound (like aterp) thrown up (as a defence) against (something or someone); or a wharf.[13][14][15] IfAndoverpis is Celtic in origin, it could mean "those who live on both banks".[16]
There is afolklore tradition that the nameAntwerpen is fromDutchhandwerpen ("hand-throwing"). Agiant calledAntigoon is said to have lived near theScheldt river and extracted a toll from passing boatmen. He severed the hand of anyone who did not pay, and threw it in the river. Eventually the giant was killed by a young hero namedSilvius Brabo, who cut off the giant's own hand and flung that into the river. This is unlikely to be the true origin, but it is celebrated bya statue (illustrated further below) in the city's main market square, theGrote Markt.[17][10]
Historical Antwerp allegedly had its origins in a Gallo-Romanvicus. Excavations carried out in the oldest section near the Scheldt in 1952–1961 (ref. Princeton), produced pottery shards and fragments of glass from the mid-2nd century to the end of the 3rd century. In the 4th century, Antwerp was first named, having been settled by theGermanicFranks.[15]
TheMerovingian Antwerp was evangelized bySaint Amand in the 7th century.Het Steen Castle has its origins in theCarolingian period in the 9th century. The castle may have been built after the Viking incursions in the early Middle Ages; in 879 theNormans invaded Flanders. The surviving structure was built between 1200 and 1225 as a gateway to a larger castle of the Dukes of Brabant which was demolished in the 19th century. It is Antwerp's oldest building.[18] At the end of the 10th century, the Scheldt became the boundary of theHoly Roman Empire. Antwerp became amargraviate in 980, by the German emperorOtto II, a border province facing theCounty of Flanders.
After the silting-up of theZwin and the consequent decline ofBruges, Antwerp, then part of theDuchy of Brabant, grew in importance, with the city doubling its population between 1500 and 1569.[19] At the end of the 15th century, the foreign trading houses were transferred from Bruges to Antwerp, and the building assigned to the association of English merchants active in the city is specifically mentioned in 1510.[11] During this time, the old Mediterranean trade routes were gradually losing importance and the discovery of new sea routes via Africa to Asia and via theAtlantic to America helped push Antwerp to a position of prominence.[19]
By 1504, the Portuguese had established Antwerp as one of their main shipping bases, bringing in spices from Asia and trading them for textiles and metal goods. The city's trade expanded to include cloth from England, Italy and Germany,wines from Germany, France and Spain, salt from France, andwheat from theBaltic. The city's skilled workers processed soap, fish, sugar, and especially cloth. Banks helped finance the trade, the merchants, and the manufacturers. The city was a cosmopolitan center; itsbourse opened in 1531, "To the merchants of all nations."[20]
Antwerp became the sugar capital of Europe, importing the raw commodity from Portuguese and Spanish plantations on both sides of the Atlantic, where it was grown by a mixture of free and forced labour, increasingly withenslaved Africans as the century progressed.[21] The city attracted Italian and German sugar refiners by 1550, and shipped their refined product to Germany, especiallyCologne.[22] Antwerp also had an unusually high number of painters, around 360 in 1560, in a city with a population of roughly 89,000 in 1569 (250 people per painter), it was the most important artistic centre north of theAlps, serving notable painters such asPieter Bruegel.[19] Moneylenders and financiers developed a large business lending money all over Europe including the English government in 1544–1574. London bankers were too small to operate on that scale, and Antwerp had a highly efficient bourse that itself attracted rich bankers from around Europe. After the 1570s, the city's banking business declined: England ceased its borrowing in Antwerp in 1574.[23]
Fernand Braudel states that Antwerp became "the centre of theentire international economy, something Bruges had never been even at its height."[24] Antwerp had the highest growth rate and was the richest city in Europe at the time.[25][19] Antwerp'sGolden Age is tightly linked to the "Age of Exploration". During the first half of the 16th century, Antwerp grew to become the second-largest European city north of the Alps. Many foreign merchants were resident in the city.Francesco Guicciardini, the Florentine envoy, stated that hundreds of ships would pass in a day, and 2,000 carts entered the city each week. Portuguese ships laden withpepper andcinnamon would unload their cargo. According to Luc-Normand Tellier "It is estimated that the port of Antwerp was earning the Spanish crown seven times more revenues than the Spanish colonization of the Americas".[26]
Without a long-distance merchant fleet, and governed by an oligarchy of banker-aristocrats forbidden to engage in trade, the economy of Antwerp was foreign-controlled, which made the city very cosmopolitan, with merchants and traders fromVenice,Genoa,Ragusa,Spain and Portugal. Antwerp had a policy of toleration, which attracted a large crypto-Jewish community composed of migrants from Spain and Portugal.[28]
Antwerp experienced three booms during its golden age: the first based on the pepper market, a second launched by American silver coming fromSeville (ending with the bankruptcy of Spain in 1557), and a third boom, after the stabilizingTreaty of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559, based on the textiles industry. At the beginning of the 16th century, Antwerp accounted for 40% of world trade.[26] The boom-and-bust cycles and inflationary cost-of-living squeezed less-skilled workers. In the century after 1541, the city's economy and population declined dramatically. The Portuguese merchants left in 1549, and there was much less trade in English cloth. Numerous financial bankruptcies began around 1557.Amsterdam replaced Antwerp as the major trading center for the region.[29]
The religious revolution of theReformation erupted in violent riots in August 1566, as in other parts of theLow Countries. The regentMargaret, Duchess of Parma, was swept aside whenPhilip II sent theDuke of Alba at the head of an army the following summer. When theDutch revolt against Spain broke out in 1568, commercial trading between Antwerp and the Spanish port ofBilbao collapsed and became impossible. On 4 November 1576, Spanish soldiers sacked the city during the so-calledSpanish Fury: 8,000 citizens were massacred, several houses burnt down, and over £2 million sterling of damage was done.
Map of Antwerp (1624)Antwerp and the river Scheldt, photochrom,c. 1890–1900Antwerp from the left bank of the Scheldt,c. 1890–1900
The recognition of the independence of theUnited Provinces by theTreaty of Münster in 1648 stipulated that theScheldt should be closed to navigation, which destroyed Antwerp's trading activities. This impediment remained in force until 1863, although the provisions were relaxed during French rule from 1795 to 1814, and also during the time Belgium formed part of theKingdom of the United Netherlands (1815 to 1830).[11] Antwerp had reached the lowest point in its fortunes in 1800, and its population had sunk to under 40,000, whenNapoleon, realizing its strategic importance, assigned funds to enlarge the harbour by constructing a new dock (still named the Bonaparte Dock), anaccess-lock andmole, and deepening the Scheldt to allow larger ships to approach Antwerp.[25] Napoleon hoped that by making Antwerp's harbour the finest in Europe he would be able to counter the Port of London and hamper British growth. However, he was defeated at theBattle of Waterloo before he could see the plan through.[31]In 1830, the city was captured by the Belgian insurgents, but the citadel continued to be held by a Dutch garrison under GeneralDavid Hendrik Chassé. For a time, Chassé subjected the town to periodic bombardment which inflicted much damage, and at the end of 1832, the citadel itself was besieged by the French Northern Army commanded by MarechalGerard. During this attack, the town was further damaged. In December 1832, after a gallant defence, Chassé made an honourable surrender, ending theSiege of Antwerp (1832).[11]
Later that century, a double ring ofBrialmont Fortresses was constructed some 10 km (6 mi) from the city centre, as Antwerp was considered vital for the survival of the young Belgian state. And in 1894 Antwerp presented itself to the world via aWorld's Fair attended by 3 million.[32]
Antwerp was the first city to host theWorld Gymnastics Championships, in 1903. DuringWorld War I, the city became the fallback point of theBelgian Army after the defeat atLiège. TheSiege of Antwerp lasted for 11 days, but the city was taken after heavy fighting by the German Army, and the Belgians were forced to retreat westwards. Antwerp remained underGerman occupation until the Armistice. A few years later, Antwerp hosted the1920 Summer Olympics.
DuringWorld War II, the city was an important strategic target because of its port. It wasoccupied by Germany on 18 May 1940 and liberated by theBritish 11th Armoured Division on 4 September 1944. After this, the Germans attempted to destroy thePort of Antwerp, which was used by the Allies to bring new material ashore. Thousands ofRheinbote,V-1 andV-2 missiles were fired (more V-2s than used on all other targets during the entire war combined), causing severe damage to the city but failed to destroy the port due to poor accuracy. After the war, Antwerp, which had already had a sizeable Jewish population before the war, once again became a major European centre ofHaredi (and particularlyHasidic)Orthodox Judaism.
A Ten-Year Plan for the port of Antwerp (1956–1965) expanded and modernized the port's infrastructure with national funding to build a set of canal docks. The broader aim was to facilitate the growth of the north-eastern Antwerp metropolitan region, which attracted new industry based on a flexible and strategic implementation of the project as a co-production between various authorities and private parties. The plan succeeded in extending the linear layout along the Scheldt river by connecting new satellite communities to the main strip.[33]
Starting in the 1990s, Antwerp rebranded itself as a world-class fashion centre. Emphasizing the avant-garde, it tried to compete withLondon,Milan,New York andParis. It emerged from organized tourism and mega-cultural events.[34]
In 1958, in preparation of the 10-year development plan for thePort of Antwerp, the municipalities ofBerendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo were integrated into the city territory and lost their administrative independence. During the 1983 merger of municipalities, conducted by the Belgian government as an administrative simplification, the municipalities ofBerchem,Borgerhout,Deurne,Ekeren,Hoboken,Merksem andWilrijk were merged into the city. At that time the city was also divided into the districts mentioned above. Simultaneously, districts received an appointed district council; later district councils became elected bodies.[35]
The neighboring municipality ofBorsbeek declared the intention to become the tenth district of the city of Antwerp. Since January 2025, Borsbeek has been a district of the city of Antwerp.[36]
With the exception of Ekeren and Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo, all the districts form together one contiguous inhabited area. The former town halls have been converted into district halls and the former town centers are now local main streets within the larger urban agglomeration.
Antwerp consists of the following neighborhoods. For a few of them, thepostal code has become a cultural reference:
The inner city - 2000
Encompassing the area between the river and the Spanish fortification walls, this is the historical heart of Antwerp. On the place of the Spanish walls is now an avenue calledde Leien in Dutch orden Boulevard in the local dialect. Tourist sights such as the Cathedral are located here, but also more mundane places.
Quarters in the inner city are:
Historical centre
Meir
Schipperskwartier
Quartier Latin
University quarter
het Zuid
nieuw Zuid
het Eilandje
Antwerpen-Noord - 2060
Antwerpen-Noord or synonymously 2060 is a densely populated part of the city, and the most diverse one as well.
Seefhoek
Stuivenberg
Amandus-Atheneum
Dam
Antwerpen intra-muros - 2018
This is not a neighborhood by itself, but is the postal code for the remaining quarters of the district that lie betweende Leien and the ringway.
Statiekwartier
Diamond square
Groen Kwartier
Haringrode
Zurenborg
Brederode
Klein-Antwerpen
Kievit quarter
Harmonie
Antwerpen extra-muros - 2020
Kiel
Tentoonstellingswijk
Middelheim (the border with the district of Wilrijk runs rights through this quarter)
Antwerpen - 2030
Luchtbal
Not a quarter, but a significant amount of territory here are industrial and uninhabited port terrains.
Linkeroever - 2050
United with the city in 1923, Linkeroever ("Left bank") consists of the former polders ofZwijndrecht andBurcht.
Berchem - 2600
Antwerp-Berchem: Vibrant district, rich history, lively streets, major transportation hub.
Antwerp's architecture is a blend of old and new, with a cultural heritage spanning from the Gothic and Renaissance periods to contemporary designs. In the 16th century, the city was noted for the wealth of its citizens (Antwerpia nummis).[citation needed] The houses of these wealthy merchants and manufacturers have been preserved throughout the city. However, fire has destroyed several old buildings, such as the house of theHanseatic League on the northern quays, in 1891. DuringWorld War II, the city also suffered considerable damage fromV-bombs. Here are some of the most notable examples of Antwerp's diverse architecture:
The Port House, designed byZaha Hadid, is a contemporary landmark that juxtaposes a restored neoclassical building with a futuristic glass-clad extension.
The Provincial Government Building, designed byXaveer De Geyter Architects, is a unique triangular-shaped building with a natural stone façade located in the historic city center.
De Singel, a cultural center with a modernist design, features a mix of glass and concrete and is considered an architectural marvel.
TheMAS Museum, with its distinctive red sandstone façade, is a contemporary building that explores Antwerp's rich maritime history.
TheZurenborg neighborhood is known for its Art Nouveau architecture, featuring intricate details, colorful mosaics, and stained glass windows.
Maison Guiette is a residential building designed by the Swiss-French architectLe Corbusier in collaboration with the Belgian architect Paul De Meyer in 1926–1927. Maison Guiette is considered an early example of Le Corbusier's work in Europe. It is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is recognized as an important example of modernist architecture.
DeBoerentoren, or "The Farmer's Tower", is a historic Art Deco skyscraper that was once the tallest building in Europe.
TheBourla Theatre, with its Neo-Classical style, is a historic theater that dates back to the 19th century.
TheHendrik Conscience Heritage Library is a historic library. The library was established in 1481 and is one of the oldest and most extensive heritage libraries in Belgium. It is home to over 1.5 million books, manuscripts, and other documents related to the history and culture of Flanders.
TheRoyal Museum of Fine Arts, with its Neo-Classical style, houses a vast collection of Flemish art from the 14th to the 20th century.
Antwerp Central Station, a beautiful Beaux-Arts railway station, is one of the most impressive examples of railway architecture in Europe.
The Sint-Annatunnel,[37] also known as the Voetgangerstunnel, is a 572-meter-long tunnel. It was opened in 1933 and was designed by engineerEmiel Van Averbeke. The tunnel connects the banks of the Scheldt River, linking the historic city center with the Left Bank neighborhood. It is primarily made of reinforced concrete and features an Art Deco style interior design with ceramic tiles, ornamental lighting fixtures, and decorative panels. One of its unique features is the wooden escalator, which has been in operation since the tunnel's opening. Today, the Voetgangerstunnel is a popular tourist attraction and a key transportation link for commuters and visitors to Antwerp.
Nieuw Zuid (New South) neighborhood, Located next to the river on the site of abandoned railway tracks, Nieuw Zuid is being designed as a sustainable green neighbourhood. The project, which will not be finished until 2030, includes buildings by acclaimed international architects such asMax Dudler,Stefano Boeri,Peter Zumthor,Shigeru Ban andKazuyo Sejima.
Antwerp offers a diverse range of parks and recreational areas for locals and tourists to explore. One of the most popular attractions is theAntwerp Zoo. It opened on 21 July 1843, making it one of the oldest and most famous zoos in the world. The zoo covers an area of 10 hectares and is home to more than 5,000 animals from over 950 species. The zoo is located right next toAntwerp Central Station on the Koningin Astridplein. Antwerp Zoo has played its role in preservation and breeding programmes for several endangered species, including the okapi, the Przewalski horse, the Congo peafowl, the bonobo, the golden-headed lion tamarin, the European otter, and the Knysna seahorse. They take part in theEuropean Endangered Species Programme. On 1 January 1983 the entire park (architecture and garden) was listed as a monument. Other well-known parks include:
Nachtegalen Park with several adjacent parks south of Antwerp. The area is 90 hectares in total. The parks were all built around a castle and were acquired by the municipality of Antwerp in 1910. The parks consist of Den Brandt (21 ha), Vogelenzang (40 ha), andMiddelheim Park[38] (24 ha) which is famous for its open-air sculpture museum that features over 400 works of art. The park also hosts a variety of outdoor concerts and festivals throughout the year, making it a popular destination for visitors.
The Rivierenhof is a large public park located in the district of Deurne. The park covers an area of 130 hectares and features beautiful gardens, lakes, ponds, and walking paths. The Rivierenhof park was originally designed in the 1920s as a recreational park for the working class, and has since become a beloved green space for both locals and tourists.
Park Spoor Noord is a large urban park located in the northern part of Antwerp, Belgium. The park covers an area of approximately 24 hectares and was built on the site of a former railway yard. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike and features a wide range of amenities and attractions, including playgrounds, sports fields, a skate park, a petanque court, a community garden, and several restaurants and cafés.
The Stadspark is a public park located in the center of Antwerp. It was designed by the landscape architect Édouard Keilig and opened in 1869. The park covers an area of approximately 14 hectares.
TheBotanic Garden is another popular destination for visitors, boasting a wide range of exotic plants and flowers from around the world.
The Boekenbergpark is a public park located in the district of Deurne. It is notable for its unique outdoor swimming pool, which is filled with filtered rainwater. The park itself covers an area of about 12 hectares and includes walking paths, gardens, and playgrounds. It was designed to be an eco-friendly and sustainable space.
Te Boelaerpark is a public park located in the district of Borgerhout. The park covers an area of 8.2 hectares and is a popular recreational area for locals and visitors alike.
Hobokense Polder,[39] is a nature reserve located in the district of Hoboken. It covers an area of about 170 hectares and consists of meadows, fields, wetlands, and forests. The area was originally used for agricultural purposes, but it was transformed into a nature reserve in the 1990s.
Antwerp has anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb), with cool winters, warm summers and frequent, though light, precipitation throughout the year. Due to the influence of theGulf Stream, Antwerp has a relatively mild climate throughout the year, with the average temperature fluctuating between 4 °C (39 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F) throughout the year.
Climate data for Antwerp (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1949−present)
Although Antwerp was formerly a fortified city, hardly anything remains of the formerenceinte, only some remains of the city wall can be seen near theVleeshuis museum at the corner of Bloedberg and Burchtgracht.Steen castle on the Scheldt-quai is the gate wing of the demolished castle of the Dukes of Brabant. It was partly reconstructed in the 19th century.
Antwerp's development as a fortified city is documented between the 10th and the 20th century. The fortifications were developed in different phases:
10th century: fortification of the wharf with a wall and a ditch
12th and 13th century: canals (so called "vlieten" and "ruien") were made
16th century: Spanish fortifications
19th century: double ring of Brialmont forts around the city, dismantling of the Spanish fortifications
20th century: 1960 dismantling of the inner ring of forts, decommissioning of the outer ring of forts
1567: 105,000 (90,000 permanent residents and 15,000 "floating population", including foreign merchants and soldiers. At the time only 10 cities in Europe reached this size.)[45][46][47][48]
In 2010, 36% to 39% of the inhabitants of Antwerp had foreign origins. A study projected that in 2020, 55% of the population would be of immigrant background, either first, second, or third generation.[55][56]
Afterthe Holocaust and the murder of its many Jews, Antwerp became a major centre for Orthodox Jews. At present, about 15,000Haredi Jews, many of themHasidic, live in Antwerp. The city has three official Jewish Congregations: Shomrei Hadass, headed by Rabbi Pinchas Padwa, Machsike Hadass, headed by Rabbi Aron Schiff (formerly by Chief RabbiChaim Kreiswirth) and the Portuguese Community Ben Moshe. Antwerp has an extensive network of synagogues, shops, schools and organizations. Significant Hasidic movements in Antwerp includePshevorsk, based in Antwerp, as well as branches ofSatmar,Belz,Bobov,Ger,Skver,Klausenburg,Vizhnitz and several others. RabbiChaim Kreiswirth, chief rabbi of the Machsike Hadas community, who died in 2001, was arguably one of the better known personalities to have been based in Antwerp. An attempt to have a street named after him has received the support of the Town Hall and is in the process of being implemented.[citation needed]
The Jains in Belgium are estimated to be around about 1,500 people. The majority live in Antwerp, mostly involved in the very lucrativediamond business.[58] Belgian Indian Jains control two-thirds of the rough diamonds trade and supplied India with roughly 36% of their rough diamonds.[59] A major temple, with a cultural centre, has been built in Antwerp (Wilrijk). Ramesh Mehta, a Jain, is a member of the Belgian Council of Religious Leaders, put up on 17 December 2009.[citation needed]
One of the important sectors that Armenian communities in Antwerp excel at and are involved in is thediamond trade business,[60][61][62][63] that based primarily in thediamond district.[64][65][66] Some of the famous Armenian families involved in the diamond business in the city are the Artinians, Arslanians, Aslanians, Barsamians and the Osganians.[67]
Antwerp's other great mainstay is the diamond trade that takes place largely within thediamond district.[70] 85 percent of the world's rough diamonds pass through the district annually,[71] and in 2011 turnover in the industry was $56 billion.[72] The city has fourdiamond bourses: the Diamond Club of Antwerp, the Beurs voor Diamanthandel, theAntwerpsche Diamantkring and the Vrije Diamanthandel.[73] Antwerp's history in the diamond trade dates back to as early as the sixteenth century,[71] with the first diamond cutters guild being introduced in 1584. The industry never disappeared from Antwerp, and even experienced a second boom in the early twentieth century. By the year 1924, Antwerp had over 13,000 diamond finishers.[74] Since World War II families of the largeHasidic Jewish community have dominated Antwerp's diamond trading industry, although the last two decades have seenIndian[75] andMaroniteChristians fromLebanon andArmenian,[64] traders become increasingly important.[75]Antwerp World Diamond Centre, (AWDC) the successor to theHoge Raad voor Diamant, plays an important role in setting standards, regulating professional ethics, training and promoting the interests of Antwerp as the capital of the diamond industry.[citation needed] However, in recent years Antwerp has seen a downturn in the diamond business, with the industry shifting to cheaper labor markets such as Dubai or India.[76]The industry has avoided the2022 European sanctions against Russia although the imports fromAlrosa have diminished.If banned, the AWDC claims 10,000 jobs would be at risk.[77]
Antwerp is the focus of lines to the north to Essen and the Netherlands, east to Turnhout, south to Mechelen, Brussels and Charleroi, and southwest to Ghent and Ostend. It is served by international andThalys trains toAmsterdam,Rotterdam andParis, and national trains toGhent,Bruges,Ostend,Brussels,Charleroi,Hasselt,Liège,Leuven andTurnhout.Antwerp Central station is an architectural monument in itself, and is mentioned inW G Sebald's novelAusterlitz. Prior to the completion in 2007 of a tunnel that runs northwards under the city centre to emerge at the old Antwerp Dam station, Central was a terminus. Trains from Brussels to the Netherlands had to either reverse at Central or call only at Berchem station, 2 km (1 mi) to the south, and then describe a semicircle to the east, round the Singel. Now, they call at the new lower level of the station before continuing in the same direction.
Antwerp is also home to Antwerpen-Noord, the largestclassification yard for freight in Belgium and the second largest in Europe. The majority of freight trains in Belgium depart from or arrive here. It has two classification humps and over a hundred tracks.
The city has a web of tram and bus lines operated byDe Lijn and providing access to the city centre, suburbs and the Left Bank. Thetram network has 14 lines, of which the underground section is called the "premetro" and includes a tunnel under the river. TheFranklin Rooseveltplaats functions as the city's main hub for local and regional bus lines. However, there has been an evolution to end regional lines at transportation hubs more outward of the city center, such as Zuid and Luchtbal.
A six-lane motorway bypass encircles much of the city centre and runs through the urban residential area of Antwerp. Known locally as the "Ring" it offers motorway connections toBrussels,Hasselt andLiège,Ghent,Lille andBruges andBreda andBergen op Zoom (Netherlands). The banks of the Scheldt are linked by three road tunnels (in order of construction): the Waasland Tunnel (1934), theKennedy Tunnel (1967) and theLiefkenshoek Tunnel (1991).
Daily congestion on the Ring led to a fourth high-volume highway link called the "Oosterweelconnection" being proposed. It would have entailed the construction of a long viaduct and bridge (theLange Wapper) over the docks on the north side of the city in combination with the widening of the existing motorway into a 14-lane motorway; these plans were eventually rejected in a 2009 public referendum.[citation needed]
In September 2010 theFlemish Government decided to replace the bridge by a series of tunnels. There are ideas to cover the Ring in a similar way as happened around Paris,Hamburg,Madrid and other cities. This would reconnect the city with its suburbs and would provide development opportunities to accommodate part of the foreseen population growth in Antwerp which currently are not possible because of the pollution and noise generated by the traffic on the Ring. An old plan to build an R2 outer ring road outside the built-up urban area around the Antwerp agglomeration for port-related traffic and transit traffic never materialized.[citation needed]
In 2017 it was finally decided to complete the ringway of Antwerp with a new tunnel crossing the Scheldt. In a compromise with civil society, it has equally been decided that the ringway will in the long term completely be covered. This compromise is called theToekomstverbond ("Agreement for the future"). Part of the same agreement is that highways further away from the city center will be further developed and that the number of motorized trips in all transportation should be reduced to 50%.
ManyFlixBuses have a stop at the central Franklin Rooseveltplaats.
A small airport,Antwerp International Airport, is located in the district ofDeurne. The airport is mainly used for business travel. Flying Group, the largest business jet service in Benelux and France, has its headquarters there and several maintenance sheds and hangars for their private jets. There are also some regularly scheduled flights byTUI fly with direct connectivity to Spain, Croatia, Italy, Austria and Morocco.Sky Alps operates a 2-3x weekly connection toBolzano Airport. A bus service connects the airport to the city centre. The runway has increased in length, and there is now direct connectivity to Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and Greece from the city of Antwerp.
Belgium's major international airport,Brussels Airport, is about 45 km (28 mi) from the city of Antwerp, and connects the city worldwide. It is connected to the city centre by bus, and also by train. The newDiabolo rail connection provides a direct fast train connection between Antwerp and Brussels Airport as of the summer of 2012.
There is also a direct rail service between Antwerp (calling at Central and Berchem stations) andCharleroi South station, with a connecting buslink toBrussels South Charleroi Airport, which runs twice per hour on working days.
Since 2017 there has been a regular water ferry halting at the city center, connecting it with towns up and down the river Scheldt fromKruibeke to Lillo. This service is calledDeWaterbus. It is popular with both commuting port laborers and cyclist making a day trip.
Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA),[83] the museum holds a permanent collection of contemporary art from Belgian and international artists, an arthouse cinema and an extensive library of books on contemporary art.
Museum aan de Stroom, whose central focus is Antwerp and its connection to the world.
A band originating in Antwerp achieving major international success isDeus.
Some well known festivals around the city are:Linkerwoofer, a pop-rock music festival located at the left bank of theScheldt. This music festival starts in August and mostly local Belgian musicians play and perform in this event.[86][87][88]Jazz Middelheim is an annual summerjazz festival in the Middelheim Park.Tomorrowland is probably the most famous festival to arise from Antwerp. Though the festival is effectively located 15 km (10 mi) south of the city in Boom, its founders in the past organised a festival ('Antwerp is burning') within city limits. The office of the company behind Tomorrowland (weareone.world bvba) is located in the heart of the city. The company founders are involved in conceptualising urban planning concepts for specific Antwerp areas and are known to invite their favourite Antwerp food places to set up a pop-up at the festival.Sfinks festival is a global pop festival that takes place annually inBoechout, a village southeast of Antwerp. The first edition dates from 1976. Other popular festivals are Fire Is Gold, Ampere Open Air and Vaag Outdoor focusing more on hip-hop music, house and techno.
Antwerp is a city that boasts a diverse and vibrant nightlife, with many cafés and nightclubs situated throughout its various neighborhoods. The old center andGrote Markt offer a cozy atmosphere surrounded by authentic city buildings and plenty of cafes. The Belgians are well-known for their beer, and visitors can savor a wide range of local brews while enjoying the nightlife.
Other popular areas include het Mechelseplein, home to various cafés as well as the bustling Dageraadplaats in the belle-époque neighborhood ofZurenborg.
Het groen kwartier (the green quarter) is also a hub of cultural and artistic activity. Het Eilandje is a neighborhood in Antwerp, with many cafés and restaurants situated around theMAS Museum.
Antwerp is known for a diverse range of nightclubs that cater to different tastes. Among these clubs are some of the most famous and notorious in Belgium.Cinderella's Ballroom was famous in the 1980s.
Antwerp is a rising fashion city, and has produced designers such as theAntwerp Six. The city has a cult status in the fashion world, due to theRoyal Academy of Fine Arts, one of the most important fashion academies in the world. It has served as the learning centre for many Belgianfashion designers. Since the 1980s, several graduates of the Belgian Royal Academy of Fine Arts have become internationally successful fashion designers in Antwerp. The city has had a huge influence on other Belgian fashion designers such asRaf Simons,Veronique Branquinho,Olivier Theyskens andKris Van Assche.[89] In 2019, Arte won the Fashion brand of the Year award at the Belgian Fashion Awards. The Antwerp label was founded by Bertony Da Silva in 2009.[90]
Antwerp is famous for its local products. In August every year the Bollekesfeest takes place. The Bollekesfeest is a showcase for such local products as Bolleke, an amber beer from theDe Koninck Brewery. The city's historical ale, Seefbier,[91] dating back to the 16th century and brewed at the Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie is a testament to the city's long brewing history and one of Belgium's oldest existing beerstyles. TheMokatine sweets made byConfiserie Roodthooft, Elixir D'Anvers, a locally made liquor, locally roastedcoffee from Koffie Verheyen, sugar from Candico, Poolster pickled herring and Equinox horse meat, are other examples of local specialities. One of the most known products of the city are its biscuits, theAntwerpse Handjes, literally "Antwerp Hands". Usually made from a short pastry withalmonds ormilk chocolate, they symbolize the Antwerp trademark and folklore. The local products are represented by a non-profit organization, Streekproducten Provincie Antwerpen vzw.[92]
Antwerp has grown into the culinary capital of Flanders and Belgium. It has no fewer than eleven restaurants with at least oneMICHELIN star. Zilte by Viki Geunes located in theMAS museum even received the ultimate award of three stars.[93]
The city of Antwerp was co-host for the 2021World Choir Games together with the city ofGhent.[94] Organised by theInterkultur Foundation, the World Choir Games is the biggest choral competition and festival in the world.
Antwerp is home of two professional football clubs being,Royal Antwerp F.C., currently playing in theBelgian First Division, founded in 1880 and is known as 'The Great Old' for being the first club registered to theRoyal Belgian Football Association in 1895.[97] Over the course of the club's history, Royal Antwerp have won fiveBelgian league titles as well as fourBelgian Cups.Antwerp F.C. is also a member of theClub of Pioneers. Another club in the city isK Beerschot VA, founded in 1899 by former Royal Antwerp players. They play at theOlympisch Stadion, the main venue of the 1920 Olympics. Between these two football teams there has always been a big rivalry. When the two play against each other the stadiums are packed and the passioned fans give a great display of their passion, but this has also led to fights, hooliganism and vandalism.
TheAntwerp Giants play in theBNXT league, the league is the first tier in both the Dutch and Belgian system. Their home ground is theLotto Arena. Antwerp has won the Belgian championship once, in 2000. The team has also won five Belgian Cups, in 2000, 2007, 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Antwerp has a university and several colleges. TheUniversity of Antwerp (Universiteit Antwerpen) was established in 2003, following the merger of the RUCA, UFSIA and UIA institutes. Their roots go back to 1852. The university has approximately 23,000 registered students, making it the third-largest university in Flanders, as well as 1,800 foreign students. It has 7 faculties, spread over four campus locations in the city centre and in the south of the city. The university is part ofYoung Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) andYoung European Research Universities Network (YERUN).
^It was founded before stocks and shares existed, so was not strictly astock exchange.[6][7]
^The number includes Belgian nationals who either previously were foreign nationals themselves or at least one of their parents was a foreign national.
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