Why yes, yes they do. If you've
seen the film Snatch you'll recognize that as one of the opening lines
from the film wherein Freddy Four Fingers and his crew knock off an
Orthodox Jewish jewelry depository in Antwerp for an 86 carat diamond
before fleeing to London. Diamonds are big business in Antwerp- in fact
the diamond industry there accounts for around 10% of the economy of
Belgium.
That said, there's much more to Antwerp than just diamonds, and it starts with Antwerp's long history as an important port city. At the end of the 15th century the port outlet of Bruges turned to sand and thus all of the important Belgian trading houses moved to Antwerp and established that city as the new port hub of Belgium. Riches and all of the trappings followed and Antwerp became not only an economic hub but also an epicenter for culture, harboring painters, writers, and musicians.
I decided to visit Antwerp not for the diamonds but for the accounts I'd been hearing about their old town and the extremely unique train station. Yes, the train station. Unless you come by car, boat, or parachute into the city, the train station is going to be the first thing you encounter. So if you don't like the rest of this post, my advice to you is take a walk around the station, grab a waffle, and then make your way back to wherever you came from.
Why is the station so unique? Most train stations operate horizontally- that is the trains come in beside each other on various platforms. In Antwerp the station operates VERTICALLY, meaning, you guessed it, the trains come in on top of one another. I counted about four different levels of platforms.
Someone had told me about this way way back in the summer and I'm ashamed to admit that I had forgotten it was Antwerp. I vaguely remembered that I was going to encounter an odd train station somewhere along the trek through Belgium but it wasn't until I arrived in Brussels and took a look at the Antwerp map that I remembered. But the interior configuration isn't the only thing of note about the train station. When they expanded it, they incorporated the original entrance, upper level tracks, and facade of the old station. So before going down the series of escalators to your track you get to walk through the entrance just as all passengers have since 1905.
Before hitting the old town I made my way north to check out a "wasteland" that has been converted into park space as well as a stunning new museum built to transform the old port area once again into a thriving neighborhood. On the way, however, I was able to get to the bottom of a mystery that had been plaguing me since day 1 in Brussels... cheese crack! First of all, you'll find little fry shops all over Belgium. And they're not just making up frites- they'll fry up a whole host of other frozen or quasi-frozen items. Check out this spread:
Among some of those items was deep fried tacos, assortment of Italian cheeses, frozen liver, meat kebabs, a "mexicano," and of course cheese crack. What is cheese crack? Well... it's similar to a giant mozzarella stick only instead of just melted cheese it's more of a cheese saucy thing. It wasn't that great but I also got a Bicky burger which is just a hamburger but with a fried frozen patty instead of a grilled fresh one. Meh. I'm incurring irreparable damage to my internal organs to bring you these facts dear reader.
Antwerp isn't just a city wallowing in the spoils from it's rich history as a port city, it's also a modern and extremely active port. In fact, it's the SECOND largest active port in Europe, which means I've been to all three of the largest port cities in Europe! Magnificent! Antwerp's main port is a bit far out of the city but you can see it off in the distance of this shot from near the old port.
And speaking of the old port, I got this great shot from right around the corner. The clouds behind the ship looks like sails... I'm not used to seeing blue skies in the Netherlands & Belgium so this day was a much appreciated treat.
The main thing to see now in the old port is the Mas museum. It's currently housing a selection of Belgian arts while the Royal Fine Arts Museum is closed until 2017. But the best part is you can ride the escalators all the way to the top for an unobstructed view of the city. From here you can see a couple of things: (1) the old town;
(2) the obligatory photo of yours truly;
and (3) some window washers taking care of the really cool curved windows (which I assume cost a fortune);
But what does this acclaimed winding port-laden structure look like? Kind of like a brown-brick Lego house. Look how high up those window cleaners are.
From here it's an easy hike down to the old town, you simply need to walk through a roughly 6 block rectangle complex of red light district that was not included on my map. I'm certainly getting an inadvertent education on the great red light districts of Northern Europe. Anyway, after you've run the gauntlet, you'll find yourself in the Grote Markt which is occupied by the exceptionally well-adorned city hall.
It's actually less of a "square" and more of a triangle. And since it was finally a nice day, here's a shot of the Grote Triangle with the Cathedral in the background.
"Tell me more about the Cathedral!" Fine fine. So they started building it in 1352, and it stalled. But then the did eventually complete one of the two planned towers in the early half of the 16th century. But... as you've probably already noticed... they only got that far. However, they had already started the base of the second tower so, why not just cap it off with a little spire and call it a day?
Haha. I can't get over how ridiculous that looks. In Cologne they're all fired up about their cathedral but at least it's complete. Anyway, if you're clever and handsome like me you'll be able to find the tiny little road wherein lies the most well preserved example of a typical old school Antwerpian street. Or so they say. But it's quaint and winding and perfect for someone as charming as yourself.
Also, apparently nearby is the first skyscraper on the European continent. I don't know how one defines a "skyscraper." My thought being that the first skyscraper is just the tallest building, surpassed by the next tallest and so forth. But, no, apparently this one is. Before this, no buildings in Europe could be said to scrape the sky.
The best view of the buildings in the old town is from the Groen Plaits. It's also near the home of Rubens, one of Antwerp and Belgium's most famous painters. I don't particularly love his work so I'll give you the shot of the square with the buildings instead of the picture of his boring house.
After the Train Station and the Mas, my third favorite part of Antwerp is a bit of a local treat. Near Rubens' house there's a building alongside the water. In the building there is an elevator. If you go down the elevator you'll find a tunnel. It looks like this:
And it takes about 15-20 minutes to walk from one end of the tunnel to the next. And when you come to the end of the other side you'll see some old school wooden escalators that look like this:
And when you go up the escalators you come out on the other side of the river and you can look back and BAM. There's the city. And you're all alone because no one goes there to look out at the city. So there you are, there is the city, and you're looking out and it's really nice and you can think about your successes and your failures, your past and your future... and as you contemplate your future one definite certainty will suddenly strike you and that is... you have to walk back through the tunnel.
I walked around Antwerp for quite a while after I made it back through the tunnel. But there are really only a handful of things worth bringing to your attention. One, the most massive squares in the entire city is not a square- well it is. But it's used as the largest parking lot in the city. I just don't understand. Perhaps this square hasn't been swept into the modernization plan for the city. Or... I don't know. I was confused. There's so much potential for public green space... But here it is:
And at the end of the long long long parking lot is the Palace of Justice. It's new. And it's got a weird design. Some call it shark-like. I think it looks like the Arwings from the game Star Fox. That's the only reason you get a picture.
Anyway, I've gone on and on about all of the other things in Antwerp but I haven't shown you the diamond district. Well, here's the main drag. Apologies for the blurriness but I had to take it quick. There are a ton of cameras everywhere and I was anticipating someone grabbing me at any moment. Apparently Snatch put the spook into them.
As you get back toward the station (which the diamond district borders) you'll change from the diamond headquarter buildings to actual diamond shops with literally thousands upon thousands of diamonds in display in the windows. This was one small shop of maybe 30.
Finally it was time for me to return to the station and back to Brussels. But before I did I needed to make good on the last Belgian treat I had yet to try- Belgian waffles. And there just so happened to be a little cart in the station hawking fresh waffles. I decided to go all out and get a fresh one with chocolate sauce and cream. It was awesome. Too awesome actually. I felt like the sugary doughy awesomey goodness might actually be the death of me. And what a glorious death it would be.
After the Brussels post I know you must be stunned by the relative straightforwardness of this post. But that's how I like it- keep you guessing dear reader. Will Bruges be insanity or boring? History or company? Food or fun? Who knows! But Antwerp was aight. Good weather and all...
That said, there's much more to Antwerp than just diamonds, and it starts with Antwerp's long history as an important port city. At the end of the 15th century the port outlet of Bruges turned to sand and thus all of the important Belgian trading houses moved to Antwerp and established that city as the new port hub of Belgium. Riches and all of the trappings followed and Antwerp became not only an economic hub but also an epicenter for culture, harboring painters, writers, and musicians.
I decided to visit Antwerp not for the diamonds but for the accounts I'd been hearing about their old town and the extremely unique train station. Yes, the train station. Unless you come by car, boat, or parachute into the city, the train station is going to be the first thing you encounter. So if you don't like the rest of this post, my advice to you is take a walk around the station, grab a waffle, and then make your way back to wherever you came from.
Why is the station so unique? Most train stations operate horizontally- that is the trains come in beside each other on various platforms. In Antwerp the station operates VERTICALLY, meaning, you guessed it, the trains come in on top of one another. I counted about four different levels of platforms.
Someone had told me about this way way back in the summer and I'm ashamed to admit that I had forgotten it was Antwerp. I vaguely remembered that I was going to encounter an odd train station somewhere along the trek through Belgium but it wasn't until I arrived in Brussels and took a look at the Antwerp map that I remembered. But the interior configuration isn't the only thing of note about the train station. When they expanded it, they incorporated the original entrance, upper level tracks, and facade of the old station. So before going down the series of escalators to your track you get to walk through the entrance just as all passengers have since 1905.
Before hitting the old town I made my way north to check out a "wasteland" that has been converted into park space as well as a stunning new museum built to transform the old port area once again into a thriving neighborhood. On the way, however, I was able to get to the bottom of a mystery that had been plaguing me since day 1 in Brussels... cheese crack! First of all, you'll find little fry shops all over Belgium. And they're not just making up frites- they'll fry up a whole host of other frozen or quasi-frozen items. Check out this spread:
Among some of those items was deep fried tacos, assortment of Italian cheeses, frozen liver, meat kebabs, a "mexicano," and of course cheese crack. What is cheese crack? Well... it's similar to a giant mozzarella stick only instead of just melted cheese it's more of a cheese saucy thing. It wasn't that great but I also got a Bicky burger which is just a hamburger but with a fried frozen patty instead of a grilled fresh one. Meh. I'm incurring irreparable damage to my internal organs to bring you these facts dear reader.
Antwerp isn't just a city wallowing in the spoils from it's rich history as a port city, it's also a modern and extremely active port. In fact, it's the SECOND largest active port in Europe, which means I've been to all three of the largest port cities in Europe! Magnificent! Antwerp's main port is a bit far out of the city but you can see it off in the distance of this shot from near the old port.
And speaking of the old port, I got this great shot from right around the corner. The clouds behind the ship looks like sails... I'm not used to seeing blue skies in the Netherlands & Belgium so this day was a much appreciated treat.
The main thing to see now in the old port is the Mas museum. It's currently housing a selection of Belgian arts while the Royal Fine Arts Museum is closed until 2017. But the best part is you can ride the escalators all the way to the top for an unobstructed view of the city. From here you can see a couple of things: (1) the old town;
(2) the obligatory photo of yours truly;
and (3) some window washers taking care of the really cool curved windows (which I assume cost a fortune);
But what does this acclaimed winding port-laden structure look like? Kind of like a brown-brick Lego house. Look how high up those window cleaners are.
From here it's an easy hike down to the old town, you simply need to walk through a roughly 6 block rectangle complex of red light district that was not included on my map. I'm certainly getting an inadvertent education on the great red light districts of Northern Europe. Anyway, after you've run the gauntlet, you'll find yourself in the Grote Markt which is occupied by the exceptionally well-adorned city hall.
It's actually less of a "square" and more of a triangle. And since it was finally a nice day, here's a shot of the Grote Triangle with the Cathedral in the background.
"Tell me more about the Cathedral!" Fine fine. So they started building it in 1352, and it stalled. But then the did eventually complete one of the two planned towers in the early half of the 16th century. But... as you've probably already noticed... they only got that far. However, they had already started the base of the second tower so, why not just cap it off with a little spire and call it a day?
Haha. I can't get over how ridiculous that looks. In Cologne they're all fired up about their cathedral but at least it's complete. Anyway, if you're clever and handsome like me you'll be able to find the tiny little road wherein lies the most well preserved example of a typical old school Antwerpian street. Or so they say. But it's quaint and winding and perfect for someone as charming as yourself.
Also, apparently nearby is the first skyscraper on the European continent. I don't know how one defines a "skyscraper." My thought being that the first skyscraper is just the tallest building, surpassed by the next tallest and so forth. But, no, apparently this one is. Before this, no buildings in Europe could be said to scrape the sky.
The best view of the buildings in the old town is from the Groen Plaits. It's also near the home of Rubens, one of Antwerp and Belgium's most famous painters. I don't particularly love his work so I'll give you the shot of the square with the buildings instead of the picture of his boring house.
After the Train Station and the Mas, my third favorite part of Antwerp is a bit of a local treat. Near Rubens' house there's a building alongside the water. In the building there is an elevator. If you go down the elevator you'll find a tunnel. It looks like this:
And it takes about 15-20 minutes to walk from one end of the tunnel to the next. And when you come to the end of the other side you'll see some old school wooden escalators that look like this:
And when you go up the escalators you come out on the other side of the river and you can look back and BAM. There's the city. And you're all alone because no one goes there to look out at the city. So there you are, there is the city, and you're looking out and it's really nice and you can think about your successes and your failures, your past and your future... and as you contemplate your future one definite certainty will suddenly strike you and that is... you have to walk back through the tunnel.
I walked around Antwerp for quite a while after I made it back through the tunnel. But there are really only a handful of things worth bringing to your attention. One, the most massive squares in the entire city is not a square- well it is. But it's used as the largest parking lot in the city. I just don't understand. Perhaps this square hasn't been swept into the modernization plan for the city. Or... I don't know. I was confused. There's so much potential for public green space... But here it is:
And at the end of the long long long parking lot is the Palace of Justice. It's new. And it's got a weird design. Some call it shark-like. I think it looks like the Arwings from the game Star Fox. That's the only reason you get a picture.
Anyway, I've gone on and on about all of the other things in Antwerp but I haven't shown you the diamond district. Well, here's the main drag. Apologies for the blurriness but I had to take it quick. There are a ton of cameras everywhere and I was anticipating someone grabbing me at any moment. Apparently Snatch put the spook into them.
As you get back toward the station (which the diamond district borders) you'll change from the diamond headquarter buildings to actual diamond shops with literally thousands upon thousands of diamonds in display in the windows. This was one small shop of maybe 30.
Finally it was time for me to return to the station and back to Brussels. But before I did I needed to make good on the last Belgian treat I had yet to try- Belgian waffles. And there just so happened to be a little cart in the station hawking fresh waffles. I decided to go all out and get a fresh one with chocolate sauce and cream. It was awesome. Too awesome actually. I felt like the sugary doughy awesomey goodness might actually be the death of me. And what a glorious death it would be.
After the Brussels post I know you must be stunned by the relative straightforwardness of this post. But that's how I like it- keep you guessing dear reader. Will Bruges be insanity or boring? History or company? Food or fun? Who knows! But Antwerp was aight. Good weather and all...
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