Grote Markt is one of the most picturesque squares in Antwerp. The main place in its architectural ensemble is given to the Town Hall, the houses of trade guilds in the Flemish Renaissance style and the central Brabo fountain. Many historical buildings have been preserved since the XVI century. The fountain, crowned with a sculpture of the mythical hero Brabo — the winner of the evil giant and the champion of tribute from unfortunate people, appeared at the end of the XIX century.

A historical building of the XVI century in the style of the Dutch Renaissance with Gothic elements, crowned with statues of representatives of the Habsburg dynasty, Counts of Antwerp and Dukes of Brabant. The town hall was badly damaged during the capture of the city by the Spaniards in the XVI century, so the interiors, for the most part, belong to the XIX century. The Town Hall is a striking example of the original architectural style of the Dutch Renaissance.

A group of houses opposite the Town Hall, which for many years belonged to the city associations of merchants and artisans. There is a House of old scales, a House of bochars, a House of a big crossbow, a House of clothiers. The Guild buildings were erected in the XIX century in the best traditions of the Renaissance. The pointed roofs of the houses are decorated with gilded figures, the front facades are decorated with a series of lancet windows and decorative elements.

The railway station, which is recognized as one of the most important attractions of Antwerp. It has repeatedly occupied places in the top ten of the most beautiful railway stations in the world. The building was erected at the beginning of the XX century by the architect L. Delasenzeri. The appearance of the station resembles a palace and a cathedral at the same time due to the solemn architecture and the richness of the facade decoration. More than 20 types of marble were used to decorate the interiors.

A 13th-century fortress on the Scheldt River. It was almost the only stone building in the district at that time, the rest of the buildings were made of wood. Up to the XIX century, the castle was used as a prison. There is an assumption that the fortification was laid by the Normans in the IX century. In the XX century, a monument to the giant Long Wapper was erected on the castle square. This character is a popular hero of Antwerp legends, he scares and pursues people, leading them to death.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of the XIV century, built in the Gothic style. Construction work is still considered incomplete. The cathedral houses the works of famous artists: Rubens, Van Veen, M. de Vos and J. De Backer. The bell tower of the temple is included in the UNESCO Heritage list. In the XV-XVI centuries. the building was severely damaged during anti-Catholic protests. The result of these unrest was the legalization of the Protestant branch of Christianity.

A late Gothic church dedicated to the Apostle James. In the first half of the XV century, there was a modest chapel on the site of the church. In 1491, work began on the construction of the temple, but by the middle of the XVIII century they were still not completed. The Iconoclastic uprising of 1566 and other church unrest greatly prevented the construction. The interior of the temple is made in the Baroque style, inside there are a couple of dozen private altars of famous citizens in the past.

A Gothic church of the XVI century with Baroque interiors, erected on the square in front of the Antwerp cattle market (then it was the outskirts of the city). Many works of art are kept in the church: copies of the paintings "Madonna with Rosary" by Caravaggio and "Flagellation" by Rubens, canvases by masters Jordaens and Van Dyck. Classical music concerts are held on the territory of the temple, which involve an ancient organ of the XVII century.

The temple in the style of magnificent Baroque, erected in the XVII century in honor of the inviolability and steadfastness of the Catholic faith. The construction was supposed to demonstrate to the strengthened Protestants the power of the "true religion" and the impossibility of its fall. The facade, the main altar and the interior were designed with the participation of P. Rubens himself. So much money was spent on the construction that even the pope was embarrassed. At the beginning of the XVIII century, as a result of a fire, most of the original decoration was lost.

One of the best museums in Belgium, where a rich and unique collection is collected. The exhibition contains works by local craftsmen, as well as artists from other European countries. The museum was founded at the beginning of the XIX century with the participation of the Guild of Painters of Antwerp. An invaluable contribution to the replenishment of funds was made by Mayor Van Ertborn – in the middle of the XIX century, he presented 141 paintings to the gallery, among which there were many works by Flemish painters.

The museum is located in the building of the printing house of the XVI century. The exhibition tells the story of the origin and development of printing and typography in Antwerp. The museum has a unique library, which stores printed books over 400 years old. The collection consists of antique printing presses and fonts. The museum was organized in 1877 and named after two owners of the printing house — X . Plantin and E. Moretus.

The museum's collection tells about the history of the development of European fashion, from the Middle Ages to the present day. There are more than 25 thousand different costumes, dresses, corsets, hats and other accessories in the museum collections. A separate place is occupied by an exhibition of works by modern designers. Holidays and interesting workshops are often organized for children on the territory of the museum.

The exhibition, organized from the private collection of the merchant Mayer, who lived in Antwerp in the middle of the XIX century. After his early death, the paintings were donated to the city (this was the will of the merchant's mother Henrietta Mayer). In addition to the exhibits, a special building built at the expense of the Mayer family has also gone into public use. It is in this room that the museum is located.

The modern building of 2011, which houses an art gallery and a museum of shipping. The structure is a cube of red sandstone with smooth rows of glass galleries. At this stage, there is an active formation of museum funds at the expense of private collections and the purchase of works of art at auctions. Earlier in the XVI century, the House of German merchants was located on the site of the MAS museum, but the building gradually fell into disrepair, in the XIX century it was demolished.

The house-museum of the famous artist P. Rubens, one of the most visited attractions of Antwerp. The museum exhibits both the paintings of the master himself and the works of his students – E. Van Dyck and J. Jordaens. The house is furnished with antique furniture of the XVII century, the interiors are decorated in Baroque style. In 1937, the building became city property, and was completely restored and reconstructed.

The building of the XVI century, which belonged to the Guild of butchers. The building resembles a harsh and impregnable castle with thick walls. The house is made of red brick, decorated with lancet windows and "Gothic" towers. The Butchers Guild was very rich, so she could afford to build such a grand structure. At the end of the XVIII century, the city authorities dissolved the Guild and took away the house.

The city zoo, located near the train station. It is considered one of the oldest in Europe. The zoo is home to about 770 species of animals (more than 5 thousand individuals). There are interesting architectural monuments on the territory, which can be classified as a historical heritage. For 169 years of existence, the Antwerp Zoo has increased its area by 10 hectares.

One of the central streets, which is densely chosen by tourists. There are many historical attractions, expensive shops, prestigious hotels here. Meir Street is always noisy with a large number of people during the high tourist season. In the XVI century, the very first exchange building in the world appeared here. The prevailing architectural style of the building is Baroque.

Antwerp is the center of the European diamond trade. The city has its own Diamond Quarter, where hundreds of workshops, four trading exchanges and many shops are located. Visitors are offered a huge number of diamonds of various weights, colors and shapes. Prices start from quite democratic and reach fabulously high for unique gems.

A major European port, which occupies the second place in terms of cargo transportation after the Port of Rotterdam. The harbour is 90 km away. from the North Sea to the mouth of the Scheldt River. Several hundred cranes and dozens of docks continuously serve ships from all over the world. Through a network of canals, the port of Antwerp is connected to many areas of Belgium and France, as well as to the Rhine River.