A day in Antwerp - Aunt Anna is a local tourist.

Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

Antwerp is my closest city here in Belgium and is for me associated with architecture and culture. An hour's train ride and I get off at the central station, which is a work of art in itself. 

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The station was built over 10 years of work, starting in 1895, and is now a listed building that attracts many tourists. The domes measure a maximum of 43 metres, a considerable height that was necessary to prevent the formation of smoke with the train traffic of the time. Antwerp's city centre is also known as the Cathedral of the Tramway, and it is indeed magnificent! 

Every Saturday between 8-15 there is a fun market on the side streets in the centre of the city, known in Flemish as the vreemdelingenmarkt, or strangers' market. 

Here you can find delicacies from many corners of the world. Baklava and kadajf cookies from the Arab world, Italian delicacies, mushrooms picked in France alongside tropical fruits. You can also eat well here, so why not try some pink oysters and a glass of cava on a Saturday morning?  

It's a real crowd pleaser so it's good to get there early if you don't want to be crowded.  

It's easy to get around on foot, on a rented bike or by tram; on this day it took the apostle horses many, many kilometres. On the outskirts of the city centre, you'll find PAKT, which is definitely different. Some old warehouses have been given a facelift in the form of urban gardening and trendy eateries. The roofs are full of crops and the vegetables are sold in the project's own shop.  

The concept is green and ecological and had it not been for the thumping techno music of the gym, it would have been a beautiful, calm and lush green room to sit in. 

Walking several kilometres back to the centre through the Jewish quarters, Shabbat is being celebrated and many families are out for a stroll or visiting each other. The dress code is strict, men with their shtreimel, the large round fur hat or black hats with wide brims. Little boys with a kippah on their heads and long corkscrew caps. It's like being in another world. 

At a church, lots of people have gathered, my curiosity drives me forward, an African wedding! The church is full of applauding and singing Congolese, I wish I could be a fly on the wall inside. 

Meir is the extremely long shopping street lined with every known chain and after noon it's packed with people. Street performances of all kinds, ranging from a toothless uncle blowing in and out on his accordion to talented rhythm musicians enticing people to dance. 

Outside the Onze Lieve vrouwe Cathedral, the queue of visitors is long and it is Antwerp's biggest tourist attraction. Construction of the cathedral began in 1352 and took 170 years, in a baroque and neo-gothic style. 

Inside the cathedral itself there are many great works by famous artists, including four paintings by Rubens, whose house is also in the city centre. The cathedral's interior demonstrates unrivalled craftsmanship and no expense has been spared on precious materials. 

In the historic part of Antwerp, the architecture and its wealth of ornaments and gold will leave you breathless! 

And yes, the historic part of the city is a real tourist trap with shops selling the most typical of Belgium; beer, chocolate, Tintin and Brussels lace. It's expensive, perhaps not for the visiting tourist but for those of us who live here. 

Just beyond the historic centre is the Schipperskwartier, the skippers' quarter, Antwerp's equivalent of the red light district. Antwerp has always been one of the world's largest ports and with that comes prostitution, which is legal here. It's sleepy in the morning but by evening the shop windows are busy with human goods. 

Antwerp has a lot to offer, a guided tour through the historic neighbourhoods is worth the time and fee. So is walking through the different neighbourhoods of the city centre, the African quarters, Chinatown, the streets with their Arabic shops. It is simply a cultural melting pot. 

Good to know about Antwerp

Getting to Antwerp

• By car: Yes, but very difficult to find parking spaces in the centre. Terrible traffic. 
• Trains: From Brussels it takes 50 minutes.  

Living and eating in Antwerp

• Overnight: Many options, from hostels to luxury. 
• Eating: The restaurants around the station, Meir and the historic centre are much more expensive than the side streets. Try Belgian dishes such as moules frittes, mussels with chips, or stoofvlees, a savoury, slightly sour meat stew. 
• Drinking: This is the land of beer ... Having a pint is part of the social fabric. The prices around the tourist attractions are higher. 

more info about Antwerp

• When: All year round. Major tourist influx during June-August, weekends the worst. October-January cold and damp. 
• Read more: Official tourist information site :Welcome to Antwerp | Visit Antwerp 

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Anna Nilsson Spets

60+ year old lady with a lifelong love for Africa. Emigrated to Flanders in Belgium and works with plants on a daily basis. Writes, takes photos and tries to inspire others to budget travel on their own. Blogs on "Anna's mix" about travelling, work, plants, writing and much more.

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