Walking Antwerp City Center with GPS and Audio Tour

Antwerp Central Station, also called the 'Middenstatie' or 'Railway Cathedral' by the people of Antwerp. This station was put into use in 1905. The building consists of a steel platform roof and a stone station building in eclectic style. The architect, Louis Delacenserie, was inspired, among other things, by the Pantheon in Rome. The station has been voted several times as one of the most beautiful in the world, and it certainly shows.

The painter and etcher Antony van Dyck lived from 1599-1641 and was the most important Flemish artist of the 17th century after Rubens.
Van Dyck was born in 'Den Berendans' behind the current Grote Markt in {Antwerp}. He was the seventh child of twelve of a wealthy textile merchant. His drawing talent was evident at an early age. As a ten-year-old boy, he apprenticed with Hendrik van Balen, painter and chief dean of the Guild of Saint Luke. Antoon's earliest portrait, of a seventy-year-old man, dates from 1613, when he was fourteen years old. At the age of fifteen or sixteen he painted his first self-portrait. In 1615 he became an independent painter, but it was not until 1618 that Antoon was officially given the title of 'master'. In 1621 he left for Italy and returned to Antwerp in 1627.

The Snijders & Rockoxhuis in the {Keizerstraat} is the seventeenth-century patrician home of Nicolaas Rockox (1560-1640). He was mayor of Antwerp, art collector, patron and friend of Rubens. Frans Snijders was a painter who lived next to the mayor.

Rockox bought the house in 1603 together with the adjacent house and had both buildings converted into a beautiful city palace. One of the later owners, Frans van Simpelvelt, had the Renaissance facade renovated in 1715. The year 1715 refers to this.

Hendrik Conscience. This Belgian writer lived from 1812 to 1883 and worked his way up through talent and zeal to become a Flemish popular writer. It is said of him that he was “the man who taught his people to read.” With his 'painting' texts he tried to educate and educate the people.

The {Lange Wapper} was designed by Albert Poels. There are many stories surrounding the {Lange Wapper}. He was a tormentor who roamed around at night and chased drunkards into their houses, where he would look in through the window. He is actually small in stature, but he has the magic power to make himself bigger and bigger, even so big that he can reach above the houses.

When you say Antwerp, you also say jewelry! Antwerp is therefore the diamond city of the world. You will be amazed by the Diva museum. A world of diamonds, brilliants and silver!
Antwerp has been the diamond center worldwide for almost six centuries. Interactive screens provide information about Antwerp's diamond life, past and present. You can even enter the highly secured vault.
Next to the Diva is the Ruihuis, where you go underground. Antwerp has traditionally had an extensive underground system: a mix of vaults, bridges, canals, sewers and locks. You can see the underbelly of the city!

The Brabofontein, in the middle of the Markt, is perhaps one of the most photographed places in the city. This work by sculptor Jef Lambeaux refers to the city's most famous legend, starring the giant Antigoon and the Roman hero Brabo. You see how Brabo throws the giant's hand, which he has just cut off, into the Scheldt. According to some, this 'hand throwing' is the basis of the name Antwerp.

The monument that is the Tower Builders in honor of Pieter Appelmans, he was one of the architects of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp, and lived from 1373 to May 15

There we are, in front of the oldest building in the city. {Het Steen} has a long history. It was built between 1200 and 1225 as the gatehouse of the Antwerp castle. The current building covers less than 5% of the surface of the original castle. Within the castle were important institutions such as the former court and the Benedictine Abbey of Affligem, which also served as the parsonage of the castle church. Around 1520, at the time of Charles V, the gatehouse of the castle was thoroughly renovated and was henceforth called 's-Heeren Steen. In 1549, Charles V donated the building to the city.

He could do everything and he knew everything. He was a brilliant and versatile artist, led a large studio, spoke his languages, collected art, designed his own house, traveled through Europe as a diplomat and was interested in science. Rubens was an all-rounder.