Antwerp is a major destination of Belgium in the region of Flanders. The overwhelming friendliness of the people of Antwerp, their innate penchant for good food and good living, combine with their low stress lifestyle, makes Antwerp a desirable and relaxing place to visit. Renowed for being the “world’s leading diamond city”, more than 70% of all diamonds are traded in Antwerp.
The Diamond Market is the hub of the economic section in Belgium and more than 85% of the world’s rough diamonds, 50% of cut diamonds and 40% of industrial diamonds are traded in the city. Antwerp has long been an important city in the nations of the Benelux both economically and culturally. It is located on the right bank of the river Scheldt, which is linked to the North Sea by the Westerschelde.
The origins of Antwerp comes from “aan de werpe”, which is Dutch for “at the throw” referring to where the river throws its sand. The name also has a funny anecdote saying it comes from “Hand werpen”, which translated is “throwing (a) hand(s)”. In the official flag, the castle “het Steen” and the hand of Antwerp are shown.
In the 16th century, Antwerp was one of the most important financial centres of the world, where traders from all over Europe and Asia sold and bought their goods. After the siege of Antwerp in 1585 by the Spanish, this role as a financial centre was taken over by Amsterdam. Nevertheless, since the 19th century and especially the 20th century, Antwerp has made a serious economic comeback. It is the second largest city in Belgium, after Brussels, and it has a major European port.
Due to its long and culturally rich history, the city of Antwerp houses many interesting historical buildings from different historical periods, as well as a lot of interesting museums. Recently it has become kind of a trendy city, attracting a lot of Flemish and foreign artists, writers, intellectuals and actors. This is reflected in the city’s many trendy bars and shops. Antwerp is a city with many faces. While it may not be historically preserved as fully as other Flemish medieval cities like Bruges or, to a certain extent, Ghent, it is a very dynamic city, offering a perfect mix of history and present-day modern life.
According to folklore, and as celebrated by the statue in front of the town hall, the city got its name from a legend involving a mythical giant called Antigoon who lived near the river Scheldt. He exacted a toll from those crossing the river, and for those who refused, he severed one of their hands and threw it into the river Scheldt. Eventually, the giant was slain by a young hero named Brabo, who cut off the giant’s own hand and flung it into the river. Hence the name Antwerpen, from Dutch hand werpen—akin to Old English hand and wearpan (= to throw), that has changed to today’s warp.
Antwerp was the first city to host the World Gymnastics Championships, in 1903. During World War I, the city became the fallback point of the Belgian Army after the defeat at Liège. It was taken after heavy fighting by the German Army, and the Belgians were forced to retreat westward.
For more information please follow the link – Antwerp Travel Guide