Antwerp
is a major destination of Belgium in the region of Flanders
The overwhelming friendliness
of the people of Antwerp and their innate penchant for good food and good
living, combined with their low stress lifestyle, makes it a desirable
and relaxing place to visit. Renowned 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. More than 85% of
the world’s rough diamonds, 50% of cut diamonds, and 40% of industrial
diamonds are traded in the city.
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 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 as historically preserved as other Flemish medieval
cities, like Bruges or Ghent, it is a very dynamic city, offering a perfect
mix of history and present-day modern life.
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