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General summary of the city:

Antwerp is the second largest city of Belgium. The capital city of the province of Antwerp, it is also the second largest harbor in Europe after Rotterdam. It is a leading commercial center famous for cutting, trading and polishing of diamonds. Since the last 15 years, Antwerp has been elevated to the status of being one of the leading cities for fashion design in Europe.

The name ‘Antwerp’ has been linked to the word “aanwerp” (alluvial mound), which was the geographical feature in the early settlement period in this place. The earliest records of fortification for this historical place take us to the seventh century BC. In the 10th century, Antwerp became a provincial border for the Roman Empire. By the 14th century, the city of Antwerp was already ranked as being the prime center in Western Europe for trading and finance, thanks to its flourishing wool market and seaport.

The city went through a low phase economically during the Reformation period and the subsequent conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants. The city rose again in the 17th century with painters like Reubens and Van Dyck becoming famous names. It was Napoleon who realized the strategic importance of Antwerp and undertook the modernization of the Antwerp port. As times passed, Antwerp went on to progress and became what it is todaythe tenth largest port in the world.

Places of interest:

The Antwerp’s Grote Markt (town square) is the wonder of the 16th century architecture. The Stadhuis (town hall) is a popular Flemish Gothic structure built in the Renaissance fashion. In the middle of the town square lies a statue of the first hero of Antwerp Brabo. He was the man who had killed a giant, who according to a legend used to control river traffic and extract money from people. The roman soldier Brabo cut the giant’s hand and threw it into the Schedlt River.

Our Lady’s Cathedral is another important landmark. With its Gothic architecture, the 123 meter lofty tower is a sight to behold. The cathedral is home to two of the masterpieces of Reubens, ‘The Descent from the Cross’ and the ‘Elevation of the Cross.’

The Antwerp castle, known as Steen (stone) is called such because castles in the 13th century were built of wood. This was the first castle at that time to be built of stone.

The Meir is another tourist attraction. It is a shopping street and a busiest one at that. The Osterrieth House and the former royal residence of the Belgian kings in Antwerp are two of the important buildings in the Meir. The first stock exchange building in the world was built on Meir. It was gutted down in the middle of the nineteenth century and was reconstructed in Neo-Gothic architecture.

Things to do:

One thing every visitor can look forward to are the fascinating museums and galleries of Antwerp. The city has been organized and maintained well. A tourist finds exploring Antwerp relatively easy compared to other places because places of interest and other pleasant sights in the town are within walking distance.

Take a stroll through the paved lanes and maze like streets of Antwerp. You will be amazed to see the streets lined with royal looking mansions, ancient churches and museums. The city is a pleasant mix of the ancient and the modern with a range of boutiques, restaurants and bars springing up continually. One thing you can do while you tour the city is pay a visit to the Royal Museum of Fine Art (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten). The museum is divided into two units-one containing the works of the Old Masters and the other for the artists belonging to the 19th century and later. Superior collection of European painting is available in the museum including the works of Rubens, Van Dyck, Hals, Van Gogh etc. Ruben’s the most famous child of Antwerp has his work displayed in the Old Lady’s Cathedral as well.

MoMu is the epicenter for Antwerp’s mushrooming design trade. If you are an aspirant designer, you can join an academy to learn the latest in fashion and style. MoMu is known the world over for hosting creative exhibitions for their work. As Antwerp is one of the leading centers of fashion, style and designer outfits, you can profit in many ways.

Since Antwerp is well known for diamonds, you can pay a visit to the city’s biggest showroom, Diamondland at Appelmansstraat to see craftsmen at work, cutting and polishing the most beautiful object known to manexquisite diamonds. The Provinciaal Diamantmuseum which has just been shifted near Antwerp’s zoo holds fantastic exhibitions showcasing diamonds and informing people about the history and production of diamonds.

Food and Drink:

The citizens of Antwerp swear by Belgian cuisine. The cuisine is somewhat French and Flemish oriented. The hot favorite is mussels accompanied with chips and mayonnaise. Other seafood like herring are also favoured and eaten raw. Drinks consist of good quality French wine. Beer however reigns supreme as the country’s favorite drink. In fact Belgium has more than 100 brewers manufacturing more than 400 different beers.

People in Antwerp drink three kinds of beer-lager, white beer and the lambic beer. The lager beer comes as a dark double or triple beer. The white beer is self explanatory while the lambic beer is a naturally fermented strong drink having a fruity flavor. A unique type of soup filled with cream called waterzooi, non vegetarian food like chicken and fish, paling in’t groen (eels with vegetables and herbs) and vegetarian food are the other favourites. Antwerp is an inexpensive place for eating out. The food consists of customary Flemish dish with French and Mediterranean cuisine. The cafes open at around 9 am in the morning and work till late at night. T Fornuis is one of the popular restaurants in the city as it has the rich French cuisine in a traditional Flemish milieu. Another notable restaurant is La Rade - haute. Food is served in a mansion-like place, close to the river Ernest Van Dijckkaai.

Hotel and Accommodation:

Radisson SAS Park Lane Hotel

Minotel Colombus

Best Western Classic Hotel Villa Mozart

Miauw Suites

Theater Hotel

New International Youth Hotel

Hotel Scheldezicht

Tourist Hotel

Golden Tulip Hotel Carlton

Tulip Inn Hotel Astoria

Alfa Empire Hotel

Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Antwerpen

Fletcher Hotel Keyserlei

Plaza Hotel

Hotel Eden

Alfa De Keyser

Hotel Cammerpoorte

Hotel Ibis Antwerpen Centrum

Express by Holiday Inn Antwerp City North

Hotel Florida

Hotel Residence

Docklands Hotel

Arass Suite Hotel

Campanile Antwerpen / Anvers

Hotel Industrie

Hotel Antigone

Corinthia Antwerp Hotel

Prinse

Hyllit Hotel

Hotel Antverpia HR

Crowne Plaza Antwerp

Entertainment:

The meaning of entertainment can be summed up in the fantastic night life Antwerp enjoys and revels in offering its visitors. There are a whole range of zany bars and restaurants which can give any other city in Northern Europe a run for its money. If you are in Belgium and want to get the best night life entertainment, head to Antwerp, no questions asked! The best times to enjoy nightlife are Friday or Saturday nights. The liveliest and the most fashionable city of Belgium, Antwerp has found a unique place on the style map of the world thanks to the work of some brilliant fashion designers.

Belgians love their drink and so it comes across as no surprise that this passion has translated into setting up of many bars and pubs across the city. These bars work any time of the day or night offering choicest of Belgian beer, cocktails, drinks, and wines. Plus you get to enjoy thumping or mellifluous music (according to the public demand) in these bars. Dan Engel is known as Antwerp’s most famous bar facing the Grote Markt. You can stop by the bar at any time of the day or night for a sip of refreshing beer.

Antwerp makes everyone happy, be they adults or kids. The Zoo which is close to the station is the oldest and the largest zoo in Belgium. Children are head over heels in love with the dolphinarium. Other attractions include the lions, giraffes, monkeys and the snake house. Though the zoo is old fashioned, it still remains a craze with children.

Biography:
Author: Meredith Booney Website: http://www.belgiumcities.info Meredith Booney is a freelance travel writer with over 20 years of experience writing for travel journals, newspapers and magazines. Belgium Tourist Information

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General summary of city:

Genk, a city in Belgium, is part of the Limburg province. Other cities contained within the province of Limburg include Hasselt: As, Beringen, Diepenbeek, Gingelom, Halen, Ham, Hasselt, Herk-de-Stad, Heusden-Zolder, Leopoldsburg, Lummen, Nieuwerkerken, Opglabbeek, Sint-Truiden, Tessenderlo, Zonhoven, and Zutendaal. In terms of locality, Genk is situated nearest to Hasselt in the province of Limburg.

The city of Genk has a population of over 63,000 people. The city of Genk is believed to have some history rooted in the Celtic peoples, and that the once small village of Genk was later, during the tenth century, converted to Christianity. Due to the fact that Genk had such small beginnings and it was not officially deemed a city until the year 2000, the city itself was not really recognized until the early 1900’s, thanks to Andre Dumont. Andre Dumont discovered a good quantity of coal in the Limburg region of Belgium, and it wasn’t long before coal miners discovered that Genk had plenty of coal to be had. The city soon grew with the mass movement of immigrants and when the drive for coal finally settled down in the late 1960’s, Genk merely adapted its industrial pursuits to more suitable industries: successful industries that focused on car manufacturing. The primary car manufacturing company in present day Genk is the Ford Motor company.

Places of Interest:

The Bokrijk in Genk nearby the Hasselt territory attracts many tourists every year. The Bokrijk is essentially an open-air museum, offering travelers the opportunity to enjoy nineteenth century architectural design. Within the museum tourists can see reconstructions of the Flemish buildings that once existed in Flanders. A number of enjoyable activities are offered at the Bokrijk, as well as re-enactments for viewing. Due to the fact that the Bokrijk is a large, open-aired museum, the location is filled with scenic gardens, wooded areas, grass lands and small bodies of water. Children are most welcome at the Bokrijk and a playground is readily available to children. The museum is open to tourists from the end of March until late September, every day, from 10 am to 6 pm. The cost of admission is 10 Euros for adults, 8.50 Euros for seniors, 5 Euros for children between the ages of 6 to 12.

Tourists also like to visit the Green City in Genk, the home of De Maten, a beautiful nature reserve. There are 35 ponds in the De Maten, and different species of fish are purposefully bred within the ponds, in an effort to promote aquatic life. Water birds have adapted to the area in De Maten and plants, including cotton grass, sundew, and roth grow in the area. Finally, the De Maten is home to a variety of different dragon flies and tree frogs. The De Maten is closed to tourists when it comes time for breeding.

Things to do:

Every year in Genk, tourists are welcomed at the Motives Festival, a music festival focusing on the genre of jazz. The Motives Festival is revered for its line up of fantastic jazz musicians and past performers have included Joshua Redman, Leafcutter John, and Esbj

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General summary of the city
Hasselt is the capital city of the province of Limburg. Though it may not have the charm of other cities in Belgium, it has a hospitable aura to it. The affable town with a population of about 77,000 people is reputed for its nightlife, shops and its pedestrian center. So famous is the friendly nature of its citizens, then quite aptly two years ago, Hasselt acquired the status as ‘most sociable city of Flanders.’

Hasselt came into existence in the 7th century on the Heelbeek, a tributary of the river of Demer. The name Hasselt comes from Hasaluth, which means hazelwood. The city of Hasselt is reputed to be home for interesting buildings like St. Quentin’s Cathedral, the abbey of Hercekenrode in Kuringen and Refugehuis. In fact, the Refugehuis is the oldest building in the city. The city is also famous for numerous museums like the National Genever Museum, the Stellingwerff-Waerdenhof Museum etc.

The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are two of the famous shop streets in the city. The shops Hoogstraat and Kapelstraat are household names; however the items that they sell are premium priced. With the opening of the modern shopping complex three years ago, Hasselt has become all the more popular. In fact many regard the city as an example city for good manners, good facilities and etiquette.

Places of interest:
The Japanese Garden is one of the most beautiful sights in Hasselt. It is located in the Kaparmolen Park in the north-east part of the city. It is open from April to October at designated timings. The Japanese people from Itami, which is Hasselt’s sister city designed the garden as per the 17th century model. The Japanese Garden is the biggest Japanese garden in Europe and has about 250 Japanese cherry trees. Various events in relation to the Japanese culture takes place in the Japanese garden.

The most important church of Hasselt is the Saint Quintinus Cathedral. It was in this place that the first settlements in the Hasselt area were formed. The church, and especially the tower, reveals the different building stages of the town. The lower part of it shows the remnants of the Romanesque church that stood during the 12th century.

In the Kapelstraat, in proximity to the Market Square is the Church of Our Lady. On the same spot a chapel was built in the 14th century by the members of the Our Lady Virga Jesse fraternity. The statue of the Virga Jesse, a Madonna statue belonging to the 14th century is a popular tourist attraction. Some other interesting sights are the Baroque Altar and the tombs of the abbesses of the Abbey of Herkenrode.

Things to do:
Among all things you can do when you are in Hasselt is visit its museums.

Hasselt has a museum called the National Genever Museum, dedicated to the popular local drink, jenever. In the museum, the visitors can learn about the history and the distillation of their favorite alcoholic drink.

The Fashion Museum gives a nice overview of the evolution of fashion. You can partake in the theme expositions which are feature here regularly.

The Stellingwerff-Waerdenhof Museum is home to rare historical artifacts and documents about the history of the evolution of Hasselt, Limburg and the County of Loon. What you get to see here are ceramic objects, church treasures, paintings and other articles of historic importance.
There are a lot of places and boutiques to shop from in Hasselt. The shopping street is lined with ordinary fashion shops. The street is broad and there is less traffic. After shopping, you can relax your tired feet by sitting on the benches along the pedestrian sidewalks.

The ‘Fruitmarkt’ reveals the first statue of many to follow. The first statue which meets you when you enter the town is the equestrian one made by Marc Cox as a tribute to Arnold IV, who was the Count of Loon. Arnold IV was the person who confirmed the rights of a “city” to Hasselt in a Charter of Liberty.

The Grote Markt (Market Square) is the biggest open space in the city. You can have a gala time here, as this place is a hum-drum of business. A center of all commercial activities, it is also a place to wine and dine to your heart’s content.

Food and Drink:
The famous flavored alcoholic beverage, spiced with juniper berries called ‘Jenever’ is very much loved in Hasselt. In fact there are quite a few factories and industries dedicated to the production and distribution of jenever. The cuisines are a mix of French and Flemish. Like most parts of Belgium, people in Hasselt are fond of mussels complimented with mayonnaise and French fries. By the way, did you know that the famous “French fries” are actually Belgian? History has it that American, English and Canadian troops discovered them when they arrived at the Flanders coast during the First World War. During those times, the Belgian Army spoke French and gave the term “French fries.” Belgian or French, the world loves French fries and Hasselt is no exception.
Other than jenever, the all time favorite Beer and French wines also score high with most people. People favour the dark double lager beer and the white beer. There are some people who go for the lambic beer which is fermented drink with a fruity flavor.

Non-vegetarian food like sea food, chicken, paling in’t groen (eel with vegetables and herbs) are generally eaten voraciously here. The hotels deal in traditional Flemish dish, Mediterranean food and French cuisine. There are some hotels which also serve ethnic and continental food. Biscuits and Waffles served with chocolate and icing sugar are also served to sweeten the tastebuds.

Hotel and Accommodation:

Parkhotel NV

Ibis Hasselt Centrum

Express By Holiday Inn Hasselt

Holiday Inn Hasselt

Entertainment:
The Ethias Arena and Grenslandhallen in Hasselt are popular event centers. Both are known to be a foundation to stage an array of events lining from classic to the contemporary. The infrastructure of the auditoriums and the seating capacity has to be seen to be believed. Both the entertainment venues are equipped with high quality acoustic sound. With an ultra chic infrastructure and fibre optic network, you can be assured to get the best in terms of visual appeal and sound.

Concerts, theatrical events, shows, fairs, exhibitions, parties, dances, skits, sporting events are all played in Ethias Arena and Grenslandhallen. Not only are they entertaining to the common public, but they also form a profitable avenue for business people to showcase and exhibit their products and services through seminars, meetings and exhibitions.

Shopping is another form of indulging and pampering oneself. In fact, more than 175,000 tourists come to the city each week to shop and it goes without saying the Hasselt is one of the biggest shopping cities in Belgium.

Kiewit in Hasselt is the venue for the annual Pukkelpop festival, which is Europe’s biggest alternative music festival with more than hundred concerts being played at the end of August. Rimpelrock, a musical festival for the elderly people (over 50 years of age) are also played here.

Biography:
Author: Meredith Booney
Website: http://www.belgiumcities.info Meredith Booney is a freelance travel writer with over 20 years of experience writing for travel journals, newspapers and magazines. Belgium Tourist Information.

Tags: Reservation., Tours, travelReservation., Tours, travel

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