Antwerp is a city of great European tradition that on many occasions throughout its history has featured among the other cities, not just Belgium. It was the cradle of printing, is linked to the famous painter Rubens and their churches have often been regarded as cathedrals, hence the title of this tour. Also, for lovers of jewelry must be said that here were the best of the diamond world.

Antwerp is a city with an intense commercial life, since it has one of the largest ports in Europe, where business transactions are daily and relentless and where they spend tons of goods per day. Moreover. is a city with intense cultural past and it shows in its streets and squares, its Plaza Mayor, where travelers can observe the beautiful guild houses of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in addition there is also a splendid Flemish municipality of fifteenth century.

Architecturally speaking, but what is most amazing in this city are its churches, especially five of which many are cathedrals, like St. Andrew’s church, the Cathedral of Our Lady, the church of San Pablo, San Carlos Borromeo and The San Jaime. Five monumental buildings left without speaking to your audience.

As the Cathedral of Our Lady, this in its interior houses paintings by Rubens and is the largest of the Netherlands. Its history dates back to 1.124. Over time buildings have been built adjacent to the monument since it also has other social functions, apart from religion. This church, which began as Romanesque to Gothic framed in the end, is 119 meters long, more than one hectare and 128 deck windows. This does not seem much to Charles V wanted to extend it further, an expansion that was never finished but which destroy the surrounding streets, so that even today have a messy appearance.

We continue with the Church of St. Andrew, the least known of unfairly Antwerp, as in there are countless works of art that will entertain you with many hours, if you want to soak up the peace and wonder that can be seen in an aura of total tranquility .

In San Carlos Borromeo, especially a sovereign receive lesson in architecture, because it is more like the image that exists of the first church was established in Rome, while a wonderful baroque. Here it will appreciate to Rubens in all its glory, as was the official painter of the church and is the author of several statues that inhabit it. We must also say that it is a church that has lost some of its freshness over the years, but as rightly said by the traditional saying: «Whoever was retained.»

Our tour of the famous cathedrals of the city now makes us closer to that of St. James, dedicated to the Apostle Santiago, and which mixes with the Gothic, baroque architecture, but our eyes can see the slightest folly. A marvel of marble and stained glass which has served to house many famous graves, such as the famous painter named.

From churches to the streets
And we have our tour of the churches in St. Paul, where we make our way into thinking that it will not be as pretty or as rich as the previous ones, but then we realize that our assessment is wrong, because here are works of art painters such as Van Dyck or Jordanians and a consistent number of sculptures by artists such as Kerricx, or Quellin Verbrugghe. Not forgetting the fabulous body, one of the ten most popular in Europe. All wrapped in a baroque marvel that was built in the middle of this era.

But in this city the tour never ends, since after the temple we headed to the museums of Antwerp which is very well endowed, we have the Museum of Fine Arts in the Zuid district, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Waterways Museum (one of the most interesting parts of the city) and Provincial Diamond Museum.

We started talking about the streets and we want to finish this review of the city in its streets, particularly in the neighborhood Zurenborg, including its architectural setting that will make us dream of Art Nouveau and street Cogels-Osylei can explore the 170 buildings that are protected by its beauty and meaning.

The most attractive destinations for Europeans is Brussels

The attractive and well preserved Bruges