By Christine Swan
As I posted previously, I recently discovered that I had ancestral routes in the Belgian city of Antwerp. However, I wanted to discover what else the modern city had to offer. This post focuses on all of the aspects of my trip that did not focus on my ancestry.
Belgium is a diverse country and its people are truly amazing. They generally speak both French and Dutch, but also, based on my experience, excellent English. The regional train manager flipped between all three languages based on how the customer responded when she checked their ticket. I also found this the case in shops and eateries too. Although I speak French fairly well, and have a basic grasp of Dutch, it’s so easy to slip into English because everybody seems comfortable with it, but I never presume this.
There is plenty to see in Antwerp
On my first day, I intended to visit the Museum Aan de Stroom because it was hosting an exhibition of martial arts, which was my main motivation. The museum has nine levels of exhibits and a roof terrace with panoramic views. A lower floor reminded me a little of V & A Storehouse in that visitors could see items in storage, with a few displayed in groups of themes. Other floors contained art and items representing Antwerp’s history and place in the world.
Museum Aan de Stroom is an interesting building in its own right
The martial arts exhibition was very comprehensive, covering a wide range of different forms from around the world. The Kung Fu section focused on the Wushu form, which is quite different from the Wing Chun style that I study. There was also a display of images of women practitioners which drew my attention, and, after plenty of walking, I was relieved to be able to watch a sequence of clips from great martial arts films, in the mini cinema area.
A colourful dragon as part of the martial arts exhibition, with the cinema area behind it
My conclusion was that this is an excellent, eclectic collection of displays, with something for every visitor. Many of the displays are interactive and would be enjoyed by younger visitors too. I spent three hours at the museum, but could have spent more, making it a good value attraction.
A V1 rocket dominates the display of Antwerp at war
During my stay, I also visited the Museum Plantin-Moretus, which is situated in one of the earliest printing press and publishers in the world. Plantijn and Moretus were a father and son in law duo who set up a very successful enterprise within the family home, including a bookshop. The four-sided building surrounds a formal garden which reflects the family’s love of plants and production of many books on the same subject. The carved wooden blocks depicting botanical specimens were particularly of interest to me, and to see the block alongside a printed page made from it, was fascinating. Elsewhere in the exhibition, were engraved plates of copper metal showing detailed images, such as a historical view of the City. Typefaces were produced by casting individual characters in lead, which were then meticulously placed to create the required text, ready for printing. I had not realised that the font Garamond, still available for use on modern computer systems, dated from the sixteenth century, and would have been known to the Plantin-Moretus business.
A sixteenth century print workshop within the Museum Plantin-Moretus
The weather was rather a mixed bag during my stay, a trip to the botanical garden, was rather soggy. A more sunny trip to see the German WWII bunker in the Stadspark, was a little underwhelming as it was partly hidden and did not have an information sign, which would have been helpful.
The German command bunker in the Stadspark was inaccessible and neglected
On my final day, I undertook the obligatory souvenir shopping. One universally acceptable gift is chocolate. Antwerp spoils the cocoa connoisseur, as every street has a chocolate shop, and all are high quality. My suitcase was laden with chocolate but thankfully, there is no limit on the number of boxes one can buy, as there is for alcoholic drinks or cigarettes. My enduring rule is that if I can carry it, I can have it. We are gradually grazing our way through the Belgian bonanza that I brought back from Leonidas and Neuhaus. It was Easter after all. Belgian chocolate is wonderful. While so many UK companies have indulged in shrinkflation and added obscene amounts of palm oil, the Belgians will not compromise on quality. It’s not cheap, but the quality is excellent.
When in Belgium…..
I don’t drink beer, which is another Belgian area of expertise. I have tried to like it, but I don’t. My husband requested a bottle of rum which I was initially sceptical that I would be able to acquire but, Antwerp was a centre of global imports historically, including of the precious commodity of sugar. Therefore, a range of locally distilled rums are available, so I chose a spiced red fruit variety, which the shopkeeper recommended. Elixir d’Anvers is another local speciality drink. It has a herbal recipe and although I have not yet cracked open the bottle, it reminds me of my favourite pastis, a very well known speciality from the Marseille region.
The stunning interior of Antwerpen Centraal station
I travelled to Antwerp by rail. In these difficult times, travel within the continent of Europe makes sense. The rail network is interconnected, with fast sections joining the regional network efficiently. Large stations have shops and eateries which make gaps between trains not unpleasant. I have not yet navigated the new entry and exit system (EES) but, in my most recent journey, I passed through security and passport control in under fifteen minutes. Personally, I dislike flying, but understand that for longer journeys, it makes logical sense, but for short hops through the chunnel, you can do no better than to go by train.
More information
Museum Aan de Stroom – https://mas.be/
Museum Plantin-Moretus – https://museumplantinmoretus.be/en
Visit Antwerp – https://visit.antwerpen.be/en
Visit Flanders – https://www.visitflanders.com/en/flemish-destinations/antwerp
All photographs by the author
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