BeNeLux - Brussels, Antwerp

As we haven’t spent enough time in Brussels, though we use it as our base. We decide to explore a little bit of this charming city.

Spring time in Brussels.

Brighten up our day with the Comic Strip Walk Many wall in Brussels are dedicated to the famous comic strip. There are the ’comic strip trail’, which has involved thirty walls in the capital being covered with comic strip characters that are larger than in life in every sense and portrayed in the most comical situations.



Mural painting: Billy The Cat (By Colman and Desberg).


Mural painting: Broussaille (comic strip by Frank Pé).


Mural painting: Victor Sackville (comic strip by Carin).


Mural painting: Néron/Nero (comic strip by Marc Sleen).


Mural Painting in Brussels featuring cartoon character Tintin and Captain Haddock. (Created by Herge)



The Hall of Saint Gery is in the Flemish neorenaissance style. One of the most famous public squares in the whole of Brussels, this area is one of the hearts of the entertainment district in the city. It is a great night out surrounded by lively cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants.



The very delicious Macarons from St. Paul Brasserie. Though I haven’t eaten much of the macarons (not that I wouldn’t want to try but it is a pricey dessert.) but this is the best so far that I have since it is not too sweet like the others. (of course I haven’t tried the very famous one, Laduree, in Paris yet.)



Antwerp
Antwerp has long been an important city in the nations of the Benelux both economically and culturally, especially before the Sanish Fury of the Dutch Revolt. It is located on the right bank of the river Scheldt, which is linked to the North Sea by the estuary Westershelde. The harbor is the second largest seaport of Europe.


16th-century Guildhouses at the Grote Markt.



Antwerp City Hall
The Town Hall of Antwerp is one of the oldest Renaissance buildings in the Low Countries. It was finished in 1564 by architect Cornelis Floris de Vriendt. The style of the building is obviously Renaissance (the superposition of Dorian and Ionic colons), but the middle section still clearly resembles the towers of the many Gothic Flemish and Brabantine town halls.



Het Steen (literally: 'The Stone').

In Antwerp the 'Steen' is the name of the little castle that can be seen at the entrance of the city center, on the border of the river Scheldt. The castle is called that way because it was one of the earliest buildings in Antwerp constructed with stones (at a time when most houses were still built with wood).

The Steen was probably built as a part of the fortification around the city in the 13th century. Then it was used as a prison from 1549 until 1823. Since 1952 The National Navigation Museum is housed here.

At the entrance a relief statue can be seen of a man with spread out legs. This statue also used to have a very large penis and was therefore venerated by numerous women looking for a cure against infertility. The Jesuits found the statue too obscene in the 17th century.... and off went the decoration of the statue !



The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of our Lady) is the highest cathedral in the Low Countries and home to several triptychs by Baroque painter Rubens. It remains the tallest building in the city.




Statue of Brabo and the giant's hand


Central Station
The part of the station where the platforms are is covered by an immense metal and glass dome (typical for turn-of-the-century railway stations in Europe), designed by architect Van Bogaert. The station building itself was designed between 1895 and 1905 by architect Delacenserie. The inner decoration in eclectic style with the use of marble and the presence of a gigantic staircase make any visitor who enters Antwerp here feel like a king. Antwerp is also the diamond center of the World. Too bad that I leave the town without one. Although we plan our own trip and travel by ourselves, it doesn’t mean that we don’t do the hop on, hop off like the group tour. We have time strain also.

From the coffee shop.