ANTWERP, BELGIUM

We will walk to Antwerp’s market place to start our guided walking tour. The market place is situated in the Old Town and here we shall see the Town Hall, built between 1561 and 1564, gabled guild houses, cafés and Brabo Statue.

The name Antwerp probably derives from the word 'aanwerp' – an alluvial mound (of clay, silt, and sand) in the River Scheldt – which was the site of an early settlement. Excavations have shown that people were already living in the bend of the river as long ago as the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The site must have been inhabited again around 650 but in 836 the Vikings destroyed this residential centre. Antwerp developed from that original nucleus. We will walk to Antwerp’s market place to start our guided walking tour. The market place is situated in the Old Town and here we shall see the Town Hall, built between 1561 and 1564, gabled guild houses, cafés and Brabo Statue. This bronze fountain was designed by Jef Lambeaux, who was inspired by the story of a cruel giant who lived beside the riverbank of Scheldt. The giant used to chop hands off all the sailors who refused to pay the toll. However, the story goes that a brave soldier killed the giant and in turn threw his hands into the river. Just off the market place, we reach the Vlaaikensgang (or Poor Street) – an alley typical of medieval Antwerp – now restored and home to several fine restaurants. Continuing on to Our Lady’s Cathedral, we have the chance to look inside. Work on the present Cathedral started in about 1352. After 169 years of building the north tower rose up, like lacework in stone, and the largest Gothic construction in the Netherlands was complete. Today little remains of the original furnishings. The church – which became a cathedral in 1559 – suffered from a severe fire in 1533 and also from repeated plundering and looting and yet is still an enormous treasure chamber. There are works such as Descent from the Cross and Raising of the Cross by Rubens. The architecture of this seven-aisle church has been restored to its full splendour after twenty years of restoration work. After a short walk we will arrive at Rubens’ House for a guided visit. In 1611 Rubens bought the building on Wapper Square and enlarged it to provide a home and studio, which had all the style of a palazzo. It was here that he received scores of distinguished guests and that he developed his astonishing career. In 1937 the city bought the sight, restored it and the museum was opened to the public in 1946. It houses 10 works by Rubens – including his self-portrait Adam and Eve in Paradise. Many objets d'art and utensils are also on display, which either belonged to Rubens himself or date from his time. We then continue our walk, back to the ship. Not recommended for passengers with limited mobility or in wheelchairs – the entire duration of this tour is spent walking or standing. A distance of approximately 1 kilometre (three quarters of a mile) is covered, and a certain pace is required to keep up with the group.