Antwerp

• Antwerp Zoo was created in 1843 and now houses over 6,000 animals (about 769 species). It is one of the world’s oldest zoos and is known for its high level of research and conservation.
• Antwerp City Hall, built in 1565, is a Renaissance-style Belfry.
• Central Station, designed by Louis Delacenserie and opened in 1905, is a railway station. It has two massive neo-baroque façades, a big metal and glass dome (60m/197 ft), and a gilded and marble interior.
• Our Lady’s Cathedral The construction of this church began in the 14th century and was completed in 1518. Rubens’ works in the church include “The Descent from the Cross,” “The Elevation of the Cross,” “The Resurrection of Christ,” and “The Assumption.”
• The cathedral is less elaborate than St. James’ Church. It is home to Rubens’ grave.
• The inside of St. Paul’s Church is stunningly ornate. It is located about a hundred yards north of the Grote Markt.
• The Museum Vleeshuis (Butchers’ Hall) is a beautiful Gothic brick-built structure located just north of the Grote Markt. Originally a Butchers Guild residence, it now houses a musical instrument collection (including several original Ruckers harpsichords) and hosts occasional performances.
• The Plantin-Moretus Museum houses the printer Christoffel Plantijn and his successor Jan Moretus.
• The Saint-Boniface Church is an Anglican church that serves as the headquarters of the Archdeaconry of North-West Europe.
• The oldest skyscraper in Europe is Boerentoren (Farmers’ Tower) or KBC Tower, a 26-story structure completed in 1932.
• The oldest skyscraper in Europe is Boerentoren (Farmers’ Tower) or KBC Tower, a 26-story structure completed in 1932.
• Rubenshuis is Peter Paul Rubens’ (1577–1640) old house and studio in Antwerp. It is presently used as a museum.
• Exchange or bourse The existing structure was constructed in 1872.
• The Richard Rogers Partnership, Arup, and VK Studio created the Law Courts, which King Albert inaugurated in April 2006. This structure is the polar opposite of the huge, gloomy courthouse constructed by Joseph Poelaert that dominates the Brussels skyline. The courtrooms are built on top of six fingers that radiate from an open central hall and are topped with spires that evoke oast homes or the sails of boats on the neighboring River Scheldt. It is constructed on the location of the previous Zuid (“South”) station, at the end of a spectacular 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) vista at the southern end of Amerikalei. To reach the highway ring, the route neatly slips into an underpass under ovalBolivarplaats. This allows for quiet surface access by foot, bicycle, or tram (route 12). The highest’sail’ of the structure is 51 m (167 ft) high, with a floor area of 77,000 m2 (830,000 sq ft) and a cost of €130 million.
• Zurenborg, a late-nineteenth-century belle époque neighborhood on the Antwerp-Berchem border with several art nouveau architectural characteristics. The region is considered to be one of Europe’s most original belle époque urban growth locations. Despite the fact that the homes in the neighborhood are recognized as national heritage, they are seriously impacted by vibration and pollution generated by high city bus traffic along its streets, particularly the famed Cogels Osylei.
• The Museum aan de Stroom Neutelings Riedijk Architects created the MAS, which is 60 meters tall. The façade is built of Indian red sandstone with curved glass panels. The MAS has 470,000 artifacts, the majority of which are in storage.
• The Botanical Garden The botanic Garen, situated in the city center on the Leopoldstraat, was founded in 1825 and encompasses over 1 hectare. It was a planterden for the Ecole Centrale before becoming a hortus botanicus, and then the herbal garden and, subsequently, the vegetable garden for the Sint-Elisabethgasthuis. Since 1950, the garden has been designated as a protected site, and it has a collection of over 2,000 plants. The greenhouse is open every day except Sundays. There is no admission fee.

According to the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), Antwerp was the seventeenth biggest (by tonnage) port in the world in 2005, and Europe’s second largest after Rotterdam. It also handles a considerable amount of economically appealing general and project cargo, as well as bulk freight. Antwerp’s docklands, which include five oil refineries, are home to a vast concentration of petrochemical companies, second only to Houston’s petrochemical cluster. With four nuclear power plants at Doel, a conventional power station in Kallo, and many smaller combined cycle plants, electricity generating is also a significant activity. In the northern part of the port area, there is a wind farm. There are proposals to expand this from 2014 until 2020. The traditional Belgian bluestone quays that line the Scheldt for 5.6 km (3.5 mi) to the north and south of the city center have been preserved for emotional value and are mostly utilized by cruise ships and short-sea shipping.

Antwerp’s other major industry is the diamond trade, which is centered in the diamond district. The Diamond Club of Antwerp, the Beurs voor Diamanthandel, the Antwerpsche Diamantkring, and the Vrije Diamanthandel are the city’s four diamond bourses. Since World War II, families from Antwerp’s huge Hasidic Jewish population have dominated the diamond dealing sector, albeit in the past two decades, Indian and Maronite Christian dealers from Lebanon and Armenia have grown in importance. Antwerp World Diamond Centre, the successor of the Hoge Raad voor Diamant, is crucial in creating standards, regulating professional ethics, training, and promoting Antwerp’s interests as a diamond industry center.

Some cafés provide free wireless internet but do not advertise it on the entrance for various reasons. Others will demand a fee to access the Internet.

Many hotels, like the Radisson, have free or included internet access. If you walk in from the street with a laptop, they could let you use it for the cost of a couple drinks at their bar. The Fon project also includes several members who live in and around Antwerp and provide free connection on a regular basis.

If you are a student or member of another university, college, or research center in the globe, you may possibly connect for free to the eduroam Wi-Fi network for higher education [www], which is available in and around most University of Antwerp buildings and Colleges. Inquire with your home institution’s IT services if it is a member of eduroam, and if so, get a documentation on how to configure your system for connections abroad.