Antwerp hadn’t treated us well so far but we were determined to change our perspective. To that end we signed up to do another free tour – this one called the Legends of Antwerp tour. It began at the famous Grote Markt. The Grote Markt is a famous square in the middle of the town center. It is where the famous city hall sits and boasts countless cafes, waffle shops, chocolate shops, gift shops…you get my drift. And it is impressive – the architecture is super cool. But – the city hall – which would be the most picturesque part of the square – is under construction and you can’t see one single part of it! I mean, it’s completely covered by a temporary facade. So sad…
The facade of the city hall, however, is flanked on both sides by old guild houses and they are quite a sight! In the middle of the square is an enormous statue of the mythical Roman soldier Silvius Brabo throwing the severed hand of a slain giant – Antigoon – at his feet.
We met up with our tour guide, Bart Simpson minus the Simpson. He began the tour with the legend of the soldier mentioned above. And the origin of the name Antwerp. Per the legend, Antigoon was a giant who lived on the river in Antwerp and charged obscenely high tolls for anyone using the (very important) port. If someone didn’t pay he chopped his hand off and threw it into the river. Obviously this wasn’t good for business and Brabo saved the day (and the city?) by slaying Antigoon. As another measure, he cut off his large hand and also tossed it into the river. A guess as to why the city is called Antwerp? The combination of the Dutch words for hand throwing – “hand werpen“. Per Bart, however, this is the first legend. No one really knows how the city came into it’s name.
The tour was really nice. Bart was an excellent tour guide – knowledgeable, passionate about his city, funny and engaging. We walked through the Groenplaats Square – or Green Place. This is another famous city square but this is the touristy one. There is actually a Hilton hotel with an 18th century facade here. Per Bart, we should stay away from this place. He said that not much of Antwerp is a tourist trap but this is one of the few areas that were. Well, it was a gorgeous day so it was a nice place to stand and listen to Bart but I could see what he meant. A Hilton? Surrounded by cafes charging lots of money for beer!
The other cool part of this square is the statue of Peter Paul Rubens – the famous artist who came from Antwerp. He is considered one of the most influential Baroque artists of all time and he is very, very highly regarded in Antwerp.
Bart took us through the fashion district (YAY!) and to the Plantin-Moretus Museum – a museum dedicated to the founders of the printing press. We were able to check out the garden there which was just lovely.
The tour ended at the well known Cathedral of our Lady. The cathedral towers over the center of Antwerp but – as with the City Hall – is under construction and it’s complete spire is covered. Sad again…
At the end of the tour Bart gave us his recommendations for restaurants and chocolatiers. Well, we hadn’t had a Belgian waffle yet and there was one of his favorites. So off we went. What is wrong with a lunch consisting of waffles and chocolate anyway?
There are a couple of things to know about waffles if you’re traveling to Belgium. First, do not call them Belgian waffles! There are two types here and you will stand out like the tourist you are if you ask for a Belgian waffle. First there is the Brussels waffle. These are rectangular in shape and are larger than the Liege waffle. They are typically sprinkled with powdered sugar and served hot. Leige waffles, on the other hand, are smaller and thicker with rounder edges and contain clumps of sugar. Both are served with your choice of very yummy toppings.
I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t note the name of the waffle shop because it was so good. But it was very near the entrance of the Cathedral of our Lady. And it was a sit-down waffle shop – not just one where you take your waffle away. And it was wonderful. Neither me or John are huge fans of waffles but we both enjoyed it. The waiter told us right away it would take a little time as they made the waffle fresh. It was served hot with a bowl of warm cherries next to it. John and I both proceeded to pour the cherries over the waffle – they fit so nicely into the little squares – and went to town! It was a very nice lunch. And we followed it up with, of course, Belgian chocolates! This time from Nello chocolate shop – also near the entrance to the cathedral – where the sweet woman who helped us said her mother made the chocolate.
After the tour I wanted to meander through the fashion district of course. Antwerp, like Bruges, was very crowded. Of course it was a gorgeous Saturday so perhaps that was to be expected. But post-shopping we needed a nap. Back to our dump…
Our evening in Antwerp started back at Grote Markt where there was a bar that looked over the statue of Bravo. It was a pretty nice night so we started by sitting outside at Den Engel which had a pretty happening crowd – both inside and outside. And they had the beer we wanted to try – another local beer called Bolleke. This was a beer mentioned by Bart Simpson, minus the Simpson, during our walking tour. A beer brewed right in Antwerp and without a ton of alcohol in it. It was actually pretty nice. But here’s something to note. Smoking is not allowed inside Antwerp’s bars (since 2011) so all of the smokers either sit outside or come outside to smoke. So much for the nice night outdoors. We headed inside for another taste of the bar.
Time for another feeding. In our dump there were a few guidebooks on Antwerp. I found what one said were the 5 best places to eat like a local. One was Chez Fred. Sounded good to us so we headed there.
But we made a pit stop first. A trip to Belgium wouldn’t be complete without trying the famous Belgian fries – or Belgian frites as they’re called. First fries in Belgium are different from anywhere else in the world. And they’re considered a delicacy here. They’re simply made differently here. First they’re fried twice! Yes twice. And they’re fried in animal fat. Yes animal fat. And then they’re served with your choice of sauces. Not just your average ketchup here. For the most part they’re eaten with a small plastic fork and with a vat of thick, creamy mayonnaise! The verdict – yes they were delicious and definitely worth trying. John loved the mayonnaise; I did not. But even without the sauces they were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And served piping hot and fresh…. yum!
Onward, this time we finally got out of central Antwerp and into another neighborhood. It was much quieter and more peaceful – even just a few short minutes from Grote Markt. However, Chez Fred was completely booked. I asked the bartender for a recommendation and she said Dansing Chocola – just a few minutes walk – would be quite similar. It was really nice! It was also very crowded but one of the waiters took care of us until a table was ready. An eclectic little restaurant with tons of outdoor seating and quaint little nooks – one of which we sat in. If it helps the reader to picture it, there were figurines of Tweety Bird, Speedy Gonzalos, Jeppeto, etc. Nice! Glasses of wine for both of us – again enough with the beer! – and the waitress tried to translate the specials. I went for the traditional Flemish beef stew again because I knew I’d love it. But John ventured out and went for a stew of “pork cheeks” – at least that’s how the waitress translated it. Either way, our meal was great. Comforting and filling. The people watching was also great there. A good end to our day in Antwerp.
If you’re still reading this post it goes without saying that I was a bit disappointed in Antwerp. But part of that is on me…I didn’t do the research to make the most of this city. But I will say – it is a big city, not a small town, and it has the things that I don’t necessarily like about a big city – it’s dirty, crowded, not very friendly. Try it for yourself but…Antwerp, I’m disappointed.