Introduction
Baroque bars and blocks of choc: this diamond capital is everyone's best friend. The richly historic city of Antwerp is Belgium's most underrated tourist destination. Few places tangle the old and the new quite so enchantingly. Here eclectic Art Nouveau mansions stare back at Neo-Renaissance villas, and medieval castles provide a magical backdrop for the city's myriad bars and cafes.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 204.51
Coordinates: 51 ° 12'N latitude and 40 ° 26'E longitude
Population: 1669800
Getting there and away
Antwerp Airport is 4km (2.5mi) southeast of the city centre in the suburb of Deurne. It's not one of the busiest transport hubs around, fielding only a limited number of international flights from London (flying time is around one hour) - there are no domestic flights in Belgium due to the country's rather petite geography. For some livelier commuter action try the bus station on Franklin Rooseveltplaats, where international Eurolines buses rumble off at least several times each day towards places that include Paris (four hours), Amsterdam (five hours), Frankfurt (6.75 hours) and London (8.75 hours). Franklin Rooseveltplaats is also where most streek (inter-province buses) arrive and depart. Antwerp has two main train stations: the attractive Centraal Station just east of the centre and Berchem Station a further 2km (1.25mi) southeast. From Centraal you can take a 35-minute ride to Brussels, a 45-minute ride to Ghent and a 70-minute journey to Bruges.
Weather
To improve the probability of decent weather, visit Antwerp between May and September.November to March sees the crappiest weather descend on the city and soak it to its concrete marrow, while May to August is when the grey skies and precipitation are occasionally leavened by some of that blue stuff overhead and a bit of sunshine. The average daily minimum temperature in Antwerp over its fairly mild winter season is 3 ° C (32 ° F) and the maximum is 6 ° C (43 ° F); summer temperatures can sneak up to a luke-high 25 ° C (77 ° F), though July and August can also be the wettest months.
Baroque bars and blocks of choc: this diamond capital is everyone's best friend. The richly historic city of Antwerp is Belgium's most underrated tourist destination. Few places tangle the old and the new quite so enchantingly. Here eclectic Art Nouveau mansions stare back at Neo-Renaissance villas, and medieval castles provide a magical backdrop for the city's myriad bars and cafes.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 204.51
Coordinates: 51 ° 12'N latitude and 40 ° 26'E longitude
Population: 1669800
Getting there and away
Antwerp Airport is 4km (2.5mi) southeast of the city centre in the suburb of Deurne. It's not one of the busiest transport hubs around, fielding only a limited number of international flights from London (flying time is around one hour) - there are no domestic flights in Belgium due to the country's rather petite geography. For some livelier commuter action try the bus station on Franklin Rooseveltplaats, where international Eurolines buses rumble off at least several times each day towards places that include Paris (four hours), Amsterdam (five hours), Frankfurt (6.75 hours) and London (8.75 hours). Franklin Rooseveltplaats is also where most streek (inter-province buses) arrive and depart. Antwerp has two main train stations: the attractive Centraal Station just east of the centre and Berchem Station a further 2km (1.25mi) southeast. From Centraal you can take a 35-minute ride to Brussels, a 45-minute ride to Ghent and a 70-minute journey to Bruges.
Weather
To improve the probability of decent weather, visit Antwerp between May and September.November to March sees the crappiest weather descend on the city and soak it to its concrete marrow, while May to August is when the grey skies and precipitation are occasionally leavened by some of that blue stuff overhead and a bit of sunshine. The average daily minimum temperature in Antwerp over its fairly mild winter season is 3 ° C (32 ° F) and the maximum is 6 ° C (43 ° F); summer temperatures can sneak up to a luke-high 25 ° C (77 ° F), though July and August can also be the wettest months.
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