Antwerp

Antwerp is Belgium's most dynamic city and one of Europe's great cultural powerhouses. The city on the Scheldt River is the world's second-largest diamond trading hub, the birthplace of Rubens, and home to one of Europe's most sophisticated fashion scenes — the Antwerp Six (graduates of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, including Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten) changed fashion in the 1980s. The Cathedral of Our Lady — the largest Gothic church in the Benelux — contains four major paintings by Rubens, including The Descent from the Cross, one of the greatest Baroque altarpieces ever created. The Rubenshuis (Rubens' house and studio) is an essential visit. The Museum aan de Stroom (MAS), a stacked tower on the waterfront with excellent maritime, world cultures and city history collections, has a free rooftop with panoramic city views. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, closed for renovation for many years, has recently reopened. Antwerp's fashion district around Nationalestraat and Kammenstraat contains the headquarters of the Antwerp Six designers and an extraordinary range of cutting-edge boutiques. The Berchem and Zuid neighbourhoods have the best contemporary restaurants. The Central Station, a Belle Époque extravaganza with a striking modern tunnel below it, is one of the most beautiful railway stations in Europe. The medieval Grote Markt and the Brabo fountain are the city's historic centrepiece. Antwerp's diamond quarter is fascinating to walk through.