Sherman's Travel

Antwerp — It may be Belgium’s second city, but Antwerp is not its second best. Gritty and louche, the world’s third largest port is one heck of an action-packed place anchored on the salty River Scheldt with its Flemish-Renaissance architecture next to modern landmarks. French is not spoken or appreciated in this proudly Flemish city of 500,000, so feel free to leave your mercis and s’il vous plaits behind. With a bustling diamond trade and an avant-garde fashion scene (thanks to the designer Dries Van Noten and the Antwerp Six group that he sprouted from in the 1980s), Antwerp is passionate about chocolate, beer, and frites, which might help explain the curvy women in the Rueben paintings you’ll find throughout its museums.