Antwerpen TRAVEL GUIDE AND DEALS

Antwerp (Dutch: Antwerpen) , is a major destination of Belgium in the region of Flanders. The overwhelming friendliness of the people of Antwerp, their innate penchant for good food and good living, combine with their low stress lifestyle, makes Antwerp a desirable and relaxing place to visit. Renowed for being the "world's leading diamond city", more than 70% of all diamonds are traded in Antwerp. The Diamond Market is the hub of the economic section in Belgium and more than 85% of the world’s rough diamonds, 50% of cut diamonds and 40% of industrial diamonds are traded in the city.

Understand

The origins of Antwerp comes from "aan de werpe", which is Dutch for "at the throw" referring to where the river throws its sand. The name also has a funny anecdote saying it comes from "Hand werpen", which translated is "throwing (a) hand(s)". In the official flag, the castle "het Steen" and the hand of Antwerp are shown.

In the 16th century, Antwerp was one of the most... read more From Wikitravel