"''Antwerp'' (ahaaah, the title is everything!! :")" Antwerp by KenBel

I've seen pages on Antwerp that are perfect for reading up on the typical attractions, so I wouldn't pretend I could do better, on the contrary!! I loved them!! ... I'm not saying my Antwerp page will be particularly original, only that what I talk about are the things that make ME love this city ... I can only hope is contagious ... Usually "my Antwerp" is a mix of typical attractions and personal preferences, like the picture : The "boerentoren" (or farmers' tower) is one of Antwerps main icons. However, I wouldn't speak of it, were it not for the poem hanging down from it. It was written by one of Antwerp's most important authors/poets/Belgian-society-critics called Tom Lanoye. It is actually the ending of the poem, a love declaration of the tower to the Cathedral standing at about a 100 ft from the "Boerentoren". If you look closely, you'll see that on top the abbreviation KBC (one of Belgium's main banks) was changed to ABC, short for Antwerp Book Capital , which is what Antwerp is in 2004. The poem was written especially for this occasion. If you want to know more about the events surrounding ABC2004, go to Antwerp Book Capital 2004 it has a French and English version!!
If you want to read the full version of the Boerentoren's love declaration, go to Antwerpen Cultuur
If you want to read more about the "Boerentoren", go to My Must See Activities for AntwerpL*

The thing I like most about Antwerp is that it is a city which offers everything a city should offer but still has a pretty "village-ish" feel to it. Metropolitan but cosy, "hustle-bustle-y" but relaxed.

All of you know Gaudí's exploits in Barcelona or the Subway entrances in Paris as main examples of modernist architecture ... However did you know Belgium housed some of the greatest modernist architects ??!! Modernist architecture is subsequently a main ingredient for every major Belgian city, I admit you'd find the most important examples in Brussels, since the main Belgian modernist, Victor Horta, lived and worked there. However in Antwerp too you'll find some fine examples of Modernist architecture, so be attentive to it!! Some of my favourite Antwerp buildings are beautifull examples of it. I will talk about them in some of my travelogues, so make sure you check them out to know where to go ...
Modernism at the Cogels Osylei
AND
Central Station and Steinerschool

• Pros:Antwerp has it All !! (don't believe me? check out Oja's page at http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/21969/ !!)
• Cons:At the moment Antwerp is THE Belgian construction site, which makes accessing the city a little difficult. Take public transportation, it is well organized and will bring you almost anywhere in the city!!