As a massive port, Antwerp was targeted in both World Wars, particular the second. Ravished, many Belgians fled to neighboring countries, becoming impoverished and unwelcome refugees. You can see haunting images of grief and destitution in the new MAS museum (Museum aan de Stroom).
Instead, we took the 10 escalators to the top to see the city skyline:
Panorama views confirmed what we'd all been thinking--Antwerp isn't very impressive. In the distance, the port, which is larger than the city in area, was greyed out by the rain and smog. As a center of industry, Antwerp is a working town devoid of the quaintness or grace that befall other tourist destinations. Sturdy, with a poignant modern history, Antwerp curates a duplicitious sense of respect and boredom. I was able to respect and admire the city at the same time I wanted to leave it.
The only majesty of Antwerp lies in the architecture of the train station. People coming are impressed with the finesse of such a sturdy material such as steel. People leaving have one positive imprint before passing on to another destination.
Instead, we took the 10 escalators to the top to see the city skyline:
Panorama views confirmed what we'd all been thinking--Antwerp isn't very impressive. In the distance, the port, which is larger than the city in area, was greyed out by the rain and smog. As a center of industry, Antwerp is a working town devoid of the quaintness or grace that befall other tourist destinations. Sturdy, with a poignant modern history, Antwerp curates a duplicitious sense of respect and boredom. I was able to respect and admire the city at the same time I wanted to leave it.
The only majesty of Antwerp lies in the architecture of the train station. People coming are impressed with the finesse of such a sturdy material such as steel. People leaving have one positive imprint before passing on to another destination.