Antwerpen

Belgium’s second city and biggest port, Antwerp (Antwerpen/Anvers in Dutch/French) is the country’s capital of cool, a powerful magnet for mode moguls, club queens, art lovers and diamond dealers. In the mid-16th century it was one of Europe’s most important cities and home to baroque superstar painter Pieter Paul Rubens, as you’ll be regularly reminded. Despite many historical travails thereafter and severe WWII bombing, the city retains an intriguing medieval heart with café-filled cobbled lanes, a riverside fortress and a truly impressive cathedral. Today Antwerp’s top drawcards are its vibrant fashion and entertainment scene, along with its startling architectural and cultural contrasts.

Lonely Planet