The Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest (150 years) and most famous zoos in the world. Its location - originally just outside the city walls, now an oasis of peace in the heart of the city, next door to Central Station - is typical of the nineteenth-century origins.
You must set aside at least half a day for a visit because there really is so much to see and do. More than 4,000 animals of 950 different species live in conditions as near to their natural habitats as possible.
A special Children's Zoo opened in 1984; the antics of the young raccoons, nimble squirrels and other animals seem to divert even the most fractious children. In the winter, the zoo allows visitors to take a look behind the scenes.
But Above all it is the Royal Society for Zoology which deserves our respect. This institute has been watching over the welfare of animals for 150 years. It takes part in international breeding programs for threatened species. It is famous for its scientific research and guarantees that the animals live in the best possible conditions.
Your roaring, whistling and screeching hosts enjoy that comfort and freedom of movements in the magnificent environment provided by nature and architecture.
But there are even more captivating and surprising experiences in store, such as the nocturama, the planetarium, the botanical greenhouse, the aquarium, etc.
You will find between one and three restaurants open, depending on the time of day.
But of course there's nothing to stop you from picnicking on a bench.
Koningin Astridplein 26
2000 Antwerp
Tel : 03/202.45.40
Admission:
Adults: 13(Euro); children aged from 3 to 11 inclusive, 60+ and handicapped : 8,50 (Euro)
East of the main railway station, the Jewish Quarter stretches between the Avenue Frankrijklei, the zoo and the Koning Albert Park. Antwerp, which is sometimes nicknamed "the Jerusalem on the Scheldt", has the largest Orthodox Jewish community in Europe. Fifteen thousand Jews in the city live in observance of strict religious laws; there are 22 synagogues in Antwerp. Hasidic jews with long black coats, broad-brimmed hats, long beards and side curls are a common sight on the streets around the railway station. When the sabbath begins on Friday evenings a host of candles illuminate the windows of this district. In Pelikanstraat and the streets around it, there are many small shops which sell kosher groceries, Hebrew books and menorahs. One of Antwerp's four diamond exchanges is also located on Pelikanstraat. The Jewish community is extensively involved in Antwerp's diamond trade and industry.
Diamond-cutting began in Brugge but moved to Antwerp in the 16th century. Today, some 70% of the world's uncut diamonds pass through the city, and 25 million carats are cut and traded here every year. The industry employs some 18,000 people, divided among 6,000 independent firms; in addition to cutters, grinders, and polishers, there are about 3,000 traders, nearly all of them from long-established diamond families. The district occupies a few nondescript city blocks west of Central Station, where shop signs in Hebrew and the distinctive clothing and ringlets worn by many Hasidic men are the only clues that the area is any different from the rest of Antwerp. Below the elevated railway tracks, a long row of stalls and shops gleams with jewelry and gems. Bounded by De Keyserlei, Pelikaanstraat, Herentalsestraat, and Lange Kievitstraat.
Provinciaal Diamantmuseum. The Provincial Diamond Museum relates the history of the diamond trade using maps, models, and videos, and there's a complete 19th-century diamond workshop. Exceptional jewelry is displayed in the treasure room. Lange Herentalsestraat 31-33, PHONE: 03/202-4890.
COST: Free, except during exhibitions. Daily 10-5; demonstrations Sat. 2-5.
Diamondland. A spectacular showroom, Diamondland was created to enable visitors to get a sense of the activity that goes on behind closed doors in the security-conscious Diamond District. Diamondland has three floors of slide shows and films, showcases of rough and polished diamonds, and several diamond cutters at work.
The Antwerp Central Station is the terminal station of the oldest railway line in Belgium (Brussels-Mechelen-Antwerp). Dubbed the 'Railway Cathedral', it is one of the main landmarks in Antwerp. It was built between 1895 and 1905 and replaced a wooden train station. The complex consists of 3 parts: the station building, the metal and glass vault and the elevated rail track.
The monumental main building was designed by the Bruges architect L. Delacenserie. It has a huge dome and used to have 8 smaller towers of which 6 have been demolished. The colorful interior is lavishly decorated with more than 20 different kinds of marble and stone. The main hall and the railway cafeteria can match the interiors of many palaces. Not a single square meter either inside or outside the building is not decorated.
The platforms are covered by a huge iron and glass vault, which has recently been restored. Besides the platform, the vault also covers many of the small diamond and gold shops, which are part of the diamond district next to the Central Station. The huge vault was designed by the architect J. Van Asperen. It is 185 meters long and 44 meters at its highest point. The platform and tracks themselves are elevated. The construction of this elevation together with its decorations and the many little towers alongside the tracks are designed by the same architect.
Restoration of the Central Station and the vault, which started in 1993 have recently been completed, but due to the construction of underground high speed train tracks, the station will be a construction site at least until 2005.
