Antwerpen

Out of a 7 day trial and taking a long detour via night train from Arnhem back to Switzerland, I just needed to have a transfer in Antwerpen on my way to Rotterdam and Den Haag.

Got ambushed, however, by the vibe of the city after taking just a step out of my train. Coming out you look up and see 3 stories of train tracks looming over you on different levels.

Climbed up the floors only to realize I was actually rising to the ground level and was greeted by the train station, an marble palace guarded by an golden eagle, encompassed in a much larger super structure almost like ship in a bottle with the interior more akin to an kings opera than a train station.

You can see why the city took so much effort to incorporate this legacy station into and almost erotically complex of new infrastructure.

If that wasn't enough, right out of the gate of already overwhelmingly impressive train station there is the Zoo of Antwerpen, as old as the train station itself, right in the heart of the city.

Now if that still wasn't enough just 100 steps further was the entry to what I assume is the equivalent of China Town of Antwerpen.

So many interesting things just within 3 minutes of leaving the train station, I overstayed and spend three hours in the city.

Ended up walking into what I thought was a church but turned out to be the former trading hall of the second largest port of Europe, with all it's restored splendor and touristic Charme.

Might be the coolest city to leave a first impression I've seen in a while and ai definitely want to returnLeggi altro