Some places to know

Before getting started in all what Antwerp has to offer, it's highly recommended to get to know some basic places.

Grote Markt: meaning 'big market', is the central square in Antwerp, where nowadays the City Hall building is and where a statue of Brabo (city founder) may be found. (see photo attached)

Groenplaats: meaning 'green square', is the biggest square in Antwerp, close to Grote Markt the OLV Kathedraal. The name comes from the colour of the statue which stands in the middle of the square, perfoming Peter Paul Rubens, a well-known painter who moved to Antwerp and, years later, died there.

OLV Kathedraal: Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal, as said, meaning Cathedral of Our Lady, may be found in a little square between Grote Markt and Groenplaats.

Centraal Station or Antwerp-Centraal: is the city's main railway station. With more than 20 platforms, there cou can catch national and international trains.

Meir straat (street): main shopping street in Antwerp, goes east to west from the west exit of Centraal Station (despite, at that point, it's known as 'de Keyserlei') to the south entrance of Groenplaats.

Rubenshuis: House of Rubens. Dedicated to the years spent there by the painter, it's located in a rectangular square crossing Meir.

Italielei-Frankrijklei-Britselei-Amerikalei: with 'lei' meaning kind of 'avenue', it stands for Italy Avenue, French Kingdom Avenue, British Avenue and America Avenue. It's Antwerp's main road from north to south, it changes its name at various stages. At the very bottom of it, we can found the Justitiepaleis (Palace of Justice or Courts from Antwerp). It crosses de Keyserlei transforming it into Meir.

Stadspark: meaning 'city park', it's a triangular park in the geographical centre of the city. It's full of rabbits and ducks and, when the sun is shinning, also full of people sunbathing or playing any sport.

UA main building: where the Agora is. The Agora is the building from the Universiteit Antwerpen where you can do sports or spend some time eating or drinking at the Canteen, but connected by a corridor to some classrooms, the library and some other university facilities.

And, the two most important places:

Ossenmarkt: meaning 'oxen market' it's also known as 'student's square' because it's full of young people at any time, because of its bars and terraces (such as Barracuda, Kassa or Salamander), its Frituur or Kebab shops and its 24-hour shop. This is the place to be and the place to live close to, because every single night starts there.

Café De Proof: student's bar where ESN arrange all parties for Erasmus students.

Photo gallery