The (; "Big Market") is the central
square
In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...
of
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, Belgium, situated in the heart of the old city quarter. It is surrounded by the city's
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
Town Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
, as well as numerous
guildhall
A guildhall, also known as a guild hall or guild house, is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Europe, with many surviving today in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commo ...
s with elaborate façades, the majority of which are reconstructions from the 19th and early 20th century, approximating paintings of the square by
Flemish artists. A few of the guildhall façades, such as that of Sint-Joris's are intact originals entirely dating back to the 16th century.
The square also has many restaurants and cafés, and it lies within walking distance of the
Scheldt
The Scheldt ( ; ; ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old Englis ...
river. The hosts a
Christmas market
A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many countries. Some in the U.S. have Phono-semantic matching, adapted ...
and
ice rink every winter.
Attractions
The square's main attractions include:
*
Antwerp's City Hall, built between 1561 and 1565 in
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
style, on the foundations of an older burned down city hall
* The guildhalls, especially the original 16th-century ''Guildhall of Sint-Joris'' at 7 and ''De Valk'' guildhall at 11
* The
Brabo Fountain, created by
Jef Lambeaux in 1887, depicting the local legend of
Silvius Brabo and the
giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
Druon Antigoon
*
Antwerp Jazz Club (AJC) in ''De Mouwe'' guildhall (alternative names: ''De gulde Mouwe'' or ''Het Cuypershuys'')
Guildhall
A guildhall, also known as a guild hall or guild house, is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Europe, with many surviving today in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commo ...
s
File:Antwerp Grote Markt15-35 017 7962.jpg, Monumental buildings
References
External links
{{portal, Belgium
Guildhall pictures
Squares in Antwerp
Streets in Antwerp
Buildings and structures in Antwerp
Tourist attractions in Antwerp