antwerp, belgium

Hey World, this Nobody is back with her last trip of Belgium. This time we're going north and visiting Antwerp.
Antwerp was honestly one of the most beautiful cities I've been to and I think many skip over Antwerp and choose more popular areas such as Bruges. But let me show you why you shouldn't sleep on this city!
This is part 3 of my recent Euro trip so if you're interested in Brussels, Belgium or Luxembourg please follow the links below.
Brussels: • brussels, belgium
Luxembourg: • luxembourg
I'm over the moon that I made it to 100 subscribers so thank you to those who have. We all have to start somewhere and I'm so happy people find my videos interesting enough to join the Herstroy pages!
If you'd like to join me in the future please do subscribe!
People on the Herstory pages: 103
People who need to be recorded:500

[@ANobodysHerstory]

I am loving how people have been adding or correcting information in the comments. Please do not feel like you’re nitpicking. It’s always good to learn more about this beautiful city. Thank you for your insights!

[@ON6KE]

Hello, I'm born in Antwerp and now live in Mechelen. One small thing to edit in the video is the "Greoenplaats" in front of the cathedral. It's spelled "Groenplaats". Antwerp born people call it the "grungpluts" in their dialect. :-) Happy you liked Antwerp, there's much more to see, unfortunately those places are a little distant from the area you covered. Gust

[@ANobodysHerstory]

@@ON6KE thank you! I would definitely love to go back and visit so if you have recommendations I’d love to know 😊

[@ON6KE]

@@ANobodysHerstory I forgot, the place you mentioned you couldn't find its name is the "Handschoenmarkt". "Handschoen" means glove, and "markt" is market. The pronunciation for "markt" is not as it reads, it's "mart", both in Antwerp dialect and in Dutch. Bye

[@Paretozen]

I'm from the Netherlands and after a mere 36 years I managed to visit Antwerp for the first time last month. I've got to be honest here, it is a great city certainly on par with the bigger Dutch cities. I've added it to my repertoire of cities to visit every year. My personal favorite was the Museum of Plantin-Moretus, as a adherent to the stoic philosophy I was surprised to learn about the deeply philosophical lives of the fine people of Antwerp even back in the 16th century. What a place to visit!

[@woutwout8398]

Well, Flanders and Antwerp used to be part of the Netherlands till the 17th century and Antwerp was its most important city at that time.

[@tajkarekouri423]

Hello

[@jackf1841]

I absolutely love Antwerp! It is so so much better than Brussels :) Next time don't forget the beautiful Zuid (South) district and the Eilandje docklands district in Antwerp, very beautiful aswel!

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you for watching 😊 I would definitely love to go back and visit other parts of Belgium!

[@yanacoveliers4634]

It’s really special to see someone enjoy Antwerpen so much, as Belgium is not a common place for tourists to visit (I find most people opt for Amsterdam and think it’s similar). I’m so glad you had a good time❤️

[@ANobodysHerstory]

We really loved our visit and have recommended it to all our friends. I think it’s a shame it goes under the radar as it’s such a beautiful city!

[@maoooo777]

I really liked your vlog!☺ I live in Belgium but I want to study in Antwerp next year so this video was really useful!!

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you so much 😊 good luck in your studies and move! My friend used to live in Antwerp and loved it so hopefully you will too ☺️

[@Travel-C]

Antwerp is a beautiful city and I much preferred it to Brussels. Definitely recommend it!

[@ANobodysHerstory]

I agree!

[@dandelan]

It's always fun (and a little bit weird) to view your own city through the eyes of a tourist. It truly is a very nice video! Well done! I have to say, you have a good eye for the camera, capturing the most beautiful and interesting angles. Of course you missed quite a lot, but considering you only were here for one day, you certainly managed to hit all the high points (and most well known locations) of our beautiful city. My dear, you have actually walked what is called the 'Via Sinjoor' (that is all the way from Central Station going over De Keyserlei and Meir (where all the shops are) through Groenplaats (where the statue of Rubens is), passing next to the Cathedral (where the statue of Nello and Patrasche is; btw, that little square is called Handschoenmarkt (translates to Glove Market), the Grote Markt (where the statue of Brabo is) with Stadhuis (City Hall) and finally arriving at Het Steen (where the statue of Lange Wapper is) and looking over the Schelde river. And then making the return trip! Not only that, you even managed a little detour by going through the City Park and eating twice! Honestly, that is quite an endeavour for one day! FYI, a 'Sinjoor' is the standard nickname used to describe a "true Antwerpian", someone who is born and raised in the city center of Antwerp itself AND who's mother and father are also born and raised in Antwerp (something that nowadays actually has become impossible as there are no more hospitals or maternity wards in the city center). The term derives from the Spanish word señor and originated in the 16th century when Antwerp was ruled by the Spanish Habsburgs.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your support ☺️ I would love to go back to visit as I know I didn’t get the chance to see everything but the areas I did see I loved. I really enjoyed Antwerp. Thank you for your knowledge. I love learning more and it’s even better when it comes from someone from the area as you will know more places and information. Thank you for your comment I hope other people will learn from this as well ☺️

[@SpiritHeartsSong]

omg those waffles look so good!!!!! Belgium is on my list of countries I'd like to visit!!

[@flitsertheo]

There is way too much stuff on those waffles. All you need on a Brussels waffle is powder sugar. And £36.82 for 3 waffles and drinks ? Tell me what place that was so I never make the mistake to go eat there.

[@Hispandinavian]

Since I'm a Dutch speaker, I'm partial to the Flanders side of the country. My favorite Dutch comic Suske en Wiske is from Antwerp.

[@tonybarde2572]

Glad you visited Nello and Patrasche

[@ms.elli3]

Thank you for taking me down memory lane! We lived in Antwerp for almost 12 years back in the 1990s and absolute loved it. The suburbs are equally beautiful.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

I love that my video has brought back wonderful memories for you 🥰 Antwerp is so beautiful I bet it was amazing to have lived there!

[@ms.elli3]

@@ANobodysHerstory i was made aware of your video when one of my friends fr my Antwerp group shared it with us. We all enjoyed viewing it, thank you! A group of us remain good friends through the years and we all live in different parts of the world now. Thank you again!

[@ANobodysHerstory]

@@ms.elli3 I can’t tell you how happy that makes me that you all watched my video and it brought back such happy memories. Thank you so much for watching and thank you to your friend for sharing. That’s really made my day. It’s so lovely to know you all still remain such good friends. Wishing you all the best ❤️

[@charlotteplaisant7965]

What a lovely video! So happy you enjoyed my city

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you! It is such a lovely city! I really loved visiting it 😊

[@Andy-4342]

If I remember correctly, the reason for the statue throwing the hand is the legend that in the past a giant used to charge a toll from ships that would dock at the city and if the sailors did not pay the toll the giant would cut off their hands, until one day Silvius Brabo docked with his ship and refused to pay the toll. He fought the giant and won, cutting off the giants hands and throwing them in to the river Scheldt. This is why the hand being thrown on the statue is so much larger than Silvius's hand. There is also a statue depicting the giant outside Het Steen. Thanks for the video!

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you for this! I was wondering what the statue was outside Het Steen. That would have been a nice link. Thank you for your comment. I always love learning about History and legends. Happy new year by the way! 🎉

[@Andy-4342]

@@ANobodysHerstory Happy New Year! 🙂

[@flitsertheo]

The statue outside het Steen is not Brabo's giant but Lange Wapper : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lange_Wapper

[@XProductions92]

There is an urban legend which claims that the name "Antwerpen" (the dutch name of Antwerp) is a reference to this story. Accoarding to the legend, the name "Antwerpen" is derived from "Hand werpen" (Hand throwing). But in the Antwerp dialect, the H is mostly silent. So you say "And Werpen". At some point in history the spelling propably changed, which makes it: "Antwerpen". I know this is an urban legend and it propably isn't the true origin of the name "Antwerpen". I once heard that the actual the origin of the name comes from an old-dutch word which meant something like: "aan de werf" ("at the yard").

[@ANobodysHerstory]

@@XProductions92 I love all the different threads and legends of where the name came from. It makes the history so much more interesting and rich.

[@Sora_Digital]

So I mistakenly booked a hotel in Antwerp through my Hilton honors app. I was trying to book a hotel in Brussels that I had originally booked back in 2020, but had to cancel because of the pandemic. I did a pay now, now refund or cancelation option. I didn't know anything about Antwerp, and it was only for a night as we were passing through from Amsterdam to Paris. Best mistake I've made! Absolutely loved this city and I wish we had spent more time here!

[@ANobodysHerstory]

I feel Antwerp is so underrated! I only went for the day and I wish I had more time there it was so nice!

[@istoppedcaring6209]

yeah that's what people often say, and the thing is that Antwerp is one of about three great Flemish cities in that respect, Ghent is arguably more fun and Bruges better looking, Ghent has also been crowned erasmus city of the year

[@ANobodysHerstory]

@@istoppedcaring6209 they’re the next two places on my list to visit! I e been told they’re beautiful!

[@roelantverhoeven371]

the old brussels dialect used to be similar to Antwerp, brussels was the capital of the duchy of Brabant, where antwerp also belonged to... but nowadays french is spoken more in Brussels. brussels is it's own region in Belgium, surrounded by the dutch speaking flemish region.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

I hope I did Antwerp justice 😅 again love that you’re leaving more knowledge and history in the comments. Thank you

[@Foxglove963]

Brussels dialect cannot have been identical with the dialect spoken at ANTWERPEN. You got the name of the city wrong, it's ANTWERPEN. Got it?

[@Dutchbelg3]

Antwerp(en) is much better than Brussels! (Maybe it has something to do with me being one of it's citizens ;-) ). Any one planning to visit our city can contact me and I will give you an extensive tour of the city with many more hidden unique places. And the tour will be free 🙂 I love all cultures and love to talk with people from all over the world 🙂

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you for offers this! The best way to get to know a city of through being shown by a local! ☺️

[@flitsertheo]

Don't forget to mention that you consider the rest of Belgium as Antwerp's parking space.

[@walterverbeeck6929]

@ 2:30 This was the palace of Napoleon Bonaparte, now it is the property of the Flemish region.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you for your insight 😊

[@OMAMIMR]

Antwepen Erg mooi

[@johnnyrenders1620]

The intro? You are somebody and uniqeu. Thanks for the Nice video, with ❤ from Antwerpen.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it ☺️ wishing you a very happy new year! ❤️🎉

[@johnnyrenders1620]

@@ANobodysHerstory thanks and idem, wish you the best for 2023 🍀💚🇧🇪

[@roelantverhoeven371]

under the rule of the dutch is not the right way to put it, that period only lasted a mere 15 years, but in many ways Belgians and Dutch are related culturally, so the language, the windmills, the bicycles, the clogs and the traditional wooden boats with leeboards are both a Dutch and a Belgian thing ;) politically the low countries split up in the 16th century, the south remained catholic, the north was mostly protestant. by now there exists a noticeable difference in culture. Belgians are more reserved, conservative and less outspoken. people from antwerp are the "most dutch" of all Belgians tho. but that doesn't necessarily mean we want to be part of the Netherlands.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you for your knowledge! Sometimes it’s hard to explain all the history in a short video. I tried to put it in quick simple terms but I love that you’re sharing your knowledge in the comments. Any more opportunities to learn about more history please do continue to comment 😊

[@flitsertheo]

"most Dutch" is not exactly a compliment. But totally true.

[@Edodod]

I disagreed on the last sentence. There are a lot of Flemings who would love to reunite with the Netherlands.

[@Foxglove963]

You are another fool! The Low Countries did NOT split up in the 16th century. At that period both were UNITED in the succesful confederation of the Republic of the Seventeen United Provinces. (1581-1795). When Holland and Flanders were again in union, in 1830 a small elite of staunch Catholics broke away from Holland, they did not ask the people's opinion. If we were united our voice in European Parliament would be much stronger! But you don't want that, do you, silly boy.

[@lalsinghshekhawatshekhawat5273]

I appreciate your excellent presentation. Very nice vlog. Kind regards..... From..... INDIA.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@goldfishcrackalackin3172]

Hi, love your video! I was wondering what month did you go?

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Hi, thank you for watching ☺️ we visisted at the end of October.

[@Mempavrai]

its a great city but people here are disrespectful. please be careful especially around the train stations. the people are VICIOUS. (i live there)

[@Foxglove963]

Keep away from psycho's with rotten morals.

[@MrHitoro]

Antwerp is a really nice city. Try Ghent next.

[@Foxglove963]

The true name of that city is GENT. Got it?

[@MrHitoro]

@@Foxglove963 ja, in het nederlands is het Gent. Maar in het Engels is het Ghent.

[@istoppedcaring6209]

the antwerp trainstation was not a dutch construction, after all the Dutch period only lasted 15 years (not that I wouldn't prefere it to Belgium right now but still the Dutch had little to do with that) the Dutch royal house did found the university of Ghent, and after the "revolution" that university was initially francified, which is a blight on our history that should be adressed.

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Thank you for your corrections and knowledge! I’m always willing to learn more 😊

[@Foxglove963]

You are some fool! Holland and Flanders were united in the highly succesful confederation of the of the independent Republic of the Seventeen United Provinces (1581-1795) of the Low Countries. This union, the Golden Age of the Low Countries, was symbolised on maps by a lion and included land which was subsequently annexed by France. The humanists referred to the confederation as Belgica Foederata. The union was only broken by the invasion of the French armies, when the Batavian Republic was instituted, a vassal state of France.

[@Foxglove963]

The real name of the city is ANTWERPEN. Placenames and toponyms harbour the identity of the land and it's people. ANTWERPEN evolved at the WERF where the river SCHELDE deposited muck. This ancient werf (warf) jutted forward in the river but it was removed in the 19th century. The real name of the city is ANTWERPEN.

[@nadinestrachan5845]

AntwerpeN

[@wellbatangan3565]

Do we need to buy train tickets ahead of time if we are from Brussels to Antwerp?

[@ANobodysHerstory]

Hey thanks for watching! Trains are very regular from Brussels to Antwerp so you can buy them on the day. We bought ours the night before from one of the ticket machines then got on the train in the morning 😊

[@beren1969]

There's a train every 40 minutes or so. No you don't have to buy them in advance. But you should book a hotel in Antwerp, Brussels you can do in a day.

[@MrHitoro]

Same price walking up as booking in advance. Weekend tickets (travelling after 7pm Friday - Sunday or public holidays) are 50% normal price.

[@istoppedcaring6209]

the founding myth is not really why it is called antwerpen to be honest, it's something most people believe however

[@kayumust]

het beste ist stad en derest is parking ! ;)

[@dineshjain1702]

jain temple addres antverp city

[@emptybucket1988]

LOL i live there

[@darius524]

just nitpicking here but in flanders, we speak dutch not flemish, flemish is a general term for all of the dialects. its the same language spoken in the netherlands but with a softer accent. glad you enjoyed belgium tho but you did get scammed for those waffels

[@ANobodysHerstory]

So Flemish isn’t actually a language? Thank you. I’m always interested in learning more! I knew the area we were in the waffles would be a lot more expensive but they were still enjoyed so not all bad! 😂

[@darius524]

@@ANobodysHerstory yes, flemish isn't a language, its dialect, and since flanders has so many different dialects, (virtually every village had their own dialect) people just referred to theses dialects as flemish even though most of modern day flanders wasn't part of historic flanders but they still spoke dutch and dialects of dutch, many walloons and other people from outside belgium just say the language spoken in flanders is flemish but nearly no one actually speaks dialect anymore except for maybe some old people. an exception to this is probably Brussels which had a dialect called brusselian dialect which was basically dutch with french and spanish words in it due to the spanish occupation . brussels in fact used to be majority dutch speaking (around 95% until the frenchification of brussels when it became mostly french speaking even though I am hearing more and more dutch in brussels) also if you are interested in visiting belgium again, do visit brugge and ghent or ieper(brugge, ghent, ieper and antwerpen used to be the richest and biggest cities in all of europe in different times so they are all beautiful cities to visit). Brussels is cool but a lot of the historic parts have been destroyed due to hap hazard urban planning of the 60s to 80s because of a lazy and stupid government. just look up 'Brusselization' tldr of that is building random sky scrapers in the middle of the city, south tower is a really good example or destroying historic neighborhoods to build the north quarter with lots of skyscrapers

[@ANobodysHerstory]

@@darius524 ahh thank you so much. I feel silly for thinking that was the case now 😅 thank you for your insight! Oh I definitely want to visit Brussels again. I’ve been told that Bruges and Ghent are beautiful. That’s such a shame about Brussels. I live in an area of London which has had the same thing happen. All the beautiful Victorian buildings were replaced with ugly 60s ones which has made the area look really run down in some parts.

[@darius524]

@@ANobodysHerstory thank god the city of brussels has realised its mistake (sort of...) and have stopped destroying beautiful pieces of art. they are still building absolute massive structures that don't belong where they where built. But at least it hasn't spread to other cities like mechelen or leuven which are also very beautiful and close to brussels. Leuven in fact has one of the best universities in all of europe and is very well ranked in the world. Ieper is also very nice and is technically not a city but you might consider it as well it as one. Its very cool city to visit as it was the main battlefield of WW1

[@ANobodysHerstory]

@@darius524 I love history so my bucket list is to visit the trenches. I definitely will have to visit Belgium again. There’s so much still to discover!