Trip Planner: Royal Antwerp
Royal Antwerp Golf Club 2950 Kapellen, Belgium. Architects: Willie Park Jr., 1912; Tom Simpson, 1930. Yardage: 6,716. Par: 73. Greens Fee: $100. Contact: 011-32/3666-8456, ragc.be.
Staying A charming option is the Hotel Rubens-Grote Markt (rooms from $195; Oude Beurs 29; 011-32/3222-4848, hotelrubensantwerp.be), which has a private garden and is two blocks from Grote Markt, Antwerp's sixteenth-century restaurant- and café-lined square. A breakfast buffet, included in the price of a room, is served on a patio.
Dining An intimate eatery housed in a dwelling that dates back to the 1600s, Restaurant Aurelia (Wijngaardstraat 22; 011-32/3233-6259) serves fine continental cuisine.
Other Attractions More than three-quarters of the world's raw diamonds and half of its cut diamonds are traded in Antwerp. There are fifteen hundred brokers and merchants in the Diamond Quarter, near the Central Station, and the gems are said to be a genuine bargain here. If you'd rather learn about the city's diamond trade rather than purchase a precious stone, visit the Diamond Museum Province of Antwerp (011-32/3202-4890, diamantmuseum.be). The museum is open Thursday through Tuesday and presents diamond-cutting exhibitions. The Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, or Royal Museum of Fine Arts (011-32/3238-7809, kmska.be), holds what may be the world's greatest collection of works by Flemish masters, including frescoes and other pieces by Rubens. For the architecturally inclined, Grote Markt is impressive. Its landmarks include Stadhuis, the city hall built from 1561 to 1565 in "new" Flemish style, and Vleeshuis, or Butcher's Hall, an imposing Gothic guild house. Guided tours are available.
Comments (0)
Open / Close