Antwerp

The wider city is a business city, focused around the port and the diamond trade. The diamond district is neither flashy (except the glitter of jewelry off course) nor pretty - it seems purely functional.

The old town however is very pretty, with a lot of grand architecture, small alleys and off course cobbled streets. Most of the old buildings have been adapted for modern commerce and usage, with seemingly minimal changes. Even if you discount the churches, there are a lot of buildings to see in a stroll around the old town.

Getting around is easy (excellent public transport, and it is small enough to explore by walking around), people are friendly and most seem to speak English. It is the Flemish part of Belgium, so my little Afrikaans helped with reading text in Dutch, though understanding either Flemish or Dutch was a lot more difficult.

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