Antwerp Old Town and Diamond District

Antwerp's Grote Markt is ringed by guildhouses and the Renaissance City Hall, with the Brabo Fountain in the middle. A short walk away, the Cathedral of Our Lady holds altarpieces by Rubens, who lived and worked in the city.

Next to Antwerpen-Centraal, a domed railway station often called one of the most beautiful in the world, lies the Diamond District, where a large share of the world's rough diamonds is traded. Indian families, many of them from Gujarat, have been central to the trade for decades, and jewellery shops line the surrounding streets.

Antwerp is also a fashion city, with designer boutiques around the Meir, its main shopping street. It is about 45 minutes from Brussels by train. Indian vegetarian restaurants near the station are a welcome find for many of our travellers.