Last week we visited Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. Today's visit is to the rest of the country. We will start at Antwerp, in northern Belgium, and move clockwise.
Antwerp was once possibly the busiest port in the world. It was a center of international trade in commodities such as sugar and spices. It is today a center of oil refining, with crude oil that has been brought in by ship. Belgium split away from the Netherlands, in 1830, because it wanted to remain Catholic. There are statues of Mary on many street corners in Antwerp.The following scenes begin in the Grote Markt, or Main Square of Antwerp. The replica castle, built in the Nineteenth Century, is called Het Steen. The stone buildings with peaked roofs were guild houses.
There are multiple scenes following. To see the scenes, after the first one, you must first click the up arrow ^, before you can move on to the next scene by clicking the right or forward arrow, >, After clicking the up arrow, you can then hide the previews of successive scenes, if you wish.
This is more of central Antwerp.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2105201,4.3979813,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2jFvYV6Ga8QbMK1Vigj9Dw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Antwerp is the focal point of the global diamond trade. Here is it's "Diamond District".
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2148378,4.4187457,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEwr3HFIKS53Agbsf36zcBg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
This is a newer residential area of Antwerp.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.1822378,4.3764927,3a,60y,72.2h,96.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ss6bOXOLE2g4eYE3XFHDEWA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
In the eastern part of Belgium is the city of Liege. It is a former industrial city that, like Antwerp, dates from medieval times. There was a parallel movement to the French Revolution in Belgium that destroyed the old Cathedral of St. Lambert in Liege. The Prince Bishop Palace, next to it, is still there today.
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.6461712,5.5723117,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBaB9gMFyGgawj6KAps2HoQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Here is more of the central area of Liege.
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.6402901,5.5849867,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbHHEFUU77OhXE-ovSC2ABg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
This is an "everyday" part of Liege.
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.6318747,5.5399132,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3Os3ddCKnwAxdlsgeV2IJg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
In the southern part of Belgium is the city of Charleroi. This was once an important industrial city that originally began with a Spanish fort. Remember that Belgium is split between French and Dutch speakers and this is why Antwerp, in the northern part of the country, is a Dutch name while Liege and Charleroi are French names.
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.4118454,4.4448146,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0lF7AOki-LhbBzyoj25wEw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Continuing to move clockwise around Belgium, we next come to the magnificently-preserved early medieval city of Ghent. This was a city that historically produced a lot of cloth and wool, but with Belgian independence in 1830, lost it's direct access to the sea.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.0554299,3.7213748,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAR_J3XhF4-d4IYXVCzFYkA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Another famous medieval city is that of Bruges.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2048378,3.2239039,3a,75y,241.11h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMzWWF6Sd3oT85wYtbMuuCZ1SBC4-p2NyAQQc3k!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMzWWF6Sd3oT85wYtbMuuCZ1SBC4-p2NyAQQc3k%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya144.62471-ro0-fo100!7i9728!8i4864
Finally we come to Ostende, on the coast. This was also a medieval city that is popular for it's beach.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2320744,2.9185958,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZPaewSEp7KiAg03NBIocRQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
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