Antwerp

Antwerp (Antwerpen in Dutch) is the name of a city, a district and a province in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium.

The city and municipality of Antwerp is a centre of commerce in Belgium and the capital of Antwerp province. Antwerp has long been an important city in the nations of the Benelux both economically and culturally. It is on the right bank of the river Scheldt which is linked to the North Sea by the Westerschelde. Antwerp’s port, which is one of the world’s largest, has a high level of cargo shipping and oil refineries traffic, and in Europe, only Rotterdam’s port is larger. Families of the large Hasidic Jewish community have traditionally controlled Antwerp’s global centre of the diamond trading industry.

In the 16th century Antwerp was noted for the wealth of its citizens (“Antwerpia nummis”); the houses of these wealthy merchants and manufacturers have been preserved throughout the city. However fire has destroyed several old buildings and the city also suffered considerable war damage by V-bombs.

According to folklore, and as celebrated by the statue in front of the town hall, the city got its name from a legend involving a mythical giant called Antigoon that lived near the river Scheldt, exacting a toll from those crossing the river. On refusal, the giant severed one of their hands and threw them into the Scheldt. Eventually, the giant was slain by a young hero named Brabo, who cut off the giant’s hand and threw it into the river. Hence the name Antwerpen from Dutch hand werpen (=hand-throwing). (source: wikipedia)

Simply put, the greatest city on earth!