Grand Place

Grand Place

Introduction: The Grand Place in the center of Antwerp is surrounded by many Flemish-style buildings. Many of these structures were rebuilt after a fire in 1561, and some of their ground floors have now been converted into restaurants and cafés. The Town Hall in the center of the square was built in 1961 and is a Renaissance-style building.

The statue in the middle of the Brabo Fountain represents the origin of the name Antwerp (which comes from the Dutch word “handwerpen,” meaning “to throw away a hand”). Legend has it that in ancient times there was a giant who extorted high tolls from passing ships, and those who refused or could not pay had their hands cut off and thrown into the river. Later, the young hero Brabo defeated the giant and dealt with him in kind — he cut off the giant’s hand and threw it into the river, restoring the free flow of the Scheldt River.

Antwerp, Belgium