A group of friends and I recently took a wonderful stroll through Antwerp’s historic center. Although we all thought we knew “our city” well, our enthusiastic guide, Annick, quickly shared fascinating details and major facts about Antwerp that were completely new to us. We ended up falling even more in love with our city and its history! When the tour concluded, we were so captivated that we immediately booked a second one to learn more about our beautiful city. To be continued!

The European Nickel Institute held a fantastic team-building day right here in Antwerp!

After a city tour, we all headed to dinner, and everyone was clearly delighted. For most of the team, who hadn’t been to Antwerp before, the tour was a brilliant way to get acquainted with the city. We all thought the presentation was not only incredibly knowledgeable but also delivered with a lot of passion and enthusiasm. The guide did an excellent job of keeping everyone engaged throughout.

We’ll definitely be doing this again! Antwerp has so many other interesting spots waiting to be explored.

On a beautiful, sunny day, we hired a guide to tour us through our own city. Annick customized a tour called “Art in the Public Space” specifically for our group, focusing on female artists. We walked through areas we know very well, yet Annick drew our attention to art we had never noticed before! Annick is an engaging storyteller who knows all the lovely spots in Antwerp and excels at entertaining a group of art enthusiasts. In short: Highly recommended!

Conclusion: An absolute must-do!

On Sunday, September 30th, a group of about 12 friends and I were expertly guided through Antwerp’s Zurenborg district. Annick from Antwerp Guides met us at Draakplaats and immediately set off along the majestic Cogels-Osy Lei. She explained that the wealthy Cogels and Osy families inherited the land of the Zurenborg farm, which got its name from the waterlogged, “sour” (zure) soil it was built upon.

Our guide told us how these families established the Société Anonyme pour la Construction de Maisons Bourgeoises (Public Limited Company for the Construction of Bourgeois Houses) in 1886. The initial plan to create an industrial park was quickly abandoned in favor of building rental homes for affluent, Catholic citizens. Annick pointed out the unique ‘unity in diversity’ of these prestigious buildings, designed by various architects. We frequently stopped to admire the architectural variety, which ranged from Neoclassicism and Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) to many eclectic mixed forms.

The tour wasn’t limited to the famous Cogels-Osy Lei; we explored the entire neighborhood. At every turn, we were surprised by the enormous, playful variation in style concepts, yet Zurenborg still ensures an cohesive, eclectic overall feel. Our guide strongly highlighted the pivotal role of Louis Luyckx, the project’s ‘accountant,’ who brought this unique development to life for the happy few of the Belle Époque.

Crucially, we were not overwhelmed with the names of architects or construction details. Instead, we were encouraged to focus on what interested us personally and ask for explanations on those specific aspects.

We organized a workshop with Werk met Zin for a company that has units across Flanders. To help our team relax a bit during the lunch break, Antwerp Guides provided us with a tour of the multi-cultural neighborhood. It was a great opportunity to stretch our legs! The guide was very enthusiastic, and we will certainly organize this again in the future.