Hello,
a business trip to Antwerp gave me to possibility to do some train spotting.
Antwerpen Centraal
The architecture of Antwerpen Centraal station is pretty impressive.
On the outside it reminds everybody of the golden age of rail
On the inside, it combines grand architecture with modern elements into a great piece of art. For me, It is the most beautiful station I have ever been to so far.
The station has four Level: Three levels (-2, -1 and +1) have tracks for trains, the third level consists of shops and boutiques (As Antwerp is the diamond capital several jeweller's are located in the station next to grocery store and food stands. But who know many travellers may run a situation where they need a jeweller, when they check their luggage: Ticket? Check. Book and newspaper? Check. Jewels? Sh.... Happy shopping
).
Vista from level +1 onto the concourse. The tracks in the middle belong to level -2. Only this level has through tracks, tracks on the other two level terminate here.
View from Level 0. The tracks on the left and on the right belong to level -1. Coming up the escalator give a panoramic view of the front of station hall. The bright whit spot is the station clock.
I pretty much liked level -1. The blue lighting along the walls, gave it a great vibe.
The passage to station hall was the favorite of most photographers
The other side of the passage in daylight...
...and at night
Back to level -2: A view from the overpass
The Thalys trains to Paris and Amsterdam stop alongside
Special service for Thalys customers: Indicators for the different coaches where spread along the platform
Cross view from one side of level +1 to the other
View into the hall over the buffer
Tram (Metro)
For my tours around town, I used the Tram a lot. The underground stations are a constant reminder of Antwerps plans for a real Metro network: To this day, they are still called "Premetrostation ...". Trams using the tunnel, was only meant as a temporary fix until the whole metro system was in place. In Germany we have a saying: Nothing is more durable than a temporary fix.
Using the tram was pretty easy. The ticket mschine was multilingual and clear signage helped to navigate within the station.
The rolling stock consistets of two type: The PCC stock has vintage vibe. A train above ground the "Luchtbal" station:
and under ground at "Meir":
Newer, low-floor stock at "Meir"
Metro from above: View from the overpass the "Meir" station.
No frills design, but does the trick: The destination board shows where the next trams of each line are at the moment.
Most underground station had down to earth design. The Sportpalais" station with its location themed artwork was an exception.
Trivia
At the end, some non-rail sightseeing impressions. Downtown Antwerp offers some great architecture. Mansions of merchants give an impression of the cities wealth.
I went to the see the Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal). The cathedral had an exhibition of paintings that were donated by different guilds over the centuries. Among these were paintings by Peter Paul Rubens.
My first impression: Credibly bright. Usually these churches are pretty dark. View along the nave:
As you would expect in a church dedicated to Our Lady: A grand altar in honour of Maria.
My personal favorite: the stained glass windows.
Thats it for today folks. I hope you enjoyed this report. I am looking forward to your feedback
Charly
a business trip to Antwerp gave me to possibility to do some train spotting.
Antwerpen Centraal
The architecture of Antwerpen Centraal station is pretty impressive.
On the outside it reminds everybody of the golden age of rail
On the inside, it combines grand architecture with modern elements into a great piece of art. For me, It is the most beautiful station I have ever been to so far.
The station has four Level: Three levels (-2, -1 and +1) have tracks for trains, the third level consists of shops and boutiques (As Antwerp is the diamond capital several jeweller's are located in the station next to grocery store and food stands. But who know many travellers may run a situation where they need a jeweller, when they check their luggage: Ticket? Check. Book and newspaper? Check. Jewels? Sh.... Happy shopping
).Vista from level +1 onto the concourse. The tracks in the middle belong to level -2. Only this level has through tracks, tracks on the other two level terminate here.
View from Level 0. The tracks on the left and on the right belong to level -1. Coming up the escalator give a panoramic view of the front of station hall. The bright whit spot is the station clock.
I pretty much liked level -1. The blue lighting along the walls, gave it a great vibe.
The passage to station hall was the favorite of most photographers
The other side of the passage in daylight...
...and at night
Back to level -2: A view from the overpass
The Thalys trains to Paris and Amsterdam stop alongside
Special service for Thalys customers: Indicators for the different coaches where spread along the platform
Cross view from one side of level +1 to the other
View into the hall over the buffer
Tram (Metro)
For my tours around town, I used the Tram a lot. The underground stations are a constant reminder of Antwerps plans for a real Metro network: To this day, they are still called "Premetrostation ...". Trams using the tunnel, was only meant as a temporary fix until the whole metro system was in place. In Germany we have a saying: Nothing is more durable than a temporary fix
.Using the tram was pretty easy. The ticket mschine was multilingual and clear signage helped to navigate within the station.
The rolling stock consistets of two type: The PCC stock has vintage vibe. A train above ground the "Luchtbal" station:
and under ground at "Meir":
Newer, low-floor stock at "Meir"
Metro from above: View from the overpass the "Meir" station.
No frills design, but does the trick: The destination board shows where the next trams of each line are at the moment.
Most underground station had down to earth design. The Sportpalais" station with its location themed artwork was an exception.
Trivia
At the end, some non-rail sightseeing impressions. Downtown Antwerp offers some great architecture. Mansions of merchants give an impression of the cities wealth.
I went to the see the Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal). The cathedral had an exhibition of paintings that were donated by different guilds over the centuries. Among these were paintings by Peter Paul Rubens.
My first impression: Credibly bright. Usually these churches are pretty dark. View along the nave:
As you would expect in a church dedicated to Our Lady: A grand altar in honour of Maria.
My personal favorite: the stained glass windows.
Thats it for today folks. I hope you enjoyed this report. I am looking forward to your feedback
Charly