Overview:

Antwerp Central Station is the busiest railway station in Belgium with over 200,000 travellers per day. It is located in Antwerp, Belgium, close to the city center, and is a major international railway station for the country. Some of the services it provides include high-speed and intercity trains from the Thalys, Eurostar, and ICE systems, as well as local and regional train services. The station building, designed by the Belgian neo-renaissance architect Henri Viérin, was completed in 1905 and is considered one of the most beautiful railway stations in Europe. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Belgium
Prominent Features:

1. Grand Hall: The Grand Hall is one of the most iconic features of Antwerp Central Station. This incredible hall was designed by architect Jan A. Van Asperen in 1895, and it remains largely intact today. It features high ceilings, marble flooring, and gold accents. 2. North Passage: This stunning passage is lined with ornamental columns and two impressive clock towers at the far end. It is the longest passage of Antwerp Central Station, running along the entire north side. 3. Royal Waiting Room: The Royal Waiting Room was built in 1904 and is located on the first floor of the station. It is a grand room decorated with stunning Art Nouveau elements, including beautifully patterned walls and a parquet floor. 4. Platforms: Antwerp Central Station has sixteen platforms, allowing it to be one of Belgium’s busiest railway stations. It services multiple high-speed and regional lines, including an express connection to Brussels. 5. Artwork: Artwork abounds inside the station, much of it created by Ghent sculptor Georges Grard. He designed the ornamental statues of Winged Victory, Neptune, Science, Wagon before a locomotive, and Industry, among others. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Belgium.

History:

The Antwerp Central Station is one of the oldest and most iconic railway stations in Europe. It originally opened in 1837 as the Northern Terminus of the Netherlands Railway Company. The first station was a relatively simple structure, made mainly of wood in a neoclassical style. It was significantly expanded later in the 19th century and eventually rebuilt completely in its current French Renaissance style. The Antwerp Central Station officially opened in 1905, after plans from the architects Open Ligtenberg and J. Stuyfzand were rewarded with the job. One of the station’s most iconic features, the four-story domed waiting hall, was designed by Ligtenberg and was inspired by the Great Hall of the Paris Gare du Nord. In the 1980s, major renovation works were carried out on the station, which included the installation of a modern glass canopy to replace the old roof, and the building of a new, spacious departure hall on the west side. Today, the Antwerp Central Station stands as a magnificent illustration of historic Belgian architecture, and is one of the busiest railway stations in the country. The station currently serves about 92,000 visitors per day, and is served by local, regional, national and international trains operated by a range of rail companies. Visit one of the famous monuments of Belgium with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. Antwerp Central Station was built in 1905 and was the largest train station in the world at the time. 2. The station is built along the longest straight railway track in the world (6 kilometres long). 3. It is a terminus station: the endpoint of all trains arriving from and departing towards other Belgian cities and foreign countries. 4. Although the station is named ‘Central’, it is in fact located to the south of Antwerp in the Berchem district. 5. The building of the station was funded by private companies, banks and insurance companies who raised 260 million francs for the project. 6. The building is an example of Beaux Arts architecture, designed by Louis Delacenserie and was declared as a heritage site in 2017. 7. It is home to the world’s most beautiful railway station restaurant, Het Grote Ongeduld, which was built in 1908. 8. Each month, more than 35.000 travellers commute using the station. 9. The station is well known for the huge 4-faced clock installed in the main hall in the 1930s. 10. The station has several fish ponds which are used for the maintenance of frogs and local flora and fauna. One of the historical monuments of Belgium, it tells the story of a bygone era