Discover the city of Antwerp on an E-Bike

Antwerp is a city that undoubtedly appeals to the imagination. You will experience Flemish friendliness, a vibrant city life and a rich history, including in the beautiful old centre that is also called the Manhattan of the sixteenth century. This route will introduce you to all of that, but also to the port of Antwerp! It is a long trip that lends itself to people with time and, if the legs are not so trained, an E-bike.

From the starting point you drive through the old city centre towards the Scheldt. A route on which you drive past the city park and beautiful monumental buildings. You will not have enough eyes to take it all in. On the banks of the Scheldt you will see, among other things, Het Steen. This castle, which has been renovated several times, originally dates from 1225, making it the oldest preserved building in Antwerp. According to tradition, the giants Druon Antigoon and Lange Wapper once lived in Het Steen. Since 1963, there has been a statue of Lange Wapper, who also appears in the stories of Suske and Wiske, at the entrance to Het Steen.

When you think of the port of Antwerp, you might not immediately think of cycling, but more and more enthusiasts are crossing this area on their steel horses. They enjoy the varied view of the port company, the Scheldt, but also of the small-scale nature reserves that this port surprisingly houses. For example, just below Kallo you cycle through a newly created nature reserve that is characterised by open water, reed marshes and grasslands. Many water birds and reed birds live here.

In the Scheldehaven there are still a few former forts that served as protection against the Spanish, such as the sixteenth-century Fort Lillo. Within the ramparts lies a small, cozy residential area. Places of interest are the Polder Museum, the Sint-Benedictus Church and the barracks. On the other side of the Scheldt lies Fort Liefkenshoek. From Lillo you take the ferry to the village of Doel.

Near Beveren you will pass another interesting historical sight: Cortewalle Castle. This moated castle dates from the fifteenth century and is one of the oldest in the region. The castle is built of white sandstone in the style of the Flemish Renaissance. A few years ago, the dog kennel was restored. Because it is a monument, the same stones had to be used as the kennel is made of: rare papensteentjes from the Rupel region. In the end, the restoration cost 10,000 euros, which caused some commotion in Flanders.