Discover the city of Antwerp on the E-Bike

Antwerp is a city that certainly appeals to the imagination. You will experience Flemish geniality, a vibrant city life and a rich history, including in the beautiful old center that is also called the Manhattan of the sixteenth century. This route introduces you to all that, but also to the port of Antwerp! It's a long trip that lends itself to those with time and, if the legs aren't that trained, an E-bike.

From the starting point you drive through the old center towards the Scheldt. A route on which you drive past the city park and beautiful monumental buildings. You are short of eyes to take everything in properly. On the banks of the Scheldt you can see Het Steen, among other things. Originally, this castle, which has been renovated several times, 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 the Lange Wapper, who also appears in the stories of Suske en Wiske, at the entrance to Het Steen.

You may not immediately think of cycling when you think of the port of Antwerp, but more and more enthusiasts are traversing this area on their steel steed. They enjoy the varied view of the port company, the Scheldt, but also of the small-scale nature areas that this port surprisingly accommodates. Just below Kallo you drive through a newly created nature reserve that is characterized by open water, reed marshes and grasslands. Many water birds and reed birds live here.

In the Scheldt harbor there are still a few former fortresses that served as protection against the Spaniards, such as the sixteenth-century Fort Lillo. Within the walls is a small, cozy residential area. Places of interest are the Polder Museum, St. Benedict's Church and the barracks. Fort Liefkenshoek is located on the other side of the Scheldt. From Lillo you take the ferry to the village of Doel.

Near Beveren you will also pass an 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 in white sandstone in the style of the Flemish Renaissance. The doghouse was restored a few years ago. Because it is a monument, the same stones had to be used as the hutch is made of: rare Papen stones from the Rupel region. In the end, the restoration cost 10,000 euros, which led to some commotion in Flanders.