Grote Markt Antwerp Walking Tour - Admire Beautiful Architecture at the City's Famous Square

The Grote Markt of Antwerp or the city's Great Market is a relatively small square compared to similar public spaces in other major cities. Still, it's blessed with an abundance of architectural highlights.

Antwerp City Hall, a Renaissance-style structure built in the 16th century, is the square's main attraction. It's accompanied by several magnificent guildhouses which are typical in Flanders.

The tall tower is that of the nearby Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady, one of the most impressive churches I've ever come across.

The center of the square is decorated with the "Brabo Fountain," a late 19th-century sculpture representing the legend of a giant who threw cut-off hands of captains who refused to pay toll in the nearby Scheldt River.

He suffered the same fate when Roman general Brabo cut off the giant's hand and threw it away. The sculpture represents this moment.

Fun fact: This is probably (there are other theories as well) how Antwerp got its name because "Antwerpen" resembles "Hand Werpen" in Dutch which means "Throwing hand."

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