Place Grote-Marct

Grote Markt is the main square of Antwerp and at the same time its main attraction. Almost all important events in the history of the city took place here. The square is also often called the pearl of architecture of the XVI century.

In the middle of the square there is a fountain with a statue of the Roman warrior Sylvius Brabon. A valiant hero holds the severed hand of the evil giant Antigonus, who robbed merchant ships on the Scheldt.

The architectural dominant of the square is the building of the town hall, erected in the XVI century. Its lush appearance bizarrely combines Flemish Gothic and Italian Renaissance. The north side of the square is occupied by richly decorated guild houses, but the strongest impression is made by the huge seven-nave Gothic Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, which was built over almost 200 years - from 1352 to 1521.