Point of interest
Antwerp Central Station
in Antwerp, Belgium
Often called one of the world's most beautiful train stations, a monumental early-20th-century cathedral of glass, stone and gilded detail.
Where it is
Antwerp Central Station stands on the Koningin Astridplein, about a kilometre east of the old town, on the edge of the Diamond District and next to the zoo.
Address: 10-16 Pelikaanstraat, 2018 Antwerp
What it is
Thanks to its lavish architecture the station is often ranked among the most beautiful in the world and nicknamed the 'railway cathedral'. Even a brief stop is worthwhile to admire the dome, the marble staircases and the four stacked platform levels.
History
The monumental terminus was built between 1895 and 1905 to designs by Louis Delacenserie, with a stone reception hall and an imposing glass-and-steel train shed. A major modernisation in the early 2000s added several underground levels for through traffic.