Antwerp - Surroundings

Close to the Dutch border, but some 25km/16miles north of Antwerp near the small town of Kalmthout, the Kalmthoutser Heide nature reserve covers 732ha/1800 acres of dunes and heathland. Within the reserve Putse Moer is a breeding ground for gulls, woodcock, curlew and lapwing. Visitors must not stray from the marked footpaths.

South of Kalmthout there is a 10ha/25 acre arboretum with rare species of trees.

An indoor skiing facility with 3000 sq meters of real snow. Visitors can ski downhill, crosscountry, snowboard or ride a mountainbike around this unique environment.

This park, a popular recreation area for the people of Antwerp, is in Borgerhout, a district in the southern part of the suburb of Deurne.

The mansion belonging to Boekembergpark has been converted into a home for the elderly.

The park boasts an intriguing natural history museum complete with fossil and mineral collections, all housed in an artificial grotto.

The annual festival in Bonheiden brings together folk dancers from around the world for four days of celebrations in late August.

In the southwest corner of Rivierenhof park stands the Renaissance château Sterckshof, now the Provinciaal Museum voor Kunstambachten (Provincial Craft Museum). Among the items on display are furniture, silver- and glassware, costumes and the fittings from an old apothecary's shop.

The 87ha/215 acre Rivierenhof, a park in Deurne, possesses a large lake and open-air theater. It is also noteworthy for the great size of some of its trees.

Despite being situated in the shadow of a huge nuclear power station, Doel, on the west bank of the Scheldt opposite Lillo, still retains something of the character of a Zeeland polder village.

Protected from the Scheldt by a dike, Doel is the last community on the Belgian side of the border with Holland.

Old milling equipment can be seen in the windmill (1615) on the dike.

Box-edged beds, borders, tress and lawns are surrounded by a beech hedge in this compartmented garden.

This annual festival includes folk dance and music. The events take place in early to mid-August.

This is the site of the Max Planck 100 meter diameter radio telescope, the largest steerable radio telescope in the world since 1971 when it superseded Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope in England.

Public viewing of the telescope is possible.

A 10 ha. garden with over 6000 trees, shrubs and plants.

Soldiers from WW1 and WW2 are buried here.

A North American style theme park with roller coasters, rides, children's area and daily entertainment shows.

Every year in September, the "Parade of the Little Giants" is held, as it has been since 1712.

This park, a popular recreation area for the people of Antwerp, is in Borgerhout, a district in the southern part of the suburb of Deurne where, every year in September, the "Parade of the Little Giants" is held, as it has been since 1712.

Te Bolaerpark is planted with several rare species of tree and also has an arboretum.

The World Festival of Folklore takes place annually in July and includes folk music, dancing and traditional trades, as well as expositions.

Located to the east of Berchem's railroad station in Antwerp's southeast suburb of that name, the district known as Zurenborg is something of an architectural curiosity. Built around the turn of the century in a medley of Neo-Classical, Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles, it was designated a conservation area in 1970.

Cogels-Osylei with its splendid houses is the pick of several very attractive streets.