Antwerp

Tibbalds’ annual study tour this year visited the Belgian city of Antwerp. One of the world’s biggest and most important ports, a centre of the diamond trade and former European City of Culture, the city offers a combination of well preserved buildings and spaces covering a 500 year period and a tale of changing fashions and trends as the place developed through time. It is a fine example of how a city can reinvigorate and thrive, coping with the demands from new and existing businesses and residents, an expanding economy and an increasing numbers of visitors.