MSC Leni, is a container ship which has a capacity of 23,756 standard containers. Even though Antwerp was not initially on the route of the container, due to navigation services, the container ship had to make a stop.

According to the officials, this is the largest container ship to have been anchored at the port of Antwerp. MSC Leni arrived at the port on Sunday evening.

The port’s previous record was anchoring MSC Isabella, a container ship with a hundred less containers than Leni. MSC Isabella stacks no fewer than 24 rows of containers on its deck. The ship can transport 23,656 containers.

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Octave, becomes the first restaurant in Antwerp to offer dishes with chocolate as the main ingredient.

With their​ joie de vivre, Executive Chef, Thomas Van de Weyer and Master Chocolatier Patrick Aubrion delight customers with Belgian dishes and desserts with a twist. Thomas combines flavours in a way no one else can. Patrick worked closely with Pierre Marcolini for 14 years.

They offer both sweet and salty dishes, based on cocoa.

 

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Octave offers pure Belgian cuisine that combines classic flavours with contemporary influences. Enjoy it all in an intimate setting. For more info check link in bio #octaveantwerp #restaurant #belgiancuisine #setting #dining #wineanddine

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However, you can find classics on their menu as well. All Octave dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients and seasonal products. They offer a lunch menu in the afternoons and guests can enjoy a comprehensive menu in a delightful setting for dinner. Octave also serves delectable desserts throughout the day, prepared in their own Bean to Bar studio.

The Story behind Octave

Octaaf Callebaut was born in a family of beer brewers. However, he didn’t really know what to do with his life. Brewing beer just wasn’t his thing. In the end, his father entrusted him with the eighth production line of the family company, adding: “Just figure out for yourself what you want to do with it.” In the back of the factory, Octaaf silently started to experiment with cocoa beans, sugar and milk.

In 1911, the smell of Octaaf’s first chocolate creations started to overtake the beer scent that used to dominate in the family company. Driven by curiosity, the factory’s workers come to have a look. “What’s that syrupy substance?”, one of them asks. He’s the first one to taste the chocolate straight from the pot. Other colleagues follow his example, and they are all enchanted by the velvety, sweet taste. News of the birth of the delicious chocolate spread fast.

Encouraged by his wife Juliette, Octaaf goes looking for new tastes, techniques and products. The flavours he creates keep on enchanting everyone. The eighth line becomes world famous and turns into the global chocolate empire it is today. Today, the brewery is no more, but Wieze now has the biggest chocolate factory in the world.

As Octaaf was a Belgian taste pioneer, taste is exactly what restaurant Octave is all about.

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2018 looks set to be a record year for the Port of Antwerp for the sixth time in a row, with growth in all types of cargo and a recent wave of investments. This confirms the port’s attraction and further establishes its position as a world-class player that is also home to the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe. Crucially it also assures the continuity of the port’s role as the main engine of the Belgian economy. In 2019 the Port Authority will keep to the same course, further building a sustainable future for the port. In pursuit of this goal it is concentrating heavily on structural solutions to challenges such as mobility, the energy transition, digitisation and innovation.

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1. Michaelina, Baroque’s leading lady

The “Michaelina” exhibition showcases the exceptional talent of an artist who rose to fame at a time when women artists were very rare. We know very little about her life (1604-1689) but the art she created is simply phenomenal. She excelled because of her talent, her guts and her versatility.

The MAS welcomes Baroque’s Leading Lady from 1 June.

2. Experience traps

A forest that smells like an energy drink. A gigantic bouncy castle and special open-air performances. That is what you get if you ask contemporary artists to work with the ideas behind the Baroque landscape. Experience Traps is an exhibition that will confuse, trick and surprise you.

From 1 June at the Middelheim Museum.

3. Sanguine

Sanguine | Bloedrood is one of the biggest exhibitions during the cultural city-wide festival “Antwerp Baroque 2018”. With this exhibition in the M HKA, the curator Luc Tuymans hopes to create a dialogue between the old Baroque masters and contemporary artists. He has chosen to contrast masterpieces by Caravaggio, van Dyck and Rubens with classic works by contemporary artists such as Edward Kienholz and Michaël Borremans.

From 1 June at M HKA.

4. Rubens’ return

There can be no doubts about the fact that Peter Paul Rubens was Antwerp’s greatest Baroque painter. He was already famous during his lifetime. Rubens was a brilliant artist, who managed a large workshop, designed his own home and who travelled around Europe as a diplomat. The collection of the Rubens House will be enriched with a number of art historical masterpieces.

Definitely a good opportunity to (re-)discover the Rubens House.

5. Nude by Paul Kooiker 

Paul Kooiker’s work is about looking, about voyeurism and distance. About the world that creeps into a photographer’s studio and how the photographer steps out into the world, with an open mind and gaze, in response to this. The exhibition Untitled (Nude) is an alternative retrospective of Kooiker’s work, raising questions about his position as a photographer, the spectator and his own gaze.

From 29 June at FOMU

6. Jan Fabre

Jan Fabre has created three new altarpieces for the AMUZ early music centre, in the former Church of St. Augustine. He has followed the same brief that Rubens, Jordaens and van Dyck received in 1628 for his commission. The works of these artists are now part of the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. Fabre’s work will fill the empty walls again.

From 3 July at AMUZ

7. Baroque Murals

4 artists, 4 styles, 4 Baroque motifs, 4 murals. The graffiti artist Yvon Tordoir and his fellow artists, Astro from Paris, Smug from Glasgow and El Mac from Los Angeles, will be giving four Antwerp walls a modern yet Baroque make-over.

The works are on display from early June onwards in Antwerp’s city centre.

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You find all of this within walking distance in a city that is at the same time hip and historical, cool and classic, trendy and traditional. In addition, you can naturally enjoy the numerous restaurants, cafes, museums, tourist sights and hidden spots. However, what if you are not so familiar with Antwerp?

Why should you then choose for a shopping trip in Antwerp?

1. Wearable and affordable

Paulien Riemis is the face behind POLIENNE, a personal style journal with a focus on everyday outfits, interior inspiration and travel stories. Paulien lives in the heart of Antwerp for many years now and likes shopping for things wearable and affordable. She describes her style as comfortable, feminine and a touch of tomboy.
Shopping for her outfits? She shares her favourite addresses in Antwerp!

2. Vintage shops and underdogs

Monica Ho is the blogger behind Monica Harmony. Monica has a big love for fashion, but chiefly for Belgian designers, vintage and underdogs. She gets her inspiration from street style. In addition to the established Belgian designers, you also find in Antwerp shops selling unique collections, shops of young designers, concept stores and vintage stores.
Tips from an insider, don’t miss it.

3. Ten hot spots of Lars Tibben

Lars Tibben is the owner of The Urbanites, an on-line platform about fashion, hot spots and travel. He is a city tripper to the core. This time he travelled to Antwerp and gladly shares his favourite hot spots. It is a mixture of hip eatery joints and cool shops. Lars tries to avoid the main street in cities and only dives into the side streets.

4. 100% Belgian

What began in the 1980’s with the Antwerp Six is now grown into a very impressive, significant fashion capital. A number of Belgian designers who enjoy international fame are established in Antwerp. Antwerp has a choice of various districts that one by one are not only characteristic, but also here and there are stashed away hidden pearls, all of which you can reach on foot.

5. Book your agenda

From Monday 30 April until 6 May, you can shop designer pieces at low prices during the semi-annual inventory sales. You can find all names and locations here. True fashion fanatics book their agendas for 1 and 2 June. The annual year-end fashion show of the Fashion Academy takes place then. Spot the talent of today and the stars of tomorrow.
Ticket sales begin at the end of April.

Good to know:

• Website

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As a woman, would you feel more comfortable taught driving by another woman? Although that question may not seem so obvious to men, Samira Masrour designed such a driving school.

It was initially started some years ago in the Netherlands under the name « As-Salamoe àlaykoem« , and offered lessons where only women instructors would teach.

Marour’s aims are to build another business in Antwerp (Merksem) after she has received dozens of phone calls to ask for this type of school in Belgium.

Such a success might seem surprising, but Masrour pointed out a few simple reasons. “The women often feel uncomfortable when they are driving next to a man”, she told Het Laatste Nieuws.

According to her, men are more brutal while driving, and the women who were taught by women are better drivers than those who learnt with men.

Setting up this type of driving school in Belgium, however, could be considered sensitive as many people could find it discriminatory or religiously-based. That’s what Ben Weyts, the Flemish minister for mobility, stated when asked to comment on the potential initiative. “This is ridiculous”, he said. “I suspect it relies on certain beliefs that aim to separate men and women”, he added. Mr Weyts also aims to bar Masrous from starting her initiative in Flanders.

Masrous denied such accusations. « There is absolutely no way it relies either on culture or religion, » she said. The issue would rather be about ways of teaching and she is keen to welcome all the women who are up to learn how to drive. She also explained that her initiative would meet market demand. “We have nothing against the men. They will always be welcomed, to ask information on behalf of an aunt, a sister or a friend.” Masrour concluded.

But for now, future drivers in Belgium should watch out for a potential all woman driving school in Belgium.

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Antwerpen Proeft is a yearly food festival that sees all the culinary delights of Belgium and abroad come to the city to broadcast their best. This is the 13th edition of the festival, and they’ve built up quite a reputation since.

This year, they are in collaboration with four top restaurant owners, including Carcasse by Dierendonck, Divin by Sepi, Bistro Vintage Singé, Nuance and a surprise chef, and Luc Hoornaert – who will cook up limited edition dishes every day with ‘Suggestion of the day by Luc Hoornaert‘.

And aside from the featured owners, all food cooked here is the creations of local and international top restaurants and young talents. With them all serving their signature dishes for a fraction of the current restaurant price.

These chefs will be present at the near 100 places for you to sample from, in both indoor, and outdoor terraces and stands (where 10 food trucks are there to fill your plate). And Duvel Moortgat Brewery is merging together The Butchers’s Son and Black Smoke to create a perfect match between tasty beers and creative dishes.

And should all this dynamic culinary chefs interest you with their dishes, then you can join in, as there are plenty of free cooking demonstrations and workshops that give you the chance for tasting, seeing and experiencing.

The festival takes place from Thursday to Sunday during the long Ascension weekend, giving you a full three days off to catch it at the Waagnatie on het Eilandje. So foodies, cuisiniers or just plain hungry folk, join in on one of Antwerp’s biggest food events of the year.

Good to know:

• Day ticket €8, a combi ticket (valid all days) €14, both including welcome drinks.
• Dishes in tasting form are offered by local and international top restaurants and young talents for €5 or €7.5
• Rijnkaai 150, 2000, Antwerp
• 10/5/2018 – 13/5/2018

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1. Antwerp Baroque 2018

This year Antwerp is paying tribute to its most famous inhabitant, Peter Paul Rubens, with the “Antwerp Baroque 2018” cultural city festival. Seven museums are hosting Rubens-relating exhibitions and there are also several new city tours. The programme includes events with renowned artists such as Jan Fabre and Luc Tuymans, as well as street art, concerts and theatre.

Antwerp Baroque 2018 kicks off on June 1st.

2. DIVA, Antwerp home of diamonds

For over 500 years, Antwerp has been the capital of the world diamond trade. Given its position at the forefront of the diamond industry, the time was ripe for a new diamond museum. But DIVA has so much more in store for visitors. Here you can discover why diamonds are so special, in a dazzling combination of original objects, craftsmanship and history.

Opening weekend: 5 and 6 May 2018.

3. Opening Snijders & Rockox House

The Snijders&Rockox House will open to the public on 24 February. Rockox and Snijders both played a pivotal role in Antwerp during the Baroque, leaving their mark on the city’s cultural and social life.

The first exhibition to be organised in Snijders&Rockox House is Cokeryen in the framework of Antwerp Baroque 2018.

4. Experience world-class road caring in Antwerp

The Tour of Flanders is one of the most important annual cycling races in the world, along with Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France. Flanders’ most beautiful race will start in Antwerp for the second year running, giving the public a great opportunity to see some of the world’s best riders prepare for this event.

A new cycling plan will be launched on the occasion of this cycling festival, during the weekend of 31 March and 1 April, named the architecture route.

5. Antwerpen Proeft

If you like to chow down on some good food or enjoy a few drinks, then don’t miss Antwerpen Proeft! Michelin-starred chefs, some of the country’s best restaurants and food trucks will all develop a signature dish for Antwerpen Proeft. Free cooking demos and culinary workshops will only add to the experience.

From 10 until 13 May at Waagnatie in the Eilandje.

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