The city boasts many excellent museums and historic monuments, as well as a fast-paced nightlife, fine shopping districts, and a booming commercial center. Antwerp is the home of outstanding art museums, which offer the lovers of art a comprehensive survey of masterpieces, from the Old Flemish Masters to the contemporary avant-garde. Rubens s home, now open to the public, also holds a superb permanent collection. In addition to these indoor galleries, Antwerp itself is a museum of sculpture and architecture. Historic but not sleepy, Antwerp is renowned for its nightlife and entertainment.
All interesting spots are within easy walking distance.
Dozens of student pubs, clubs and disco s, the largest movie complex in the world, the Royal Ballet, the Opera and the Philharmonic Orchestra, and all pop, rock and jazz concerts can be enjoyed at a reasonable student price. As a working city Antwerp ranks high because of its port, number two in Europe and one of the biggest in the world. Of great importance is the 15 miles stretch of the river Scheldt between Antwerp and the Dutch border where the polders give way to a vast complex of petro-chemical industries and port facilities. The volume of the Antwerp diamond trade is by far the largest in the world. Students fascinated with this industry may want to visit the diamond museum or a diamond finishing plant.