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Spend half a day in Zurenborg, the Belle Epoque area in Antwerp. Zurenborg was developed in the last decades of the 19th century and has a wide variety of architecture, including significant art nouveau in the facades. Dageraadplaats - square nicely refurbished recently - is the heart of the area with many nice restaurants and cafe's providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cogels Osylei is the most prestigious street in the area with houses built for the bourgeosie.
Good place to start is Dageraadplaats (tram 11 stops here) with its many terraces and cafe's.
From Dageraadplaats, go west to Oostenstraat where the nicely decorated railway talus draws attention. Art deco synagogue designed by Jules Hofman in Oostenstraat. In Oostenstraat walk southbound through Grote Hondstraat to Draakplaats-Tramplaats. Several nice facades on the way. Tramplein - Draakplaats with old railway bridge, nice 19th century buildings and some good cafe's and terraces.
Continue in the Cogels Osylei, prestiguous 19th century street with nice eclectic houses, many with art nouveau elements. Special are nr 48 De Roos (Rose) and nr 50 De Zonnebloem (Sun flower) - designed by architect Jules Hofman with nice 'Horta'-style balconies. Nr 80 Quinten Matsys resembles a famous art nouveau house in Brussels, and nr 44 Iris has nice elements in its facade. Also special is the white ensemble considting of 4 blocks of houses in the central section of the street. Several other blocks are interesting, including 45-51 designed by Jos Bascourt. When walking in the area, be aware of the very fast driving city buses, which do not contribute to the safety of pedestrians and the protection of the area and environment.
At end Cogels Osylei (station side) turn right Guldenvliestraat and again right Waterloostraat. Several nice art nouveau facades in Waterloostraat (parallel to Cogels Osylei), including De Tijd (Time)0, Les Mouettes, Four Seasons and Napoleon. At end Waterloostraat, turn right Transvaalstraat back to Tramplaats-Draakplaats. Several nice late 19th century facades with art nouveau, cottage style, and greek classical influences. Tramplaats: good place to end the exploration of Zurenborg in one of the cafe's in the area. Tram 11 stops on the square.
Updated Sep 23, 2009
Address: Dageraadplaats - Tramplein - Cogels Osylei
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Look at the curls the iron of the balcony makes, it is totally integrated in the front of the house as it disapears in the mouth of the fishes, or does it comes out of it? difficult to say.
The fishes emerge out of the front and form the sidewall so the balcony that is decorated with that wonderful mozaik painting at the top.
Updated Mar 22, 2005
When you enter the Cogels Osylei, leaving the Berchem Station at your back, then this house at your left hand site at the beginnig of the street is one of the most remarkable buildings you will see here.
That is especially for this very peculiar balcony
Written Sep 22, 2002
A special attention you have to give to the way the doors and windows are made.
This is still the area of Zurenborg at Antwerp.
One thing is sometimes frustrating and that is when the view on the beautiful fronts or doors are blocked by parked cars!
I tried to avoid as much as possible to have one on the picture, but sometimes it is really inevitable.
Written Sep 22, 2002
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At a crossroad of a sidestreet of the Cogels Osylei you will find four almost the same corner houses.
Each of them has a mosaik of a season on it.
This is Winter.
If you noticed: the other seasons were all women, and this is a man!
Updated Sep 22, 2002
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Another famous house is Les Muguets and you probably will notice why it deserves this name.
Art Nouveau has a weakness for flowers and the decorations in Antwerp are all mozaik, while in Brussels it is most often done with coloured chalk, one colour on top of the other and whiped off partly.
Written Sep 22, 2002
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One of the best known houses are the ones at the rotonde in the middle of the Cogels Osylei.
These are in fact all seperate appartments that looks like one big house.
This was a way for the middle class people to afford living in what seems to be a little castle.
Written Sep 22, 2002
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Not only the Art Nouveau buildings are worth seeing. There are so many other ones that really are eye catching.
I thought this house was a bit spooky!
Detail of the wooden sculptures.
Written Sep 22, 2002
Not only the Art Nouveau buildings are worth seeing. There are so many other ones that really are eye catching.
I thought this house was a bit spooky!
Written Sep 22, 2002
Helpfulness
Not only the Art Nouveau buildings are worth seeing. There are so many other ones that really are eye catching.
Written Sep 22, 2002
Reviews and photos of Zurenborg attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Zurenborg sightseeing.
Not only the Art Nouveau buildings are worth seeing. There are so many other ones that really are eye catching.
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At 5 minutes walk from the station Antwerpen Berchem you will find the area of Zurenborg. It is known for the remarkable streets with the different styles of buildings but especially for the Art...
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Exploring the most beautiful part of Antwerpen
Zurenborg is an Antwerp neighbourhood we didn't know so well. It needed to be explored on this sunny Sunday in November. The houses in this part of Antwerp are of the late 19th / early 20th century....
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