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Belgium's second city,
ANTWERP
, fans out from the east bank of the Scheldt about 50km north of Brussels. Many people prefer it to the capital: though not an immediately likeable place, it has a denser concentration of things to see, not least some fine churches and distinguished museums - reminders of its auspicious past as centre of a wide trading empire. It also has a more focused character: in recent years, the city has become the effective capital of Flemish Belgium, a lively cultural centre with a spirited nightlife. On the surface it's not a wealthy city - the area around the docks especially is run-down and seedy - but its diamond industry (centred behind the dusty facades around Centraal Station) is the world's largest. On a less contemporary note, there is also the enormous legacy of Rubens, some of whose finest works adorn Antwerp's galleries and churches.
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