Antwerp Central Railway Station in Belgium is often referred to as the “Railway Cathedral” and has previously been named as the most beautiful train station in the world.
It only takes three hours to get there from the UK and it’s definitely worth the trip, according to travel experts.
In 2014 writer Dennis Green put Antwerp Station at the top of his ranking of the world’s most beautiful stations.
Writing about it he said: “Its beauty is so unique, experts have difficulty assigning it an architectural style.”
The station has also been featured in Conde Nast Traveller’s list of the 36 most beautiful train stations in the world and more recently in Euronews’ roundup of Europe’s most stunning railway hubs.
And, in good news for British tourists, getting there is very straightforward.
Anyone who wishes to visit can take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels and change trains to Antwerp. The entire journey takes about three hours.
Opened in 1905, Antwerp Central Station truly is a masterpiece of design. Belgian architect Louis Delacenserie created an eclectic mix of styles, drawing inspiration from the Pantheon in Rome.
The station’s steel and glass canopy, designed by Clément Van Bogaert, spans 66 metres and rises 44 metres high.
Inside, the station boasts marble floors, stained glass windows, beautiful columns and a huge dome that floods the space with natural light. However, the station has much more to it other than its beauty. It is also an important transport hub.
It connects Antwerp to big cities like Amsterdam, Paris and Marseille.
In the early 2000s, it underwent a huge expansion, adding two underground levels to double its capacity and improve train flow.
Visitors often describe the station as a blend of art and history.
One traveller on TripAdvisor called it “a masterpiece,” while another said: “This is such a beautiful train station that is worth visiting just for its architecture.”
