Berchem () is a southern
district of the
municipality and city of
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, in the
Flemish Region of
Belgium. Berchem is located along the old ''Grote Steenweg'' (
Dutch for 'Big Paved Road') that has connected
Brussels to Antwerp for several centuries; the town borders the districts of
Deurne,
Borgerhout
Borgerhout () is the smallest district of Antwerp, Belgium. , the district houses 45,769 inhabitants on 3,93 km².
It was an independent municipality until January 1983. The postal area code for Borgerhout is 2140. Geography
Borgerhout is divide ...
,
Wilrijk and
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, and the municipality of
Mortsel. Berchem itself consists of three
quarters, ''Oud Berchem'', ''Groenenhoek'' and ''Nieuw Kwartier''.
The
'Ring', Antwerp's circular motorway which follows the track of the former city defense walls, cuts Berchem in two parts, separating the urban inner city area of Oud-Berchem (''intra muros'') from the more residential and suburban areas Groenenhoek, Pulhof and Nieuw Kwartier (''extra muros'').
Political structure
After the decentralization of Antwerp in 2000, Berchem became a semi-independent district with its own legislative body, the so-called
Districtsraad (''District Council''), and its own executive college. The District Council includes 25 members, directly elected for six-year terms by popular vote. The executive college comprises five
Aldermen (''Districts
schepenen''), including a District Mayor (''Districtsburgemeester''), who are installed by the District Council.
Points of interest
The
Zurenborg area hosts a high concentration of
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
and other
fin-de-siècle style townhouses, many built between 1894 and 1906. The main streets of interest are ''Cogels-Osylei'', ''Transvaalstraat'', and ''Waterloostraat''. After the area was slated for demolition in the 1960s, to be replaced with a business and office complex, demolition was prevented when the area got monumental status in the 1980s. In recent years, the area has become an attraction for architecture-minded visitors.
The ''Driekoningenstraat - Statiestraat'' is the main shopping and commercial area of Berchem. Though suffering competition from suburban shopping centers, the retail highstreet still has an interesting mix of Belgian, local, and international convenience and non-food stores. The highstreet has recently been refurbished, giving more space to pedestrians.
The Groenenhoek is home to the
Flemish Tram and Bus Museum
The Flemish Tram and Bus Museum (Dutch: Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum, abbreviated as VlaTAM) is a museum of public transport that exhibits historical trams and buses. The museum is situated in the Berchem district of Antwerp, in the former tram s ...
.
Transport
The railway station of
Antwerpen-Berchem, located within the district, is the second largest station in the city of Antwerp. With a few exceptions, such as the
Thalys high-speed train, almost all trains stopping in Antwerp have a stop at Antwerpen-Berchem station. The district of Berchem is also served by the
Antwerp tram
The Antwerp tramway network ( nl, het Antwerpse tramnet) is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Antwerp, a city in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The network is operated by the Flemish region's transportation com ...
routes 4,7,9,11 and 15, and numerous bus lines, which connect Berchem with the bordering districts and communities, and are operated by the
Flemish transport company
De Lijn.
the Taiwanese airline
EVA Air provides shuttle bus services to and from
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport ( nl, Luchthaven Schiphol, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province ...
from Berchem, (near Antwerp-Berchem bus station); that way Belgium-based customers may use its flights to and from Amsterdam. The service is co-operated with Reizen Lauwers NV.
Between Belgium and Amsterdam Airport
" EVA Air. Retrieved on February 29, 2016.
Sports
The local football team is Koninklijk Berchem Sport.
Notable people
See the :People from Berchem.
References
External links
Berchem District Official WebpageGreater Antwerp Official Webpage
{{Coord, 51, 11, N, 04, 25, E, region:BE_type:city_source:frwiki, display=title
Districts of Antwerp
Populated places in Antwerp Province