Dutch-speaking Antwerp is a port and provincial capital in Flanders, one of Belgium’s three regions. By the mid-16th century, it had become the second-largest European city north of the Alps, surpassed only by Paris. Antwerp is famous for having been the home of Peter Paul Rubens, and the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady contains four major works by the painter. Today, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, reopened after an 11-year renovation, has a magnificent collection of old masters, including paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Titian. Every summer, the Bollekesfeest is a showcase for regional products including beer, locally made liqueurs and pickled herring. Famous as a global hub of the diamond trade, it is also one of Europe’s best shopping destinations, thanks to the influence of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ avant-garde fashion designers.