Saint Anne's Place

Sint-Annastrand is a bit of a walk, but along the way there are numerous benches to enjoy the magnificent view of the Antwerp skyline. The city wants to create a 6-kilometer green walking boulevard here. Behind the marina, we pass the famous mill.

“It was part of the recreational park that was established here from the 1930s. During that time, Sint-Anneke Plaasj was created. The ice cream parlor The Plage was the final stop of a little train, the Sint-Anna Express, that took people from the tunnel to the Plaasj. The city wanted to commercially operate the Plaasj and the highest bidder, Emiel Draps, secured the concession.”

“From then on, visitors had to pay for access, just like the guests who came to camp. Later, Draps built holiday cottages, shops, and restaurants, turning it into a real village. A park with a railway, swimming pool, carousel, magic river, and so on was also established. When his concession expired in 1959, the man left without a trace. All the holiday cottages were expropriated and demolished in the 1960s and 70s.”

GVA - Gazet van Antwerpen