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stands near the Cathedral, in Groenplaats. The Fritkot Max has been serving excellent chips, cooked as only Belgians can cook them, since 1862, still in the traditional cardboard cone. You can take them upstairs to eat, in a little room doubling as museum and art gallery, looking out over the Groenplaats. Of course, you'll admire the artwork all of it devoted to the chip!

If you like visiting more conventional museums and art galleries, and you're not in a group, Friday is the day to come. Admission to many municipal galleries is free on that day. On other days, you can buy a museum pass, which gives entry to three for the price of two.

Of the many on offer, the choice is difficult. I'd recommend these. Rubens' House is still preserved as the famous painter would have known it, with many contemporary works on show. The Plantin-Moretus Museum, once home and place of business of a dynasty of publishers, has old books, maps and printing presses on display and the National Maritime Museum in the Steen (castle) houses a fascinating collection of model ships and other maritime memorabilia.

We can't leave Antwerp without visiting the diamond district, a small area around the Central Railway Station, where diamonds have been cut, polished and traded since the Middle Ages.

The Provincial Diamond Museum recently re-opened its doors after relocation to Koningin Astridplein, near the station. Here, ultra-modern interactive technology tells the story of the diamond, while cutters and polishers can be seen at work.

This should not be confused with Diamondland, a few minutes' walk away. Although diamond craftsmen can also be seen at work here, it's primarily a showroom, whose aim is to sell you diamonds, rather than tell you about them.

But, if you want to take diamonds home, but can't afford any you can buy, instead, another Antwerp chocolate speciality. Chocolate diamonds! They're delicious!

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