Practical Information

UIA workshop ‘How can cities play a role in the challenge of the integration of migrants and refugees?’

and EUROCITIES Working group Migration and Integration Antwerp 2019, June 12 – 14

CURANT is co-financed by the European Regional and Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative.

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Content table

Travel to Antwerp ______3 By plane ______3 By bus ______3 By car ______3

Chapter 2: Your accommodation in Antwerp ______4

Chapter 3: Getting around in Antwerp ______5 On foot ______5 Public transport ______5

Chapter 4: Event venues ______5 Day 1 – Wednesday June 12 ______5 Day 2 – Thursday June 13 ______6 Day 3 – Friday June 14 ______7

City map ______8

Map of tram and metro network ______9

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Travel to Antwerp

By plane Brussels Airport Zaventem (BRU) is 40 km south of Antwerp and has an excellent train connection to the Antwerp city centre.

To travel between the airport and Antwerp city centre:  By train NMBS Belgian Railways operates trains to/from the -1 level of the airport. Trains connect directly with the Antwerp public transport system (see next chapter) and run approximately every 30 minutes between 5:30 AM and 11:30 PM. www.belgiantrain.be/en

 By bus/Taxi Buses and taxis can be found at the 0 level of the airport.Buses run every hour between 3 AM and 1 AM, operated by www.airportexpress.be and. Tariff: 10 euro (adults). Your stop: Koningin Astridplein. To reserve in advance is not possible and not necessary.

Regular taxis can be found in front of the arrival hall. Tariff: around 78 euro.

Antwerp International Airport (ANR) is a small local airport, located only 30 minutes by public transport away from the Antwerp city centre.

To travel between the airport and Antwerp city centre:  Public transport Buses 51, 52 and 53 depart from bus stop ‘Deurne Luchthavenlei’. This stop is just 100 meters from the entrance of Antwerp Airport. Buses depart every 15 minutes to the train station Antwerp- Berchem. Depending on the location of your hotel (see next chapter) you can travel further to the Antwerp city centre by bus or by tram. All information on Antwerp public transport can be found at www.delijn.be/.

By train Antwerp is really easy to get to by train. National and international trains such as Thalys, TGV, ICE or Inter-City, stop at Antwerp Central Station and/or Antwerp-Berchem. www.belgiantrain.be/en

By bus You can easily get to Antwerp by bus with one of many city links. Book a ticket with one of the many bus companies.

By car Are you planning to travel to Antwerp by car? Antwerp’s city centre is a low emission zone. That means that not all vehicles may enter the centre, depending on their age and emissions. Register your car before entering Antwerp and check whether you may enter the zone. Also keep in mind that Antwerp’s Ring road is very busy. Several major road works and construction projects are planned in the city until 2022, which will cause substantial traffic nuisance. In the city centre, finding parking space is difficult. See next chapters for the nearest parking garage to the hotel or event locations.

Check the website of Slim naar Antwerpen for all information about how to get to Antwerp and about smart alternatives to travel into the city.

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Chapter 2: Your accommodation in Antwerp

We have reserved rooms in one of these 4 hotels where you can book a room easily through this link https://secure.cubilis.eu/group/antwerpconventionbureau?package=2159.

 Banks Hotel: Steenhouwersvest 55, 2000 Antwerpen. Directions to the Banks can be found here. Parking Cammerpoorte is at 140 meters from the hotel. Tarif: 2,50 euro/hour – 20 euro/24 hours.

 TRYP by Windham Antwerp Hotel: Plantin en Moretuslei 136, 2018 Antwerpen. You walk 10 minutes from Antwerp Central Station as well as from Antwerp-Berchem. Public transport is also very accessible, look for directions here. Private underground parking is possible on site at a rate of 20 euro/24 hours. Paid parking is also available at Parking Centraal: Van Immerseelstraat 2, 2018 Antwerpen. Tarif: 2,80 euro/hour – 20 euro/24 hours.

 Hotel O Kathedral: Handschoenmarkt 3, 2000 Antwerpen. Only a 15 minute walk or a 10 minute ride with public transport from Antwerp Central Station. Check the location and your route on their website: https://hotelokathedral.com/en/location/ .

 Hotel Postiljon: Blauwmoezelstraat 6, 2000 Antwerpen. Follow the same directions as for Hotel O Kathedral.

The last two hotels are located in a car-free zone. If you come by car, you enter the address of the parking of your choice. Hotel O Kathedral is surrounded by 3 large underground car parks. All of them are in a radius of up to 200 meters.

. Parking Grote Markt: Ernest Van Dijckkaai 3, 2000 Antwerpen. Tarif: 2,90 euro/hour – 20,40 euro/24 hours. . Parking Groenplaats: Groenplaats 1, 2000 Antwerpen. Tarif: 2,40 euro/hour – 17,50 euro/24 hours. . Parking Brabo: Kammenstraat 2, 2000 Antwerpen. Tarif: 2,70 euro/hour – 19 euro/24 hours.

All hotels provide information on the many historical sights, museums, bars, restaurants and shopping streets. Check their website or ask reception. Or go to VISIT ANTWERP.

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Chapter 3: Getting around in Antwerp

On foot Almost every historical sight, museum or conference venue is in walking distance from your accommodation. Ask for a map at your hotel reception and discover Antwerp by foot.

Public transport Look for the most preferable route, check the timetable and book a daypass. Tickets are also for sale on the tram/metro/bus, but often more expensive. https://www.delijn.be/en/?vertaling=true

Like most major cities in Europe Antwerp has an easy-to-use biking-system in and around the city center. Move fast throughout Antwerp and her surrounding districts with the bikes from Velo Antwerpen. With a day pass, week pass or year card you can make short rides between the different Velo-stations. Read all about it on this website.

Chapter 4: Event venues

Day 1 – Wednesday June 12

Venue: KAVA Congres Centrum, Consciencestraat 41, 2018 Antwerpen (see cityplan on page 9 for exact location)

How to get there?  From Hotel O Kathedral, Hotel Postiljon and Banks Hotel: Walk to the underground metro station at Groenplaats (5’) and take - tram 2 in the direction of Hoboken, or - tram 15 in the direction of P+R Boechout,

and get off at the stop ‘Lange Leemstraat (Belgiëlei)’. From there you cross Belgiëlei. You see a pharmacy at the left corner and a supermarket at the right corner. Continue your walk to Lange Leemstraat in the direction of the Sint-Vincentius hospital and take the first street to your right. This is Consciencestraat.

 From The TRYP by Windham: It is easy to walk to the congress centre, it takes you about 20 minutes. Ask for a map at the reception of the hotel and follow the route that starts at Plantin en Moretuslei and passes through Van Den Nestlei – Belgiëlei – Charlottalei – Consciencestraat. Public transport will also take you there but it will take more time and you have to make a grand detour. In that case you’re better off asking for a taxi at reception.

 If you arrive by car you can park for free on site in the underground parking.

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Day 2 – Thursday June 13

Venue: Morning Site visit BREM16, Lange Bremstraat 120, 2170 Merksem Afternoon Bouckenborgh Cultural Center, Bredabaan 555, 2170 Antwerpen Evening 11de Gebod, Torfbrug 10, 2000 Antwerpen

How to get there?  From Hotel O Kathedral, Hotel Postiljon and Banks Hotel: Walk to the underground metro station at Groenplaats (5’) and take any tram that has a stop at “Diamant Metro Station”. Leave the metro station in the direction of “Koningin Astridplein” or “Zoo van Antwerpen”.

 From The TRYP by Windham: make your way to Antwerp Central Station and Koningin Astridplein, then follow the instructions above.

 By car: . site BREM16: free parking behind the apartment building at the end of the street. . Bouckenborgh Cultural Centre: free parking next to the buildings from Shurgard at Oude Bareellei 7.

You can go directly to the site visit at BREM 16 (expected arrival 9 am). If you go directly, you can take tram 2 or 3 from Astrid Metro (before the Radisson Blue hotel) in the direction of P+ R Merksem and get off at Merksem Ringlaan. From there you walk 1 km (total: 35 minutes). Please use your direction maps on your mobile phone.

Or you can meet a guide from the city of Antwerp at the entrance of the Antwerp ZOO. We leave to the site visit location at 8.30 am. You do not need a tram ticket, we provide this. Please be on time.

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After the site visit with lunch, a bus will take you up to the next venue : Bouckenborgh Cultural Centre. If you are not staying for the afternoon (EUROCITIES Working group), we provide a bus to take you back to Antwerp Central Station.

If you can’t make it to the site visit, you can go directly to Bouckenborg Cultural Centre. Take the same tram as for the site visit and get off at ‘Merksem Oudebareel’ and follow the driveway to the castle (total: 20 minutes).

Your dinner buffet will be served at restaurant “Elfde Gebod”. This restaurant is in walking distance from Hotel O Kathedral, Hotel Postiljon and Banks Hotel. If you are staying at The TRYP by Windham you can take the tram to ‘Groenplaats’ in the direction of P+R Melsele or P+R Linkeroever. The restaurant is located at Torfbrug, just around the corner of the cathedral. If you arrive by car you can park at Parking Groenplaats, tarif: 2,40 euro/hour.

Day 3 – Friday June 14

 Venue: Atlas, Carnotstraat 110, 2060 Antwerpen (see city plan on page 9 for exact location)

How to get there?  From Hotel O Kathedral, Hotel Postiljon and Banks Hotel: Walk to the underground metro station at Groenplaats (5’) and take - tram 3 in the direction of P+R Merksem or - tram 5 in the direction of Wijnegem and get off at the stop ‘Astrid Metro Station’. Leave the metro station in the direction of ‘Gemeentestraat’.

From there you can either: - walk  with your back to Antwerp Central Station you start walking to the right – cross over to Medina Burger on the corner. This corner is the beginning of Carnotstraat. Keep walking on the same side and in the same direction. In about 10 minutes you will reach your destination. - take tram 24  in front of the exit of the metro station you see another stop called ‘Antwerpen Centraal Station perron 2’. Take tram 24 in the direction of Silsburg and get off at the stop ‘Kerkstraat’. Then walk back and cross Provinciestraat to reach Carnotstraat and Atlas.

! Note: you can also take tram 24 at ‘Melkmarkt’, a street within walking distance of the Hotel O Kathedral and the Hotel Postiljon.

 From The TRYP by Windham: make your way to Antwerp Central Station and Koningin Astridplein, then follow the instructions above (10’ walk or tram 24).

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City map

 Central Station  Venue KAVA  Venue Atlas  Venue Elfde Gebod

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Map of tram and metro network

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