Underneath Antwerp in the underground is the old canal system that made Antwerp look like Amsterdam. We took a tour below here to learn the history. As you walk through the system you can see the original bridges. As we walked it is as if we were boats on a canal moving through the city.
We put on a protective coverall with wellies on our feet as we would be walking through storm water run off in some low areas.
There were others down there with us. Rats which we only saw one and spiders. These are only females as they eat the makes after mating. They are much like a small tarantula. The temperature usually stays around 15 degrees Celsius.
In the middle ages the city of Antwerp was founded in low lands and closer to water, namely the Scheldt river. Canals were created and used for trade, defense, and removing waste. As the population grew, more canals were added, but the stench and disease became a problem.
The city council solved this problem by wanting people to build over the canals. Whoever covers the canal in front of their buildings owns that portion of land. You can see many restaurants with extended outdoor seating far off the sidewalk.
Underneath in the old canals were constructed a sewer system of pipes. As we walked along we heard the history of used of the water in the canals, excess dumping if human waste as the population grew and how disease caused a change in policy. I wonder what else they could have done as the prettiest part of Amsterdam is the canals.
This is a sluice gate where water could be stopped. Before adding the pipes, water would be stopped through multiple gates. At low tide, the bottom hate would open, letting water and waste it, then the next one further up would be opened, washing waste out and do on up through the ruein.
There is still water through these underground canals as storm water run off comes through here as well.
This spot has a church above it and there is a passageway that leads to a closet in the back. This allowed church members to flee through these passageways if needed. It is also rumoured that priests would use the passageways to visit prostitutes.
Here are some informational posters at the end though they are all in Dutch.
It was quite interesting.