Mr & Mrs Smith pick of the week is today an unusual design hotel in Florence.

Continentale

With its sleek minimalist design, the Continentale is the very antithesis of the classic Florentine Room with a View-style pensiones, and it’s a huge hit with those searching for a contemporary vibe. It almost sits right on the famous Ponte Vecchio, and is within a few minutes’ walk from, well, everywhere. The sleek receptionists are clad in black suits; black and white fashion photographs line the walls; classic European films run on a loop on a giant plasma screen in the foyer.

Room rates

€310–€1,050 (this excludes ten per cent tax but usually includes breakfast; check when booking).

When you are wandering through Antwerp you’ll notice that there is wide variety of architecture and styles. You can find old and authentic houses next to the most modern structure imaginable. But… there is one neighbourhood and especially one street where almost all old houses are in their original form or restored in the original form.

On a beautiful day it is interesting to walk from the train station in Berchem (outer city) towards the Draakplaats, a square with several restuarants and café’s. The development of this neighbourhood coincided with the peak of Art Nouveau popularity and has some other influences as Gothic Revival, Neo-Renaissance, Greek Revival, Neoclassical, and the “cottage style” that coincided with British Tudorbethan architecture…

Anyway… despite all this culturally loaded architectural info… it’s just a nice walk with great bombastic houses from another era Wander around in the nearbystreets as well… and take your time to absorb the details of these magnificent buildings. Even I still find new things every time I pass there . And you can end with a nice breakfast or lunch at café Wattman.

By Niko Caignie from SpottedByLocals.com/antwerp
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