Why go
The old rui and vliet names explain why narrow central streets do not follow a simple grid. Follow these names toward the Scheldt and the Vleeshuis to picture barges moving goods between moored ships and the growing town, with canals also marking its defensive boundary.
The full story
By the twelfth century, Antwerp's trade had outgrown the small fortified wharf. Canals were cut around the settlement so barges could carry cargo between the Scheldt and the expanding town. A rui was an inner canal; waterways connecting to the river were known as vlieten. Tides shaped how they worked, and muddy banks made unloading difficult, prompting the building of jetties and firmer quays. The canals also formed a defensive boundary, but growth soon crossed it. Further waterways were dug as northern and southern districts developed. Street names still offer the easiest clues: rui and vliet recall water, while brug points to a crossing. Around the Vleeshuis and the former cattle-market area, these names also connect transport to everyday commerce. Most of the canals are no longer open at street level, so the useful exercise is to trace their former routes through the city rather than expect to see a continuous medieval waterway.