Wilrijk

Wilrijk (former, original spelling: Wilrijck) is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Belgian province of Antwerp. Wilrijk had been a separate municipality before January 1, 1983; the enlarged municipality of Antwerp was decentralized in 2000 and Wilrijk became one of the city's nine districts.

This suburb is also known as the Goat village, because of its Goat parade. Every five years this parade attracts a lot of tourists. The next one will be held on Sunday, September 20th of 2015.

Overview

Although it is now part of the city of Antwerp, Wilrijk has kept its own distinct atmosphere. A mixture of modern and older neighbourhoods, this suburb has a good balance between residencial, commercial and industrial activities. Its facilities for sport and recreation in a green environment make it a desirable area in which to live. This area was already inhabited in 600 BC. This has been shown by the excavation of a Celtic burial site in Wilrijk, which is the oldest sign of civilization yet discovered in the region around Antwerp.