City trip to Antwerp – sights and travel tips

I failed in my attempt to reduce Antwerp to 25 pictures. With every image I hesitantly deleted, one of the thousand facets of Belgium’s largest city was lost. Antwerp has cosmopolitan format and that’s why I decided without further ado not to take your data volume into account and let the flood of images speak for itself. So, now I ask you to fasten your seat belt first and fly with me to Brussels.

The arrival in Flanders’ largest city resembles a brilliant overture. After an entertaining 30-minute train ride from Brussels Airport, we stand in amazement in the station hall of Antwerp. The magnificent building resembles a kind of cathedral rather than a transport hub and gives us the feeling of having arrived in an important metropolis. Not so untrue, because Antwerp is an important trading hub with one of the largest port facilities in Europe and is the centre of the diamond trade.

Arrive in Antwerp and feel good

The starting point for our discovery tour is the delightful Hotel Julien, which is hidden behind a shabby door. We almost just walked past it. But it is precisely this slight tendency towards understatement – let’s call it “relaxed coolness” – that is typical of the city. Antwerp is anything but strenuous or contrived, but wonderfully casual. The hotel would have wrapped me around my finger alone with the pretty courtyard, but the roof terrace with a view of the Cathedral of Our Lady put the icing on the cake.

Cosmopolitan city in a nutshell

Historic Centre, Eilandje, Schipperskwartier, Theatre District, Antwerp-Noord, Antwerp-Zuid… If you don’t know where to start because of all the colourful variety, you’ll find a decision-making aid in the fashion district. Just spin the wheel and you’ll be told where to go next. Unfortunately I don’t remember WHERE exactly we saw this great thing (somewhere near the National Straat), if you know, you’ll get a postcard from me :)!

Depending on what you want to see in a day, you can either rent a bike or explore the city on foot. You don’t even need a map for this, because the footpaths are perfectly signposted. We tried both and cycled across all parts of the city in half a day. Perfect for the first rough overview. However, with the many cobblestones and the narrow streets with tram tracks, it is not the ideal cycling city for me.

Historic Centre and Grote Markt Antwerp

We start our tour at the Grote Markt. Lined with beautifully restored guild houses and the mighty town hall in magnificent palazzo style, the square still represents the heart of the old town. Afterwards we stroll through the historic centre, pass the prettiest alley in Antwerp, the Vlaeykensgang, and end up on the Groenplaats in the midst of the noisy flea market hustle and bustle. Despite enough postcard motifs, Antwerp does not have an old town that has been “patched out”. Here and there, the plaster is crumbling, but that’s exactly why it looks so charmingly careless.

Eilandje, Schipperskwartier, Park Spoor Noord

To the north of the old town is the Schipperskwartier and the Eilandje. Where there used to be a lot of port activity, modern high-rise buildings are now being diligently erected and old port facilities are being repurposed. The architectural gem Museum aan de Strom MAS is unmissable. I also recommend a detour to the extensive park Spoor Noord, which forms the latest green oasis on a former freight yard site.

Diamonds, fashion, theatre and a colourful mix of
architecture

To the south and east of the historic centre, you’ll find everything from a wild mix of graffiti to chic streets in the Parisian Haussmann style. Equally adventurous is the colourful mishmash of architecture, where individual exotic objects stand out in particular. You certainly won’t get bored while walking in this area. A tip: if you are here by bike (as we were), then thanks to the lack of parking facilities, this has a preventive effect against a possible shopping frenzy due to the many inviting shop window displays.

Experience history

A visit to the museum was not actually planned. But when we stood in front of the Red Star Line Museum, which focuses on the history of emigration and the big dream of “America”, curiosity won out. Inside, we were pleasantly surprised. The museum has an interactive and modern design and definitely offers an entertaining indoor program for rainy days.

Another tip from me is the Plantin-Moretus Museum, by the way, the only museum in the world that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The museum is located in the apartment and printing house of Christoph Plantin. I was less interested in the ancient printing presses and more interested in the impressive patrician building with the beautiful courtyard.

Genussmomente

Cycling, walking, discovering and marvelling make you hungry. No problem! Moments of pleasure are celebrated in Flanders and the selection of good restaurants is correspondingly wide. As a lunch stop, I can recommend the restaurant Zuiderterras. The eye-catching building was deliberately designed by the well-known Flemish master builder Bob van Reeth as a maritime statement and is located in a unique location directly on the Scheldt. The river that has always brought the world to Antwerp.

If you need a short breather, you will find the perfectly brewed coffee and a seat in the sun in the Café Daily Roast (unfortunately no longer exists) directly behind the Grote Markt. For sweet moments, it’s best to stop off at Elisa Pralines. It was here that I understood the secret of Belgian chocolate. It is not better than Swiss chocolate, it is simply unbeatably cheaper. How delighted I was when I realized that bags filled with the finest chocolates cost only 3.50 euros!

For a light dinner, for example, the Grand Cafe Horta is quite suitable. It is close to the Rubens House and serves down-to-earth fare in a casually chic atmosphere.

Change of perspective

Two ways to look at Antwerp from a different angle, I would like to recommend to you. If you’re looking for a bridge over the Scheldt, you won’t find it in the centre. Compared to other cities, the city has surprisingly limited itself to spreading out on one side. A visit to the other side – disparagingly called “parking lot” by some locals – is still worthwhile. There’s the best view of the Antwerp skyline over there. But how do I get there? Since 1931, the Sint-Anna pedestrian tunnel, which is now a listed building, has connected the dormitory town on the opposite side with the historic centre. The rattling wooden escalators alone are an experience in themselves.

The bird’s-eye view is free of charge from the roof of the MAS. So if you are not primarily interested in a visit to the museum but in the building and the view, you will get your money’s worth here.

Note: This trip was supported by Tourism Flanders and Visit Antwerp. Thank you very much for this! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.