12 things to see and do in Antwerp, Belgium

In co-operation with Visit Flanders

Today we have 12 things to see and do in Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp is a vibrant and interesting city that offers diamonds, art, history, museums and all kinds of goodies in the form of beer, food and chocolate. Here are our top tips for what to do in this Belgian city!

Table of contents

Welcome to Antwerp, Belgium!

The Belgian city of Antwerp is the centre of the diamond trade and processing. The name 'Antwerp' is traditionally thought to mean 'hand throwing', and comes from a myth about an evil giant who demanded a toll from anyone crossing the river, and cut off the hands of those who did not pay. The giant was eventually defeated by the hero Brabo, who cut off the giant's own hand and threw it into the river.

Antwerpen i Belgien — The hand-throwing Bravo is a symbol of Antwerp, Belgium.

The city also has a reputation as a city of fashion, and is also a harbour and industrial city. The river Scheldt flows through the city and the water level varies considerably between ebb and flow. Once a year the water level can get so high that the city is protected by an extra wall.

Antwerpen flod — When the water rises, they close the wall to the city

What can you do in Antwerp?

We've spent a few days in Antwerp and can already say that this is a city that has a lot to offer. Here are our top 12 tips for things to see and do in Antwerp!

restaurant Antwerpen — A cosy restaurant in a back street in Antwerp, Belgium

READ MORE: We try Belgian waffles in Belgium
READ MORE: Belgian beer - and breweries in Belgium

1. go on a city walk

Going on a guided city walk is always a good way to find the little-known alleys behind the most famous sights. Our guide took us through leafy back streets and showed us a wooden escalator that is over 90 years old.

The escalator built in 1933 takes you down to St Anna's tunnel (Pedestrian's tunnel), which runs under the Scheldt river. It is heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists to get to and from work every day and it takes about 30 minutes to walk to the other side. It was built under the river so as not to interfere with the harbour traffic known in Antwerp.

Rulltrappa i trä — St Anna's tunnel. This wooden escalator is 90 years old!

2. Visit mighty churches in Antwerp

There are several magnificent and interesting churches in Antwerp, including the church of St Charles Borromeo at Hendrik Conscienceplein 11, largely decorated by the famous artist Rubens. The mighty Cathedral of Our Lady also stands in the centre of the city.

Abtwerpen kyrka — Church of St Charles Barrameo

3. See Rubens' house in Antwerp

Rubens is considered the greatest Northern European Baroque painter and was mainly active in Antwerp, where he died in 1640. Today you can visit Rubens' house where he lived. It contains paintings by Rubens and his contemporaries. Some of the paintings depict naked people, and the Flanders Tourist Board has made a very funny promotional film mocking Facebook's rather harsh restrictions on nudity...

4. visit the Plantin Museum

Our favourite museum in Antwerp was the Plantin-Moretus Museum, which tells the story of bookbinder Christophe Plantin, who published his first book in 1555 and went on to create the successful Officina Plantiniana. Just about everything in the bindery has been left for posterity to see. Fascinating! The museum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. Visit Mas in Antwerp

Don't miss the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) when you're in Antwerp. The museum is located on the river and the tenth floor roof offers a great view of the city. Visiting the roof terrace is free, and you only pay if you want to see the different exhibitions.

We did not have time to see the permanent exhibitions but focused on the temporary exhibition on the 17th century female artist. Michaelina. At this time, women artists were often overshadowed, and it is only now that she may have received the recognition she deserved!

6. Learn more about diamonds

Antwerp is the capital of diamonds, so what better place to visit than a diamond museum? DIVA is a fantastic museum that showcases glittering masterpieces and tells you everything you ever wanted to know about diamonds. It's just 5 minutes from the main square.

7. Explore the tunnels under Antwerp

One thing we didn't actually try (we just peeked in the entrance) is to explore the walkways next to the Diva Diamond Museum on Suikerrui street below Antwerp. In the past, these were open canals that carried rainwater and sewage out of the city, but once the waterways were covered over, they were forgotten.

Today you can visit them with a guide, and see remnants of a bygone era. By the way, the girl sitting at the information desk when we arrived spoke Swedish, as she had studied Swedish after falling in love with Ingmar Bergman's films!

8. Tasting beer at the De Koninck brewery

The De Koninck brewery offers an interesting experience with beer tasting, a museum and shops selling beer, chocolate, cheese and bread. Read our post about the visit to the brewery on Boomgaardstraat 1.

9. Eat chips at Fritkot Max

French fries are thought to have originated in Belgium, so if you're going to eat French fries anywhere, it's here! Fritkot Max at Groenplaats 12 is the oldest fries place in town, and here you can order fries along with optional extras, which are also deep-fried. Just make sure you're on your best behaviour - the lady behind the counter is adamant that everything is done the way she wants!

Pommes frites Antwerpen — French fries with side dishes at the classic Fritkot Max, Antwerp, Belgium.

10. Eat well in Antwerp

If you don't just want to eat French fries, there are of course many other nice restaurants with good food. In addition to the cool meat restaurant Black Smoke on Boomgaardstraat 1, we had lunch at Roest on Sint-Aldegondiskaai 64 which is right next to MAS. Beautiful interior with hanging green plants and really good salads!

11. Buy chocolate

You can't go wrong with Belgian chocolate, and there are a number of shops selling chocolates in Antwerp. We can particularly recommend The Chocolate Line at the Paleis op the Meir, with both stunning interiors and fine chocolate pralines.

12. Cycling around the city

We never actually cycled in Antwerp, but still want to recommend it as it seems popular. The city is also of a size that makes it practical to get around by bike. You can rent a bike or buy a day pass for loaner bikes, which can be picked up and dropped off at bike racks around the city.

Göra i Antwerpen? Cykla kanske! — One of the many things to do in Antwerp - discover the city by bike!

READ MORE: Flanders in Belgium has pleasantly surprised us
READ MORE: Visiting the Atomium in Brussels - and Belgium's mini Europe

Video from Antwerp

See also our film from Antwerp, edited by Peter!

See more around Antwerp

Belgium is a relatively small country in terms of surface area, which means that distances to other cities are not too long. Take the opportunity to see Brussels, Ghent and Bruges. You can easily travel by train between all cities.

Brussels is a big city with grand buildings, cartoon characters, the European area, Belgian pubs and good food. About an hour from Antwerp by train.
Ghent is a pleasant and relaxed student town with charming medieval neighbourhoods and canal boat trips. Trains from Antwerp take about an hour.
pier is an old and insanely picturesque little town with canal boats, old-fashioned neighbourhoods and lots of chocolate shops. Trains from Antwerp take about 1.5 - 2 hours.

Facts about Antwerp in Belgium

Country: Belgium
Region: Flanders
Provins: Antwerp
Language: Flemish, French and German (many also speak English)
Currency: Euro
Price mode: Cheaper than Sweden
Residents: About 520 000 inhabitants (2017)
Getting around: Walk, cycle or tram
Time difference: None
Emergency number: 112
Religion: Christianity
El: Like Sweden
Water: Drinking beard
Tourist OfficeGrote Markt 13-15

Journey to Antwerp in Belgium

Flight: Brussels Airlines from Bromma (Stockholm) airport to Brussels takes 2 hours 20 minutes, or from Landvetter in Gothenburg which takes 1 hour 45 minutes. The bus from the airport takes 45 minutes and runs every hour. Train is another good option. If you're planning to travel around, buy the Hi Belgium Pass in your flight ticket, which includes free train travel and free entry to a few selected city attractions during your stay.
Car: For example, take the Gothenburg-Kiel ferry with Stena Line. From Kiel you drive the A1 through the Netherlands, which is 650 km and takes about 6 hours.

Attractions in Antwerp

House of Rubens on Wapper 9-11
Plantin-Moretus on Friday market 22-23
MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) on Hanzestedenplaats 1
DIVA on Suikerrui 17/19

Restaurants in Antwerp

Rust on Sint-Aldegondiskaai 64
Black Smoke on Boomgaardstraat 1
Fish bar on Marnixplaats 11
Dome sur Mer on Arendstraat 1, fish and seafood
The pot-viewer on Kaasrui 5
Fritkot Max at Groenplaats 12, the oldest chip shop in town.

Shopping in Antwerp

Meir shopping street
The luxury shopping centre Stadsfeestzaal

Accommodation in Antwerp

Ibis Antwerp Centre at Meistraat 39 with 500 metres to the city centre.
Hilton Antwerp Old Town at Groenplaats 32 if you want something a little more luxurious

Pitches and campsites in Antwerp

Camper park Vogelsang at Vogelzanglaan 7-9 for those with a motorhome or caravan. It costs €15/day (2018) and you take the tram to the city centre, which takes 20 minutes.

Helena

28 August 2018 6:00

Belgium

city guide Europe, cityguide world, history, Motorhome holiday Belgium, campervan trip2018, culture, museum, UNESCO heritage

Helena

Administrator

24 Comments

Add yours →

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

I guess you just have to realise that Belgium is worth the trip. Many thanks for all the inspiration!
After all, I think we prefer Ghent and Bruges to Antwerp (or if it's our overnight stay in the city centre that still haunts us).

28 August 2018 - 6:25

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Ghent and Bruges are smaller cities and perhaps a little more cosy in that way. We also liked Antwerp, but perhaps in a slightly different way.
  
  28 August 2018 - 15:47
  
  Reply
åsa in åsele says:

Belgium is a country I hardly know if it exists 😉.
I think I mostly think EU = Belgium.
Chocolate is something that is familiar to both Belgium and Switzerland.
Antwerp is a James Bond city 😀

28 August 2018 - 7:26

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Ah, Antwerp and Bond, I had not thought of that! 😉
  
  28 August 2018 - 15:48
  
  Reply
Lennart says:

Thanks for the tips!

28 August 2018 - 7:38

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We are happy if they come in handy 🙂 .
  
  28 August 2018 - 15:48
  
  Reply
Liniz Travel says:

What great tips!!!! I liked Antwerp a lot last year! Would like to go to the diamond museum! Hugs

28 August 2018 - 8:29

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  The diamond museum was very nice and well done!
  
  28 August 2018 - 15:49
  
  Reply
Anette says:

I was in Antwerp 5-6 years ago. The purpose was to visit their huge laboratory. We didn't get to see much of the city, unfortunately. I can see how much I missed.
Definitely worth another visit.

28 August 2018 - 8:36

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Laboratory? I didn't know that. Yes, there is a lot to see in this city!
  
  28 August 2018 - 15:50
  
  Reply
Husis blog says:

Great tips, thanks!
Going on a city walk is always a popular thing with owners. The favourite is probably the city walk in Rovinj and all these small alleys everywhere.

28 August 2018 - 11:38

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  City walk is always nice we think! Understand that it was nice in cosy Rovinj!
  
  28 August 2018 - 15:52
  
  Reply
Elisabeth says:

We have a tendency to get lost in Antwerp, but this has also meant that we have seen a lot of the city. Certainly there is a lot to discover. I thought the film from the Rubens Museum was delicious!

28 August 2018 - 12:54

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Going wrong is always a way to get sightseeing! 😉 We didn't actually go into the city, but stayed at the car park outside and took a bus.
  
  28 August 2018 - 15:55
  
  Reply
Mr Steve says:

Belgium continues to 'go for it'.
Over the years you have visited many places where good football is played, for example, Belgium won bronze in the World Cup this summer. But I understand that sporting events are not part of your palette.

28 August 2018 - 16:16

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Good reflection! We think we have pretty "broad" interests when we travel, but it's true that we write very little about sports. Peter watches football sometimes but he has never talked about wanting to watch a match when we are travelling.
  
  28 August 2018 - 19:50
  
  Reply
Lena - good for the soul says:

That bookbindery looked soooo cool! What places you sniff out!

Hug Lena

28 August 2018 - 19:23

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We asked the guide (who we did the city tour with) what his favourite museum is and he told us about this one. Really liked it, fascinating!
  
  28 August 2018 - 19:53
  
  Reply
Role o Carina says:

How much there is to discover and how much time do you have? 🙂

Take care.....

28 August 2018 - 19:42

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Haha, we don't have time for everything... But we managed to do a lot! Most things are within short walking distance, so pretty easy that way.
  
  28 August 2018 - 19:55
  
  Reply
BP says:

That was a really good and interesting post with some real highlights. The MAS museum building is absolutely gorgeous and the wooden escalator is just WOW. Glad it still works. Wonder where you get spare parts from;-)

Enjoyed the film very much, especially the sequences about how paper was printed in the past.

The restaurant on the back street is just sooooo charming.

I must say that today's Antwerp is much nicer and not least cleaner than what I remember when we were there in 2000. Fun!

28 August 2018 - 21:32

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Haha, spare parts for the escalator!? I didn't even think of that, but it must be a challenge! 😉 We liked Antwerp, even though it is a much bigger city than Bruges and Ghent.
  
  31 August 2018 - 14:22
  
  Reply
Rose Helsing says:

Interesting places you are travelling to, getting inspired.
There are so many different places to choose from, so where will be our next destination, don't know.

28 August 2018 - 22:30

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It's great if we can inspire! And yes, there are many interesting places to choose from... Good luck with your travel planning!
  
  31 August 2018 - 14:23
  
  Reply

12 things to see and do in Antwerp, Belgium

In co-operation with Visit Flanders

Welcome to Antwerp, Belgium!

What can you do in Antwerp?

1. go on a city walk

2. Visit mighty churches in Antwerp

3. See Rubens' house in Antwerp

4. visit the Plantin Museum

5. Visit Mas in Antwerp

6. Learn more about diamonds

7. Explore the tunnels under Antwerp

8. Tasting beer at the De Koninck brewery

9. Eat chips at Fritkot Max

10. Eat well in Antwerp

11. Buy chocolate

12. Cycling around the city

Video from Antwerp

See more around Antwerp

Facts about Antwerp in Belgium

Journey to Antwerp in Belgium

Attractions in Antwerp

Restaurants in Antwerp

Shopping in Antwerp

Accommodation in Antwerp

Pitches and campsites in Antwerp

You might also like:

Subscribe to our newsletter

24 Comments

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Helena says:

åsa in åsele says:

Helena says:

Lennart says:

Helena says:

Liniz Travel says:

Helena says:

Anette says:

Helena says:

Husis blog says:

Helena says:

Elisabeth says:

Helena says:

Mr Steve says:

Helena says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

Helena says:

Role o Carina says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Rose Helsing says:

Helena says:

4 Pingbacks

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

ABOUT FREEDOMtravel

CONTACT US

Social media and newsletters

SEARCH AND FIND ON FREEDOMTRAVEL

Categories

Archive