Antwerp

Overview

Antwerp is Belgium's second city and its most commercially and culturally dynamic. It is simultaneously the world's second-largest diamond trading centre (80% of the world's rough diamonds pass through), home to the Antwerp Six fashion designers who reshaped global fashion in the 1980s, a major port (Europe's second-largest), and a city of Flemish Baroque art with a cathedral that contains four Rubens altarpieces. The combination of medieval grandeur and contemporary ambition is unusual even by Belgian standards.

Best Time to Visit

April to October is best. May and June offer warm weather without summer crowds; the fashion week and design events cluster in September. The city's Christmas market fills the Grote Markt through December.

Top Things to Do

Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal)

Belgium's largest Gothic cathedral (its tower visible from 40km away in flat Flanders) contains four Rubens masterpieces, including The Descent from the Cross — often considered the finest Flemish Baroque painting. The cathedral was built over 170 years (1352–1521) and is the culmination of Brabantine Gothic architecture.

Rubens House (Rubenshuis)

Peter Paul Rubens built his magnificent house and studio in 1610 — a Baroque mansion with an Italianate garden courtyard. The museum contains a collection of Rubens's own works and the reconstructed studio where he worked with 100 apprentices at peak production. A remarkable insight into how a 17th-century artist-entrepreneur operated.

Antwerp's Diamond District

A 4-block area around the central station where 80% of the world's rough diamonds are traded, cut, and polished. The Diamond Museum (DIVA) covers the full story; the streets of Pelikaanstraat and Hoveniersstraat are the working trading district, with jewellers of every scale operating cheek by jowl.

Fashion District & MoMu

The fashion museum (MoMu) covers the history of fashion from the 17th century to the Antwerp Six — Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee, Dirk Van Saene — the designers who graduated together from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1981 and transformed global fashion. The Nationalestraat fashion quarter has many of the designers' shops.

Museum aan de Stroom (MAS)

The 2011 museum on the docks tells the story of Antwerp's port and its global connections — maritime trade, colonialism, globalisation — across ten floors. The rooftop terrace is free and offers the best panorama of the city and the Schelde River.

Food & Drink

• Antwerp Hands (Antwerpse Handjes) — The hand-shaped chocolate pralines and biscuits referencing the city's founding legend (a giant who demanded toll from sailors and got his hand cut off). Every chocolatier has a version.
• Bolleke beer — De Koninck Bolleke is Antwerp's classic amber beer, served in a round globe-shaped glass. The brewery does tours.
• Garnaalkroketten — Creamy North Sea shrimp croquettes, a Belgian classic done particularly well in Antwerp's brasseries.
• Antwerp City Brewery De Koninck — The brewery on Mechelsesteenweg does guided tours and tastings; the brasserie attached serves excellent Flemish food.

Getting Around

Antwerp's centre is compact and walkable. Trams and buses cover the wider city. The central station (a magnificent Baroque railway palace) is the hub.

From Brussels: 35 minutes by IC train. From Amsterdam: 1h25 by Thalys. From Ghent: 40 minutes.

Budget Guide

Day Trips

• Ghent — Belgium's best-kept secret, 40 minutes by train. Mystic Lamb altarpiece, medieval canals.
• Brussels — Capital and Grand-Place, 35 minutes by train.
• Bruges — Medieval canal city, 55 minutes by train.

Practical Info

• Language: Dutch (Flemish). English very widely spoken.
• Tipping: Round up or leave 5–10% in restaurants.
• Safety: Very safe. The area around Centraal Station requires normal night-time precautions.