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We visited Antwerp during our four day holiday in Belgium. We had based ourselves in Ghent, which is the perfect city in which to explore Belgium, as it’s a central point for visiting the nearby cities of Bruges, Antwerp and Brussels and has excellent train connections.
Antwerp is Belgium’s second largest city and biggest port. In the mid-16th century it was one of Europe’s most important cities. Despite severe bombing during WWII, Antwerp retains an intriguing medieval city centre, with plenty of chocolate shops, cobbled lanes, a riverside fortress and a truly impressive cathedral.
The train from Ghent to Antwerp’s central train station, Antwerpen-Centraal took about an hour. The train station itself is a really cool feature of Antwerp, with amazing architecture. Beside the train station is also large city zoo. We headed down Meir shopping street to visit a 16th century printing company turned museum Plantin-Moretus (Vrijdagmarkt 22, 2000) which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The company was founded by Christophe Plantin, and the beautiful mansion served as both the printing company and the family home. Following his death, the business was carried on by his family, but eventually given to the city of Antwerp in 1876 to be used as a museum. I really enjoyed this museum and learning more about the family that lived and worked here as well as how the printing was done – it must have taken so much time, effort and skill to prepare the printing presses. On arrival we were given a book to read as we moved through the house which told the story of the family and company. Over the generations, this was a real family run business with all members, both male and female, involved in all aspects of it. The mansion was huge and sprawling, with dark leather wallpaper and very creaky floorboards. It must have been difficult for them to have done any sneaking around.
It had been raining quite heavily whilst we were in the museum, but thankfully as we were due to head out, the clouds finally parted, so we walked down to the river Scheldt that runs through Antwerp. As it was December, along Steenplein were Christmas market stalls, mostly selling food and drink along this bit, so we stopped to enjoy a Bratwurst (German sausage) and we ate them whilst warming ourselves beside the large enclosed fires that they had running. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a breeze blowing and hubby’s mustard covered napkin ended up blowing onto my white jeans, so I ended up walking around with yellow smeared trousers for the rest of the day. Anyway, after venting my frustration and gaining his assurances that he would scrub out the stains as soon as we got back to our accommodation, we visited the nearby 13th century Steen castle.
Sadly, in the 19th century, most of the castle was demolished as part of a project to widen the harbour. The castle was scheduled to be completely destroyed, but thanks to one city vote, the gate and house managed to survive. There is a nice café inside the building, but the rest of the castle is not open to the public. At the entrance of the castle is the famous statue of Lange Wapper, a legendary figure who, according to Antwerp folklore, could grow to the size of an enormous giant. He was said to have a devilish character and enjoyed teasing people.
We continued to nearby Grote Markt. The square was filled with Christmas stalls and surrounding Brabo fountain was some amazing enclosed fire pits that were providing some much needed warmth. Brabo is Antwerp’s famous mythical hero. According to the legend, the giant Antigoon demanded a high toll for each ship that wanted to enter the city. If the ship’s crew did not want to pay the toll, their hands were cut off. Brabo was the hero that fought the giant and cut its hand and head off, throwing the hand into the river and ending the river toll. Apparently, this is a political swipe at the Dutch, who blocked free traffic along the Scheldt.
There was a very cool breeze in Antwerp so the fires in the square were very popular. We sat and warmed our hands whilst taking in all the sights of this absolutely enchanting square. It features the grand City Hall and the guildhalls, each lavishly decorated and topped with a gold statue. The original houses were destroyed in the fire of 1576, but they were rebuilt in the Flemish Renaissance style.
Beside the square is the majestic Gothic style Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp (entry fee applies). Its spire dominates the skyline. In front of the church is the adorable Nello and Patrasche Statue, a boy and his dog enveloped in the pavement which lies over them like a blanket. Nello and Patrasche are the main characters in the 1872 novel [amazon_textlink asin=’133100683X’ text=’A Dog of Flanders’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’howbeautifullifeis-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8f60996d-f097-11e7-8580-9f105faf1888′] which takes place in Hoboken and Antwerp. Nello is an orphan that becomes friends with Patrasche, an abandoned dog. They walk to town together every day and often visit the cathedral, where Nello admires the paintings by Rubens. Due to a series of sad events, they end up in the cathedral together where they pass away.
As Antwerp was the home of the famous artist Rubens, we decided to visit his family home, a gorgeous palazzo in the centre of the city. On our way there, we also passed Groenplatz square which features a statue of Rubens. Tickets for the house are purchased from the glass building in front of the entrance which also have lockers available. The house itself is a beautiful site in its own right, however, the artwork collection steals the show. There are masterpieces painted by both himself and his famous students and peers. If you are wandering why his bed is so comically short, it’s because apparently during that time people slept sitting up as they believed it was good for your health.
Rubens house is beside a large shopping district and mall. Along nearby Schuttershofstraat you will find luxury shopping. Antwerp has a number of lovely shopping districts with a really diverse range of shops. Alongside the mainstream Zara and H&M there were a really nice range of shops that I had not seen before. If I had had more time, I would have loved to have spent at least a day just shopping.
In need of a sugar hit, we went in search of a chocolate café. We found ourselves at Günther Watté (Steenhouwersvest 30, 2000) which served delicious hot chocolate and desserts. They also serve a range of specialty teas and coffees. The chocolates were delicious, the range of desserts also looked great, but I really couldn’t fit anymore inside my poor stomach.
After we had rested our feet and felt the sugar buzz coming on, we headed down to visit St Anna’s Tunnel Sint-Jansvliet. Now this might sound a bit boring, but I quite enjoyed visiting this site. It was opened in 1933 and remains quite unchanged, so it’s like stepping back in time. It connects the city by providing pedestrians a crossing via an underwater tunnel. There is some historical information display as well as old photos. To this day, it is still a popular way for the people of Antwerp to get from one side of the city to the other. It also attracts quite a few tourists. It is shared by both pedestrians and cyclists, so do take care, as some people cycle through it quite quickly. As well as the old wooden escalators, there are also large lifts that you can use. We walked through to the other side, where you can get a really good view of the city skyline from the river bank.
By now we were quite exhausted from our adventures, so headed back to the train station to return to Ghent.
Practical Tips for Visiting Antwerp
- How long should I visit for? I recommend spending a least a day in Antwerp, but if you love shopping, then you could easily dedicate an entire additional day just for shopping alone.
- Language: Flemish Dutch. Although everyone we came across spoke perfect English. However, do try your hand at a few Dutch words:
- Yes = Ja (yah)
- No = Nee (nay)
- Please = Alstublieft (allst-oo-bleeft)
- Thank you = Dank je wel (dahnk yuh vel) (familiar – dank u vel is the formal form)
- Hello = Hallo (hah-low)
- Currency: Euro
- Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
- Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in Belgium as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
- Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices. If you prefer a paper map, then your accommodation will likely give you a free tourist map or you could stop in at the tourist office and pick one up. Otherwise, you could purchase a Antwerp city pocket map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!
Accommodation Options in Antwerp
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