Antwerp · Antwerpen

On the Grote Markt, a bronze figure hurls a severed hand into the air. According to legend, the hero Brabo defeated a giant who demanded tolls from boatmen and threw the giant's hand into the Scheldt. That, so the story goes, is where Antwerp got its name. A city break in Antwerp takes you to Flemish masters, one of Europe's largest ports, the center of the global diamond trade, and neighborhoods full of fashion, Art Nouveau, and local culture.

A Golden Age on the Scheldt

In the 16th century, Antwerp was one of the richest cities in Europe. Merchants from all over the continent traded spices, cloth, and silver here, the first stock exchange in the modern sense was founded, and printing houses supplied the continent with books. Peter Paul Rubens lived and worked in the city and shaped Flemish Baroque. After the Netherlands broke away, the Dutch closed off the Scheldt, and Antwerp lost its importance for two centuries. It was only under Napoleon and in the 19th century that the port flourished again; today it is the second-largest in Europe after Rotterdam. Between 1873 and 1934, around two million emigrants left Europe for America from the port aboard Red Star Line ships, and a museum in the old processing building tells their stories.

Sights in Antwerp

The Cathedral of Our Lady, with its 404-foot (123-meter) tower, is the tallest church in the Benelux countries; inside hang four paintings by Rubens, including The Raising of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross. The Grote Markt, with its Renaissance city hall and guild houses, is the heart of the old town, and Het Steen castle stands right on the river. The Plantin-Moretus Museum, a 16th-century printing house with the oldest surviving printing presses in the world, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts, KMSKA, reopened in 2022 after eleven years of renovation and shows works by Rubens, van Eyck, and James Ensor. Antwerpen-Centraal station, nicknamed the Railway Cathedral for its magnificent domed hall, is considered one of the most beautiful train stations in the world.

Neighborhoods: From Het Eilandje to Zurenborg

North of the old town, the former port district of Het Eilandje has been transformed into a trendy neighborhood. Here you'll find the MAS, a museum of red sandstone and undulating glass panels, whose roof offers free views over the city and harbor; a little farther on is Zaha Hadid's Port House, a glass diamond perched on an old fire station. Around the train station lies the Diamond District, where a large share of the world's rough diamonds are traded, and right next to it is the venerable zoo. In Berchem, the Zurenborg neighborhood, with Cogels-Osylei, has magnificent Art Nouveau and Belle Époque villas. Borgerhout is multicultural and young, and to the south lies Het Zuid, with galleries, the M HKA contemporary art museum, and cafés on broad squares.

Fashion and Culture

In the 1980s, the Antwerp Six, a group of young graduates of the fashion academy, made the city a fashion capital. The MoMu fashion museum hosts changing exhibitions, and designers have their shops around Nationalestraat and Kammenstraat. The Rubens House, the painter's home and studio, has been undergoing extensive restoration for several years and is being expanded with a new visitor center. If you're interested in architecture, also visit Le Corbusier's Maison Guiette, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Eating in Antwerp

Typical treats are Antwerpse Handjes, cookies and chocolates shaped like the hand from the Brabo legend. Pair them with a Bolleke, a rounded glass of De Koninck beer from the city brewery, or try the herbal liqueur Elixir d'Anvers. Fry shops serve fries in paper cones with mayonnaise, and the restaurants along the river put mussels, stoofvlees (Flemish beef stew), and shrimp croquettes on the menu. For a night out, head to the lanes around the cathedral, Het Eilandje, and Het Zuid.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Brussels Airport is reachable by train in about 35 minutes, while the small Antwerp airport offers only a few connections. High-speed trains run to Amsterdam and Paris. Trams serve the city, and the old town is best explored on foot. The best times to visit are spring and early fall.