Antwerp is Belgium’s second city and its great port, a little over an hour from Amsterdam by high-speed train. It is the city of Rubens, of the diamond trade, and of some of the finest buildings in the Low Countries. On our full-day Private Antwerp Walking Tour you see the cathedral, the old town and the river with your own guide.
In the 16th century Antwerp was one of the richest cities in Europe, and it still shows. The walking tour starts in the old centre, at the Cathedral of Our Lady with its Rubens altarpieces and the Grote Markt with its guild houses. From there you head down to the Scheldt and the medieval castle of Het Steen, stop for coffee along the way, and end in the diamond district next to the Central Station, where most of the world’s rough diamonds are still traded.
Here is what to see:
Our advice: Long full day
Travel time from Amsterdam: about 1 hour 30 minutes each way.
Antwerp is possible as a long day trip from Amsterdam. If you are travelling on through Belgium, it is easier to visit from there, and our Antwerp tour starts in the city itself.
The Cathedral of Our Lady took almost 170 years to build, from 1352 to 1521, and at 123 metres its tower is still the tallest church tower in the Low Countries. Inside hang four paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, among them The Elevation of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross. Outside on the square is a small statue of Nello and his dog Patrasche, from the 19th-century children’s book A Dog of Flanders, which ends in this cathedral.
Het Steen, on the bank of the Scheldt, is the oldest building in Antwerp, the last remaining part of the medieval fortress that protected the city. It has been restored and now houses the visitor centre, with a terrace on top for the view along the river. It is a good place to start a visit.
The Grote Markt is surrounded by tall guild houses with gilded statues on their gables, built when Antwerp was one of the busiest ports in Europe, and by the Renaissance Town Hall. In the middle stands the Brabo Fountain. According to legend, the Roman soldier Brabo defeated the giant Antigoon, who took a toll from ships on the Scheldt, cut off his hand and threw it into the river. Hand werpen, throwing a hand, is said to have given the city its name.
Antwerp Central Station, finished in 1905, is known as the railway cathedral, and one look at the dome, the marble and the gilded clock explains why. It is one of the most beautiful stations in the world and worth a visit even if you are not catching a train. Right next to it is the diamond district, where Antwerp has traded diamonds for more than 500 years. The streets around the station are full of diamond dealers and jewellers.
Antwerp Zoo, founded in 1843, is right next to the Central Station and one of the oldest zoos in the world. Besides elephants, giraffes and penguins, it has 19th-century animal houses built like temples and palaces, which are a sight in their own right.
The MAS, Museum aan de Stroom, stands in the old docks of the Eilandje district: a tower of red stone and glass, opened in 2011, with a museum about the city, the port and the world on each floor. Take the escalators all the way up: the roof gives one of the best views of Antwerp and the Scheldt, and it is free.
When the Boerentoren was finished in 1932 it was one of the first skyscrapers in Europe. The Art Deco tower rises above the Meir, the main shopping street, and it still shapes the city’s skyline almost a century later.
In the port area stands the Port House, the headquarters of the Port of Antwerp, designed by Zaha Hadid and completed in 2016. A faceted glass building that looks like the bow of a ship sits on top of a former fire station, a meeting of old and new that sums up the city. From here you look out over one of the largest ports in Europe.
Antwerpse Handjes, biscuits and chocolates shaped like a hand, are the city’s best-known sweet souvenir. The shape refers to the legend of Brabo and the giant’s hand. You find them at chocolatiers and bakers all around the old town.
Yes. The old centre, the Eilandje and Zuid are pleasant and easy to walk, and trams cover longer distances. As in any city, be alert around the station area late at night.
One day is enough for the highlights. With two days you have time for the museums, shopping and the riverside neighbourhoods, and with three you can add the zoo and the port.
High-speed trains connect Antwerp with Amsterdam in a little over an hour, and Brussels is about 40 minutes by train. In the city, walking works well for the centre and trams are reliable for longer distances. Parking is expensive, so drivers often use a Park and Ride and take the tram in.
The Belgian classics: waffles, fries, chocolate and beer. Antwerp also has its own treats, like Antwerpse Handjes, and a local beer, De Koninck, which you can order in almost every café as a bolleke, named after its round glass.
