How to spend a day in Antwerp, Belgium
Last Updated on October 29, 2023
In March Ryan, Nick, and I took our first family holiday since moving to the UK.
Our destination was Belgium, where we were lucky enough to check out Gent, Antwerp, Brussels, and Bruges.
Our second stop was Antwerp, which wasn’t a location that I considered visiting, but I’m really glad that I did, as it’s gorgeous. The cobbled side streets with boutique stores reminded me a lot of Melbourne.
As Antwerp is Belgium’s most populous city, it’s jam packed with gorgeous buildings, a wide variety of restaurants, many shopping opportunities, and attractions galore.
Here are my highlights from our Antwerp adventure.
What to see
Grote Markt
Nick and I parked at the Grand Bazaar Shopping Centre, which is just around the corner from Grote Markt.
Upon exiting the Grand Bazaar, we saw a long street with a tram and many shops. We bypassed this shopping opportunity, and instead walked the surrounding quieter streets following the signs to Grote Markt.
When we reached Grote Markt, it felt like we had entered a different world from the more commercial shopping area we had just came from.
The first building we saw was The City Hall, which had a band playing at the front, adding a lively, joyful vide to an already buzzing area. This is the moment where I knew Antwerp would be a fantastic place to explore.
Surrounding The City Hall were restaurants, souvenir shops, independent and chain retailers, a tourist office, and intricately designed Guild Houses.
The Guild Houses are remaining examples of 16th century architecture, which have golden statues on the top of them including ships, crowns, horses, and birds.
Cathedral of Our Lady
It took 169 years to build this amazing Cathedral, which you can’t miss, as the Cathedral’s 123m high tower can be seen at most points in Grote Markt
Nick and I didn’t enter the Cathedral, but if you want to it costs €6 to enter, and I’ve been told that the Cathedral holds a large number of major artworks.
Het Steen
Het Steen is Antwerp’s oldest building, located on the Scheldt River.
It’s a lovely Castle to walk through, where you can see the surrounding river in all it’s glory.
We couldn’t go in to the Castle, but I have read that the Castle is undergoing a major refurbishment, so perhaps you’ll be able to go inside at a later date.
Food to try
Manhattn’s Burgers
I love a juicy burger and can never go past hot chips, so stopping for lunch at Manhattn’s Burgers was a no brainer. If you’re looking for sustenance, and want something filling and so, so delicious, you must visit here.
Final thoughts
As we were leaving Antwerp I spotted some cobblestone alleyways full of boutique shops, which meant that there was still so much more to do. Antwerp was so impressive, and I loved the vibe so much, that I told Nick I could easily live there.
Have you been to Antwerp? What did you think of it?