Antwerp

Like cities such as Amsterdam and Hamburg, Antwerp has a red light district. If you want to visit, consider going during the day. When Villa Tinto set up, Antwerp's little red light district became Europe's most high tech brothel. If you intend to be a patron of the district, be wary of women who beckon you to their kamers and invite you in without discussing a price. In many cases, these women will charge a greatly inflated rate once they have you inside their kamer. Even if you have no intention of partaking in the festivities, it is worthwhile just to see the spectacle that the district is. 200 women all in their own window dressed for action. Be wary of beggars in the Red Light District: while few of them are particularly hostile, they can be bothersome and should be ignored. There is very little illegal activity as there is a constant police presence, which you can expect to see.

The home of 16th-century bookbinder and printer Christoffel Plantin. Regarded as one of the finest museums dedicated to printing in the world. Its extensive collections of important books and printing presses along with its role in spearheading the technology of printing have seen it added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Literally, the "Meat house". It was built as the guild hall for the butchers. Every day tonnes of meat changed owners here. The building is famous for the original masonry made to resemble stacks of bacon (switching between white stones and red bricks). It now houses a museum, of which the main part comprises a musical instrument collection, including some examples of old harpsichords built by the local Ruckers family.

Museum for mineralogy, paleontology and gemology. Largest collection of fluorescent minerals in Europe. Permanent collections of systematic minerals and fossils. Guided tours are free and highly recommended. Only open on Saturday afternoon.

Large museum that tells about Antwerp in the world. You can visit the building for free, with a very wide view across Antwerp on the rooftop. The viewing platform on the roof is accessible without a museum ticket.

This museum opened in 2013 and displays the history of the Red Star Line, a Belgian navigation company offering connections between Antwerp and New York. This enabled large-scale emigration to the United States. The museum collection is based on the stories of people who travelled on this line, including Albert Einstein and Irving Berlin.

ECK is an art space for contemporary visual arts, based in an old bottling factory. Its shows are mostly experimental, but always intriguing.

The museum is supported by the Flemish transport company De Lijn, and is located within a former tram depot. Its collection includes Antwerp's first electric tram, an open tram, a steam-operated tram and the Gyrobus (an electric bus built in 1956).

Museum devoted to graphics. Permanently Featuring works by Francisco Goya, Félicien Rops and Edvard Munch. There are also temporary exhibitions.

One of the most impressive and largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe, built in 1351 it stands over 400 ft tall. It also houses some of Rubens' most famous paintings.

A beautiful mixed gothic and baroque church formerly part of a nunnery. Noted for its Calvary monument. It is a short distance north of the Grote Maarkt on Zwartzustersstraat.

Unlike the cathedral, this is a Baroque church. With a safe and minimal exterior, you would not know the beautiful decorations (done by Rubens' studio) are inside. It is on the picturesque square Conscienceplein.

One of the oldest zoos in the world, with over 4000 animals and lots of 19th-century design and architecture.

A sort of medieval monastery for women. The well-kept gardens are great photo opportunities.

Now called KBC Tower after the company that owns it, this 97-m skyscraper in the historical centre of town is said to be the oldest one on the European continent. It was built between 1929 and 1932. It is at the end of the Meir shopping street. The tower is renowned for its typical art-deco sculptures. It is not a skyscraper on the same scale as some that were erected in North America; for example the Empire State Building in New York, built at the same time, is 381 m.

19th-century neo-classicist theatre building. Charming from the outside and even nicer if you manage to get in for a theater show or a concert. It houses a spectacular pastry salon inside the large cupola above the theatre. Great place to have tea with cake or waffles, of course.

This is a rather small medieval castle on the banks of the river Schelde. It used to function as a city fortification and housed a naval museum. The Visitor Center and attraction The Antwerp Story are located here since 2021. There is a panoramic terrace and the starting point of the Wandelterrassen, a scenic boardwalk.

The house of painter Peter Paul Rubens is now a museum of his life and artwork. Many of his paintings and artworks and his contemporaries are installed in the rooms, as well as furniture of his period. Paintings include his early Adam and Eve (c. 1600) and a self-portrait made when he was about fifty.

Museum of contemporary art.

Renovated in 2004.

Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten boasts an excellent collection of paintings from the 15th century to the 20th century. The museum's permanent collection has masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Brueghel, Van Eyck, Anthony Van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, and James Ensor. It displays the largest James Ensor collection in the world. In the reconstruction works 2011–2022, the KMSKA was expanded with a new white hall dedicated to modern art.

It is on the Waalse Kaai and is a centre for intercultural art. It used to be a hydraulic power station.

A place where graffiti artists can make artwork without being chased by police. There are often very nice creations. Graffiti contests occur on a regular basis.

There are actually two of these. The old one is a 19th-century red brick building on the Britselei. The new one is a dominant, modern, white building in the south of Antwerp (Bolivarplaats). You can hardly miss it once you're there. The architect of this building was Richard Rogers, who also built the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Millennium Dome in London.

A little off the beaten track. This neighbourhood in the south east of Antwerp (near the railway station Antwerpen-Berchem, look for 'Cogels-Osylei' on the map) is known for its eclectic, sometimes rather bizarre 19th-century architecture. Consider taking a tram or bicycle to get there.

The centre of Antwerp is not very big, and once you cross the ring road, you will mainly see suburbs. There are some nice parks outside the ring road: the Middelheim Park in Wilrijk is one of them. It houses a permanent open-air exhibition of modern sculpture, including work by famous artists such as Rodin, Hans Arp, Henry Moore, and many others.

Designed by Le Corbusier in 1926, this is one of 17 of his creations worldwide to be inscribed as a .

Take St. Anna pedestrian tunnel (Sint-Annatunnel) to the Left Bank (Linkeroever) of the river Schelde. If possible, you should descend on the original wooden escalator. The walk through the tunnel takes 9 minutes at a casual pace. On the Left Bank, you have a beautiful view over the city centre across the river, so make sure you bring your camera! The Left Bank is very quiet compared to the city centre, and green with many parks along the riverside. A few km further north, there even is a small beach (Sint-Annastrand). Swimming is prohibited due to dangerous currents and heavy ship traffic, but the views over the city and riverbend are great. Best is to come here by bicycle (you can ride through the tunnel, many locals do this). If you are on foot and don't feel like walking back through the tunnel, the premetro will take you back to Groenplaats in under 5 minutes.

Antwerp is a perfect city to explore by bike. An English or Dutch guide will show you around and tell you all about the city. Besides that the guide knows where to go in Antwerp and can recommend you nice bars and restaurants. It is possible to do a highlights tour or book a private tour so that you will have your own guide.

In this large cinema complex a bit north of the city centre many international movies are shown. Except for some children movies dubbing is rare and subtitles are common.

Take a boat tour of the second largest port in Europe and 5th largest in the world. There are various companies offering tours of differing price and length.

Take the ghost tour and learn about the dark history of Antwerp.

Themed cruises including the pancake cruise (pancake boat), the spare ribs cruise and the shrimp cruise.

Self-guided brewery tour with tasting.

Music festival late July in the southern town of Boom.