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Things to do In Antwerp
City of Rubens, diamonds and high fashion, Belgium’s second city has a rich heritage, a welcoming atmosphere and terrific food says Sue Dobson
Mixing history and hip, great art, architecture and a buzzy street life, Antwerp never ceases to surprise. Did you know, for instance, that it’s the most important diamond trading city in the world, that one of Europe’s oldest zoos is set in beautiful gardens just moments from the palatial Central railway station – or that chic Belgian designer clothes are turning Antwerp into a fashion capital? There’s even a fashion museum (MoMu) and a ‘fashion walk’.
In the historic centre, tall houses of terracotta brick and Dutch-style stepped gables line narrow, cobbled streets. Hidden courtyards and secret alleyways hark back to industrious days – in the 16th century, its ‘Golden Age’, Antwerp was bigger than Paris or London. The city owes its existence – and its chequered history – to the River Scheldt. There are great views from riverside walks and summer boat trips, and the massive Port stretches for miles.
Some of the world’s greatest painters lived and worked in Antwerp – Rubens, Van Dyck, Breughel, Jordaens – and art meets antiques in a host of small, intimate and quite wonderful museums. Churches, too, are filled with art treasures.
Candles flicker behind the wood-framed windows of cosy, character-full restaurants; café tables and wicker chairs spill out onto leafy squares. Eating is a pleasure here, and very good value. In Antwerp, the presentation of food, even if it’s just a cup of coffee, is a matter of pride. Then there’s the Belgian beer (one pub boasts over 280 varieties), the fabulous chocolate, and the people. The Dutch-speaking locals are as friendly as their city – always ready to help, and with an impressive command of English.
Cathedral of Our Lady
At the heart of the historic centre of Antwerp, cobbled lanes and squares, restaurants, cafés and little shops surround the cathedral, which is long, tall and gloriously light, Gothic in style but spanning many centuries. The highlights are Rubens’ huge, immensely powerful paintings, Raising of the Cross and Jesus’s Descent from the Cross.
Rubens House
Peter Paul Rubens built, lived, worked, entertained and died in this palazzo-style house, furnished to show his 17th-century lifestyle, including an extensive art collection, his studio, and a garden with plants of the period. Rubens’ portrait of Anthony Van Dyck as a boy is among the gems.
Rockox House
The 17th-century Flemish home of Mayor Nicholas Rockox, art collector and close friend of Rubens. Wonderfully atmospheric, it is richly furnished with antiques and works of art, including paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens and Brueghel. Essential viewing.
Grote Markt
Everyone gravitates to the Grote Markt, the city’s main square, where tall, step-gabled guildhalls, their golden symbols and pennants glittering in the sunlight, form a theatrical backdrop. The Renaissance architecture of the Town Hall (ask to see the interior wall murals) captures the eye, the flamboyant fountain has a story to tell and outdoor cafés are great for people-watching.
St Carolus Borromeus Church
Known as Rubens’ church, this masterpiece of Baroque is today famed for its music. Most of Rubens’ paintings were destroyed by fire in 1718, but the Maria Chapel, for which he designed the ceiling, survives in a still-lavish interior. Note: Rubens’ tomb is in the sumptuously decorated St James’ church. It lies behind the main altar in the Chapel of Our Lady there, beneath one of his own paintings.
Plantin-Moretus Museum
The only preserved, completely equipped printing office from the 16th/17th centuries, in a superb patrician residence furnished with antiques, tapestries, old master paintings, sculptures, pottery, porcelain and marvellous libraries. If you love books, you’ll spend hours here.
The Diamond District
A multi-cultural square kilometre, close to the sweepingly grand Central Station, is the centre of the world’s diamond cutting, trading and polishing. Meander among the shops – if you’re not into diamond-buying mode, at least treat yourself to superb chocolates at Del Rey – see Diamondland and visit the impressive multi-media Diamond Museum.
Meyer van den Bergh Museum
One man’s collection of medieval and Renaissance treasures – exquisite paintings, sculptures, tapestries, miniatures, enamels, ivories – 3,000 items displayed in a house of wood-panelled rooms, their walls ‘papered’ in gold leather, all furnished with antiques.
The Begijnhof
Seek out this peaceful oasis of fairytale, 16th-century houses and cobbled pathways, hidden away from busy roads. Its pretty orchard garden is flanked by the little church of St Catherine.
Cogels-Osy area
Art Nouveau architecture reigns in this gem of a neighbourhood, quickly reached by tram 8 or 11. Cogels-Osylei is the main street for ogling houses with flowing lines and decorative motifs, but the surrounding streets are wonderfully rewarding, too.
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