Antwerp Things to Do Tips by myriam_c

A wide choice of museums

Must see museums in Antwerp are:
Rubens' House , located Wapper 9
Museum Plantin-Moretus , located Vrijdagmarkt 22
Royal Museum of Fine Arts , located Leopold De Waelplaats
Butcher's Hall , located Vleeshouwersstraat
National Maritime Museum 'Steen' , located Steenplein 1
Museum Mayer Van den Bergh , located Lange Gasthuisstraat 19
Ethnographic Museum , located Suikerrui 19
Diamond Museum , located Lange Herentalsestraat 31
Rockox House , located Keizerstraat 12
Museums are closed on Monday.
Mostly free entrance on Friday.

Directions: All over Antwerp city centre.

The exotic market on Saturday

When you're in Antwerp on a Saturday, don't forget to visit the EXOTIC MARKET on Oude Vaartplaats. It's there every Saturday from 8 am till 4 pm.
What's so special about this market? As the name suggests, the products that are being sold on this market are mostly from tropical countries, or at least from countries where it's a bit warmer than in Belgium. ;) You can buy lots of fruits and veggies that aren't grown in Belgium, and the quality is usually excellent. Figs, mango's, pineapple, sweet potato, ... to name a few. Furthermore there are stalls selling the most delicious Turkish bread, Greek desserts, French cheeses, Italian pasta, ... the whole world at your feet. It's a very colorful market with a great southern atmosphere.

Address: Oude Vaartplaats, Antwerpen

Directions: city centre

SUMMER 2006:The Tall Ships Race

The Tall Ship's Race (formerly known as Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race) is back in Antwerp in 2006 for the 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee Race!!
The Tall Ship's Race is a competitive race of historical sailing ships (three and four masters) over part of the seas surrounding Europe. Ports of call for the 2006 race are Saint-Malo, Lisbon, Cadiz, La Coruna AND ANTWERP where the race will end on Tuesday August 22.
Here's the program:
Saturday Aug. 19: Arrivals - Sail in - Fireworks
Sunday Aug. 20: Visit Tall Ships - Quayside entertainment - Prize giving & Jubilee Awards Ceremony
Monday Aug. 21: Visit Tall Ships - Quayside entertainment - Crew parade
Tuesday Aug. 22: Visit Tall Ships - Quayside entertainment - Sail out - Parade of sail on river Schelde.
BE THERE!!!

There are a few pictures of the 2001 race in my Antwerp travelogue.

Address: River Schelde, Antwerp

Directions: Historical city centre

Phone: +32 475 757575

Website: http://www.tallships2006antwerp.be

The Zoo Zoo Review

The Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world and has been founded in 1843. It's an oasis of peace and quiet in the centre of the city.

Despite its animal population of more than 5000 from all over the world, the Zoo is more than an animal park. It's a beautiful parc with some architectural pearls, for example the Egyptian temple from 1856 which houses the giraffes, the birds building and the reptile building.
The Antwerp Zoo is under constant remodeling, the newest being Hermien's big swimming pool (Hermien is a hippo!) and the creation of 'Vriesland' where sea otters and penguins live.
There's also a planetarium, an aquarium, a planetarium and nocturama.
There's also a children's playground, some shops and a few restaurants.

Address: Koningin Astrid Plein 26, 2018 Antwerpen

Directions: next to Central Station

Phone: +32 3 2024540

Website: http://www.zooantwerpen.be

The Calvary mountain at St. Pauluskerk Saint Paul Church Review

Address: Veemarkt , 2000 Antwerp

Directions: at 5 minutes walk to the North from the Big Market Square

Phone: +32 3 2323267

Website: http://www.topa.be/sint-pauluskerk

Sint Pauluskerk Saint Paul Church Review

Sint Paulus is tipified as "a baroque jewel in a gothic shrine", because the baroque furniture goes so well with the gothic architecture.

Paintings from various Antwerp masters: Rubens, Jordaens, Van Dijck, and many others.

Many sculptures: altars, choir stalls, communion rails, confessionals, wainschotting ... in dark wood.

Address: Veemarkt , 2000 Antwerp

Directions: at 5 minutes walk to the north from Grote Markt

Phone: +32 3 2323267

Website: http://www.topa.be/sint-pauluskerk

Rubenshuis Rubenshouse Review

"Rubenshuis" is the house where the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens has lived and died.
Rubens turned the house into a very elegant renaissance-baroque house with an impressive entrance and a beautiful garden.
It was here that he painted most of his baroque paintings.
The house now houses the "Rubens House -Museum". There's a nice collection of paintings by Rubens himself and by some of his contemporaries. There's also some great furniture in the former living areas.

Address: Wapper 9-11, 2000 Antwerpen

Directions: side street of the shopping street Meir

Phone: + 32 3 201 15 55

Central Station Central Station - Astridplein - Diamonds Review

The Antwerp Central Station, aka the "Railway Cathedral" was built between 1895 and 1905. It's a monumental building with a huge dome and lots of towers. Inside, the building the architects worked with different kinds of marble and stone. The main staircase, in the middle of the main hall (ground floor) is a real eye-catcher. Restoration works have been going on since 1993 and will be finished in 2005/2006.

Address: Koningin Astridplein, 2018 Antwerp

The "Steen", maritime museum Het Steen - National Maritime Museum Review

You will find this old caslte - part of the fortification around the city of Antwerp, and most probably built in the 13th century - along the river Schelde.
The Steen used to be a prison from 1549 until 1823. Thereafter it was an archeological museum. It houses the maritime museum since 1952.
The statue in front of the Steen is "Lange Wapper".

Address: Steenplein 1, 2000 Antwerpen

Directions: next to the river, 2 minutes walk from the Market Square

Phone: + 32 3 201 93 40

Our Lady's Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady Review

"The largest gothic construction in the low countries", that is what Our Lady's Cathedral represented when it was built between 1352 and 1521. Indeed, it took 169 years to build this majestic cathedral of which the tower & spire - 123 m high - looks like lacework.
Antwerpians weren't (and aren't) the most modest people, so this cathedral was supposed to be huge (7 aisles) and have two towers and spires. By lack of funds the second tower has never been finished.
The cathedral houses some world-famous paintings by Rubens: the ?Descent from the Cross? and the ?Elevation of the Cross?. It also has some beautifully colored glass stained windows.
I especially like the cathedral because it's very clear inside.

Address: Handschoenmarkt, 2000 Antwerpen

Directions: Nearby Groenplaats and Grote Markt

Phone: +32 3-2139940