Antwerp City Guide

Bahnhof, Kathedrale & Schelde

From the magnificent Antwerpen-Centraal station hall along the Meir shopping street to the Rubens House, on to the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady and the Grote Markt with its Renaissance city hall and the Brabo fountain. Down to the water to Het Steen castle and north along the Scheldt quay to the Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) with its free rooftop panorama.

1. Antwerp Central & Rubens House – The walk begins in one of the world's most beautiful station halls: Antwerpen-Centraal of 1905, with marble, a dome and a steel-and-glass hall, dubbed the 'railway cathedral'. Along the Meir shopping street - one of Belgium's busiest - you reach the Rubens House, the splendid home and studio of Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens.
2. Cathedral of Our Lady – With its 123-metre tower, the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady is the largest church in the Low Countries and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Inside hang four monumental masterpieces by Rubens, including the famous 'Descent from the Cross'. A filigree landmark rising over the whole old town.
3. Vlaeykensgang – An inconspicuous archway on Oude Koornmarkt opens into one of Antwerp's most atmospheric corners: the Vlaeykensgang, a narrow cobbled alley from the 16th century. Between whitewashed walls, old lanterns and ivy-clad nooks time seems to stand still - once home to poor cobblers, today lined with quiet courtyards, restaurants and galleries. On Sunday evenings the cathedral carillon drifts across.
4. Grote Markt & City Hall – The heart of the old town: a triangular square lined with richly decorated guild houses topped by gilded figures, and the magnificent Renaissance city hall of 1565. In the middle splashes the Brabo fountain, telling the legend of the giant and the severed hand - said to be the origin of the name 'Antwerp'.
5. Het Steen – On the bank of the Scheldt stands Antwerp's oldest castle, the medieval Het Steen from the 13th century - once part of the city walls, now a visitor centre. From the promenade in front you get a wide view over the broad river and the ships; to the south the Sint-Annatunnel leads under the Scheldt as a historic pedestrian tunnel.
6. Sint-Annastrand – Through the historic Sint-Annatunnel - wooden escalators lead down beneath the Scheldt - you reach the left bank in minutes. There lies the Sint-Annastrand, a real sandy beach on the river, and above all the finest view of Antwerp: the whole skyline with cathedral tower, Ferris wheel and historic waterfront spreads across the broad stream - loveliest at sunset.
7. Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) – To finish, the MAS in the Eilandje harbour quarter: a modern tower of red sandstone and glass telling the story of the city and its port. Escalators lead up a freely accessible route to the rooftop at 60 metres - with a superb panorama over Antwerp, the Scheldt and the harbour. The crowning finale of the route.