One Day in Antwerp: A Walking (mostly) Itinerary
We spent about 40 hours in Antwerp, and a good portion of that time was spent eating. But if you only have one day in Antwerp, you can still see much of what we did without rushing from one attraction to the next. The historic center is compact enough to explore on foot, and many of the places worth visiting are within a few minutes of each other.
This is a full-day itinerary, but you don’t need to follow it exactly. If you’d rather spend more time visiting museums or linger over lunch, you can easily adjust the stops. The De Koninck Brewery is outside the historic center, so you can also skip that part if you’d prefer to spend the entire day exploring the old town.
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Our Tip: Make dinner reservations before you arrive in Antwerp, especially for a Friday or Saturday. We had trouble finding available tables during our weekend. If you’re planning to visit De Koninck Brewery, book the tour ahead of time as well.
Morning: Antwerp Central Station and the Old Town
Antwerp Central Station
Start your day at Antwerp Central Station, even if you’re arriving by car. It’s one of the most beautiful train stations we’ve visited, and it’s worth taking some time to look around. As you come up from the lower platforms, you get a better view of the enormous glass and iron roof and the grand stone entrance hall. Lisa and BJ arrived by train, and BJ said the whole place reminded him of Hogwarts. They took plenty of pictures inside, then walked outside and realized the building was just as impressive from the street.
Walk Along the Meir
From the station, head toward the old town along the Meir, Antwerp’s main shopping street. It’s about a 20-minute walk to the cathedral, passing shops and some impressive historic buildings along the way. If you’re interested in shopping, you can always come back later, but I’d keep going toward the old town first.
Cathedral of Our Lady and Nello and Patrasche
You’ll see the Cathedral of Our Lady well before you reach it. Its Gothic tower rises above the surrounding buildings, and the cathedral houses several paintings by Peter Paul Rubens. Admission was €12 per person when we visited, so we decided not to go inside. If seeing the paintings is important to you, allow some extra time here.
Outside the cathedral is a sculpture of a young boy and his dog lying beneath what looks like a blanket made from the cobblestones. They’re Nello and Patrasche from the novel A Dog of Flanders, and the story behind the sculpture is considerably sadder than it first appears. We had no idea what it represented when we first saw it. Lisa even brought Rex over to pay his respects. I’ve included the full story in our [Is Antwerp Worth Visiting?] article.
Grote Markt and the Brabo Fountain
Just a short walk from the cathedral is Grote Markt, Antwerp’s main square. It’s surrounded by beautiful historic buildings, including City Hall, and in the middle is the Brabo Fountain. The sculpture shows a Roman soldier holding the severed hand of a giant, which is a little strange until you hear the local legend. According to the story, the giant demanded payment from ships passing along the Scheldt River and cut off the hands of anyone who refused. Brabo eventually defeated him and threw his hand into the river.
Take a few minutes to walk around the fountain because there’s quite a lot to see, including a turtle with a broken shell. As you explore the surrounding streets, you’ll probably start noticing little hands on chocolates, cookies and other things around the city. You’ll also see statues of the Virgin Mary built into the corners of buildings, something we noticed all over Antwerp.
Het Steen and Lange Wapper
From Grote Markt, walk down toward the Scheldt River to Het Steen, a medieval fortress and Antwerp’s oldest surviving building. It’s right on the waterfront, and even if you don’t go inside, it’s worth stopping to see.
Outside is a statue of Lange Wapper, another giant from Antwerp folklore. Lisa and I thought he looked like Peter Pan standing over a group of little people. According to legend, Lange Wapper could grow or shrink whenever he wanted and enjoyed frightening people who’d had too much to drink. Apparently, Antwerp has quite a history of giants causing trouble.
Midday: Lunch and the St. Anna’s Tunnel
Lunch at Elfde Gebod Riverside
By this point, you’ll probably be ready for lunch. We ate at Elfde Gebod Riverside, near the Scheldt River, and it’s one of the more unusual restaurants we’ve visited. The entire place is filled with religious statues, including life-sized figures of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Even the menu has religious references, with beer listed as holy water and dishes named after biblical figures.
The food was good, but the interior is what made it memorable. There are religious statues everywhere you look, and it’s worth taking a few minutes to look around once you’re inside. We hadn’t seen anything quite like it before, even after living in Italy.
Walk Through St. Anna’s Tunnel
After lunch, head south along the river to St. Anna’s Tunnel, a pedestrian passage that runs underneath the Scheldt. It opened in 1933, and getting down there is half the experience. Two long wooden escalators take you underground, reminding me of the old wooden escalators at Macy’s in New York City.
The tunnel is covered in white tiles and takes about 10 minutes to walk through. It’s brightly lit, although there’s something a little strange about walking that far beneath a river. Lisa thought it looked like something from an old movie, while the smell reminded me of my elementary school.
Take the Free Ferry Back Across the River
When you come out of the tunnel, spend a little time along the waterfront for views back toward Antwerp’s old town. We walked through the nearby park before deciding none of us really wanted to go back through the tunnel again.
BJ found a free ferry that crosses the Scheldt, so we took that instead. It was a nice way to see Antwerp from the water, especially the cathedral rising above the old town. Check the ferry schedule before going, since you may have to wait for the next departure.
Afternoon: Exploring Antwerp
Belgian Fries at Frites Atelier
You can’t visit Belgium without having some fries, and Frites Atelier is one of our favorite places to get them. We first tried it in Ghent and were happy to find another location in Antwerp. It was created by Michelin-starred chef Sergio Herman, and along with the traditional fries, you can order different sauces and toppings that make them into a full meal.
The Antwerp location gets busy, and there isn’t much seating, so you might have to wait for a table. We managed to find one just before our fries were ready. If you’ve already had a big lunch, you can always split an order or save this stop for later in the afternoon.
Stop at Philip’s Biscuits
Right across from Frites Atelier is Philip’s Biscuits, where we bought Antwerpse handjes, traditional butter cookies shaped like little hands. They’re a reference to the Brabo legend from earlier in the day, and once you know the story, you’ll start noticing hands all over Antwerp.
We tried the plain almond cookies and some dipped in chocolate. They’re crisp, buttery and worth picking up, even if you just want something to bring home.
Shopping or a Museum
If you have time before dinner, spend a little while exploring Antwerp’s shops. We noticed quite a few interesting furniture and home design stores, along with vintage and secondhand shops that I’d like to spend more time browsing when we return.
If you’d rather visit a museum, MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) is an option, particularly for its rooftop views over the city and harbor. We didn’t make it there during our weekend, but it’s on our list for next time. Just remember that adding a museum visit will take more time, so you may want to skip one of the earlier stops or the brewery later in the day.
Evening: De Koninck Brewery and Dinner
Visit De Koninck Brewery
If you enjoy Belgian beer, I’d recommend making time for the De Koninck Brewery. It’s in Berchem, about a 15-minute drive from the old town, so you’ll need to take a tram or taxi rather than walk. Check the tour’s opening hours before planning your afternoon around it, particularly if you want to visit before dinner.
The self-guided tour is quite different from a traditional brewery tour. Instead of walking through the production area with a guide, you move through a series of rooms covering the brewery’s history and how beer is made. Some are interactive, including one where you sit inside an old beer van that moves as though you’re driving over cobblestones. You also get two beers during the tour, and there’s a bar afterward where you can order additional tastings. We tried a cherry beer and a sour beer that the bartender recommended because it wasn’t available in bottles.
De Koninck is known for Bolleke, Antwerp’s local amber beer, served in its distinctive round glass. Even Lisa, who isn’t a beer drinker, enjoyed the tour, particularly learning about why different Belgian beers are served in different glasses.
Dinner at Black Smoke
Black Smoke is located at the brewery, so it makes sense to have dinner here if you’re finishing your day at De Koninck. It’s an American-style barbecue restaurant, and the food was some of the best barbecue I’ve had in years.
We hadn’t managed to make a reservation, but BJ somehow talked his way into getting us a table. There was just one condition: we had 45 minutes to eat. We barely had time to look at the menu before plates of ribs, pulled pork and beef arrived. The food was excellent, but the staff weren’t joking about the time limit. When Lisa said she wasn’t finished, the server told her she was, and our drinks were sent downstairs to the bar.
I’d definitely recommend eating here, but make a reservation so you can enjoy your dinner without watching the clock.
Try Elixir d’Anvers
If you have time for a drink after dinner, look for Elixir d’Anvers, a local herbal liqueur that’s been produced in Antwerp since 1863. We tried it at the bar below Black Smoke, and it reminded me of a cross between Chartreuse and Bénédictine.
It’s quite strong served straight, but we all preferred it with a little ice. We like trying the local digestifs when we travel, and this was one we’d never heard of before visiting Antwerp.
Tips for Spending One Day in Antwerp
Wear comfortable shoes. Antwerp’s historic center is easy to explore on foot, but you’ll be walking on cobblestones for much of the day. We covered quite a bit of ground during our weekend, and some of the older streets are uneven.
Make dinner reservations. We had trouble finding available tables on Friday and Saturday night, especially at the more popular restaurants. If you’re planning to eat at Black Smoke after visiting the brewery, I’d book both in advance.
Check the low-emission zone if you’re driving. Antwerp has a low-emission zone covering much of the city center. Our Dutch-registered car didn’t require separate registration, but vehicles registered in many other countries do. Check the requirements on the official Antwerp LEZ website before arriving. We paid around €30 per night for parking near the old town.
Don’t try to do everything. This itinerary covers a full day, but there’s no reason to rush through every stop. If you’re interested in visiting the cathedral or spending a few hours in a museum, skip something else. The brewery is outside the historic center, so that’s an easy stop to leave out if you’d rather stay in the old town.
Bring your dog if you’re traveling with one. We brought Rex and found Antwerp very dog-friendly, with dogs welcome in many of the restaurants and bars we visited. The old town gets busy with pedestrians and cyclists, particularly on weekend evenings, so we found early mornings easier for walking him.
If one day turns into two, our Where to Stay in Antwerp guide covers the best neighborhoods and hotels in the old town.
Listen to Our Antwerp Podcast Episode
We recorded our Antwerp episode right after getting home, with Lisa’s nephew BJ joining us to talk about his first trip to Belgium. We get into the stories behind some of the city’s unusual landmarks, the restaurants we tried and what we thought of Antwerp after spending a weekend there. We also talk about the De Koninck Brewery and our 45-minute dinner at Black Smoke.
