2 days in Antwerp

Day by day

1. Day 1: Cathedral of Our Lady and Grote Markt and City Hall

   Cathedral of Our Lady, Grote Markt and City Hall, Museum Plantin-Moretus and Het Steen, then Around the cathedral in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Cathedral of Our Lady

      Inside hang four Rubens altarpieces, including The Elevation of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross, made famous in Europe through the novel A Dog of Flanders.

   2. Late morning

      Grote Markt and City Hall

      In the centre, the Brabo fountain shows the legendary Roman soldier throwing the giant's severed hand, a story linked to the city's name.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Belgian fries

      Frituur (fry shops) across the city, including around the Groenplaats and the Meir.

   4. Afternoon

      Museum Plantin-Moretus

      The home and printing business of Christophe Plantin and his Moretus descendants, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, keeps its 16th-century workshops, two of the oldest surviving printing presses, original typefaces and a library of rare books, around a courtyard garden.

   5. Late afternoon

      Het Steen

      In front of it stands a statue of Lange Wapper, a giant from local folklore.

   6. Evening

      Around the cathedral

      Historic beer cafés and pubs in the old town lanes.

2. Day 2: Antwerp Central Station and Antwerp Zoo

   Antwerp Central Station, Antwerp Zoo, KMSKA (Royal Museum of Fine Arts) and MAS (Museum aan de Stroom), then Het Zuid in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Antwerp Central Station

      It is often called the railway cathedral.

   2. Late morning

      Antwerp Zoo

      Founded in 1843 next to what is now Central Station, Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world, with 19th-century animal houses such as the Egyptian temple-style elephant building, an aquarium and a planetarium, alongside modern enclosures.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Moules-frites

      Brasseries around the Grote Markt and in the old town.

   4. Afternoon

      KMSKA (Royal Museum of Fine Arts)

      Reopened in 2022 after an 11-year renovation, the KMSKA displays Flemish masters including Jan van Eyck, Rubens and Jordaens in its 19th-century galleries, and the world's largest James Ensor collection, along with Magritte and other modern artists in new white galleries inside the old building.

   5. Late afternoon

      MAS (Museum aan de Stroom)

      Escalators wind up through a glass gallery to a free rooftop with a 360-degree view over the docks, river and old town.

   6. Evening

      Het Zuid

      Wine bars, cocktail bars and late restaurants around the museum quarter.

Before you go

• KMSKA (Royal Museum of Fine Arts): Booking a timed slot online is recommended at weekends.

If it rains

• Swap in Red Star Line Museum (Eilandje): Climb the museum's tower for a view over the Eilandje and the river.
• Swap in MoMu Fashion Museum (Sint-Andries): Follow it with a browse along Nationalestraat and Kammenstraat's boutiques.
• Swap in Vleeshuis (Oude Stad): Look at the building's banded façade from Vleeshouwersstraat for the best angle.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 11–14 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.9 hours in December to 16.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The Meir links Central Station to the old town; the Grote Markt, cathedral, Plantin-Moretus, Het Steen and the fashion district are all within 10–15 minutes of each other.

More or fewer days

• One day in Antwerp
• 3 days in Antwerp

Questions travellers ask