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Antwerp Museums and Sights
A Timeless Guide to Art, Heritage & Family Fun
Discover Antwerp museums and sights. Antwerp is a city that wears its history like a well-tailored coat—elegant, layered, and full of unexpected details. Here, Rubens painted in mansion studios, printers changed the course of literature, diamonds found their sparkle, and avant-garde fashion took flight. Within a short tram ride you can move from a UNESCO-listed printworks to a sculpture park teeming with Rodins, or duck into a palace once owned by Napoleon before emerging into Belgium’s grandest train station. This guide cuts through the noise with a curated list of the city’s best museums, landmark buildings, hidden corners and family-friendly adventures.
Antwerp’s Masterpieces & City Icons
The heavyweight institutions where the city’s defining art, print heritage, and skyline anchors take centre stage. Antwerp’s soul lives in its showstoppers; museums and monuments that shaped European art, print culture and urban design. Start here for Rubens altarpieces, UNESCO-listed presses, and panoramic river views that anchor any first-time visit.
KMSKA
Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp The city’s flagship art palace reopened in 2022 after an eleven‑year makeover, revealing 8,400 m² of new white‑cube galleries behind its 19th‑century façade. Expect Rubens, Ensor, and rotating headline exhibitions.
Leopold de Waelplaats 1
www.kmska.be
MAS
Museum aan de Stroom. Ten stacked “storage boxes” clad in red sandstone tell Antwerp’s story of trade, migration and art. Panoramic terraces gift 360° river views, while current highlight shows juxtapose African masks with immersive VR storytelling.
Hanzestedenplaats 1
www.mas.be
Plantin-Moretus (UNESCO)
Museum Plantin-Moretus is home to the world’s oldest printing presses (c.1600) and a UNESCO‑listed archives room scented with antique leather. Immersive light projections bring Gutenberg‑era type to life.
Vrijdagmarkt 22
www.museumplantinmoretus.be
Antwerp Central Station
A 1905 masterpiece that fuses Art Nouveau ironwork with a marble-clad concourse and glass-domed train shed. Three levels of tracks glide beneath a grand staircase beloved by photographers.
Koningin Astridplein 27
www.belgiantrain.be
Middelheim Museum
A 30‑hectare sculpture park where works by Rodin, Kapoor and Ai Weiwei mingle with century‑old oaks and roaming parakeets.
Middelheimlaan 61
www.middelheimmuseum.be
Grote Markt & City Hall
A Renaissance showpiece lined with gabled guild houses and crowned by the 1565 City Hall, freshly restored to its polychrome glory. The Brabo fountain at the centre recounts the city’s founding myth of a severed giant’s hand.
Grote Markt 1
www.antwerpen.be
M HKA
Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp. Recently expanded, M HKA’s concrete halls host revolving shows from Belgian disruptors; think Panamarenko rockets and Walter Van Beirendonck installations.
Leuvenstraat 32
www.muhka.be
Cathedral of Our Lady
Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal. Blazing Gothic stonework meets Baroque drama inside Belgium’s tallest church spire. Four Rubens altarpieces hang where they were meant to be seen; flooded with northern light; while side chapels hide centuries of devotional art.
Groenplaats 21
www.dekathedraal.be
Mayer van den Bergh
Museum Mayer van den Bergh. Step into the private trove of 19th‑century collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh, best known for owning Bruegel’s madcap Dulle Griet before anyone rated it.
Lange Gasthuisstraat 19
www.museummayervandenbergh.be
Fashion, Design & Diamonds
Antwerp dresses its creativity in many fabrics ; silk on the runway, silver on the table, and carbon transformed into brilliance. In this section, you’ll step from MoMu’s ever-changing fashion halls to a diamond museum where fluorescent stones glow under UV. Then out into the Diamond District itself ; Pelikaanstraat, Schupstraat and Rijfstraat, where cutters, graders and dealers still make the city glitter. Add a sculpture park stroll at Middelheim to see how design spills outdoors, and you’ve got a full spectrum of Antwerp style: wearable, collectible and monumental.
MoMu
Fashion Museum Antwerp. Belgian fashion gets the blockbuster treatment via immersive scenography that changes with each exhibition. Recent spotlighted: Raf Simons’ textile experiments and Ann Demeulemeester’s archives.
Nationalestraat 28
www.momu.be
DIVA
Museum for Diamonds, Jewellery & Silver. Six themed rooms trace 575 years of Antwerp sparkle—from rough stones to Oscar‑night tiaras—complete with hands‑on polishing demos.
Suikerrui 17‑19
www.divaantwerp.be
FOMU
Fotomuseum Antwerpen. Warehouse‑style galleries showcase cutting‑edge lens‑based art; highlights often include Zanele Muholi’s portraits and climate‑crisis photo essays.
Waalsekaai 47
www.fomu.be
Antwerp Diamond District
Behind Central Station in a grid often called the Square Mile; there are four exchanges, two hundred cutters and more than 1 400 registered dealers channel about eighty per cent of the world’s rough stones, a spectacle best observed from Hoveniersstraat where couriers in numbered vests trot between guard posts under constant police watch. Feel the high-security hum, compare certified stones and peek into select ateliers by appointment.
Rijfstraat, Hoveniersstraat, Schupstraat,
www.awdc.be
Ajediam Exclusive Antwerp Diamonds
If buying a diamond is on your Antwerp itinerary, don’t forget to stop by Ajediam. We service an international clientele since 1986 with some of Antwerp’s most exclusive diamonds . Book an appointment ahead of time and let our team know what you are looking for. We will prepare a bespoke selection of beautiful diamonds and a visit of our in-house fine jewelry atelier to create the perfect jewel for you.
Hoveniersstraat 19
www.ajediam.com
Family Activities & Kids Friendly Fun
Between masterpiece-hopping and cathedral climbs, kids (and kid-at-heart adults) deserve a change of pace. This section bundles rain-proof thrills, chocolate-fuelled workshops, VR ship-piloting, parakeet-packed parks and even a 1930s escalator ride under the river. Most are clustered around Central Station or a quick tram hop away, so you can slot them between museums without losing momentum.
Zoo Antwerpen
One of the world’s oldest city zoos (1843), famed for Art Deco enclosures and conservation-driven habitats for okapis and gorillas. Historic aquarium, butterfly garden and behind-the-scenes keeper talks for kids.
Koningin Astridplein 26
www.zooantwerpen.be
Plopsa Station Antwerp
Indoor theme park inside Central Station filled with Studio 100 characters, slides, soft-play zones and interactive rides. Weather-proof fun in a landmark building, perfect for rainy afternoons.
Koningin Astridplein 20
www.plopsastationantwerpen.be
St. Anna Pedestrian Tunnel
1933 wooden escalators descend to a 572-metre Art Deco tunnel under the Scheldt. Pop out on the Left Bank for Antwerp’s best skyline photo-op and a riverside playground.
Sint-Jansvliet 1
www.antwerpen.be
Chocolate Nation
Europe’s largest chocolate experience pairs scent tunnels with unlimited tastings of ruby, dark and single-origin bars. Pour and personalise your own praline, kids love the DIY chocolate tap.
Koningin Astridplein 7
www.chocolatenation.be
Portopolis
Free interactive hub from the Port of Antwerp-Bruges where kids can pilot a virtual container ship up the Scheldt via VR periscope. A gigantic light-up port model that responds in real time.
Sint-Pietersvliet 7
www.portofantwerpbruges.com/portopolis
More Historic Houses, Palaces & Castles around Antwerp
Golden Age mansions, Napoleonic palaces and moated country estates, each a time capsule with its own Flemish flourish. From merchant homes stuffed with Rubens sketches to rococo pleasure palaces and neo-Tudor castles ringed by ponds, Antwerp’s heritage stretches well beyond museum walls. Expect gilded salons, brewery catwalks, mirrored ballrooms and picnic-perfect parks: living history you can walk, sip, and wander through at your own pace.
Snijders & Rockox House
Twin Golden‑Age mansions showcase still‑life master Frans Snijders and humanist mayor Nicolaas Rockox. Period rooms burst with peacocks, pomegranates and Rubens sketches.
Keizerstraat 10‑12
www.snijdersrockoxhuis.be
Rubenshuis
While the original house is undergoing renovations, a high‑tech pop‑up next door uses floor‑to‑ceiling projections to plunge you inside Rubens’ studio, garden and social network.
Wapper 7
www.rubenshuis.be
Het Steen Castle
Antwerp’s oldest building, part medieval fortress, part modern visitor centre ; guarding the Scheldt since the 13th century. Inside, interactive exhibits introduce the city’s history and the panoramic rooftop terrace.
Steenplein 1
www.hetsteen.be
Antwerp Port House
Zaha Hadid’s crystalline “ship” hovers over a restored fire station—an instant icon of Antwerp’s maritime future. The angles glitter by day and glow at night.
Zaha Hadidplein 1
www.portofantwerpbruges.com
Hendrik Conscience Library
A 19th-century reading room straight from a bibliophile’s dream: floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a celestial globe and golden light filtering through stained glass.
Hendrik Conscienceplein 4
www.consciencebibliotheek.be
St. Paul’s Church
Baroque exuberance meets Gothic bones, crowned by a dramatic Calvary garden outside and vibrant altarpieces inside, rich Dominican history.
Veemarkt 14
www.sintpaulusantwerpen.be
De Koninck
A theatrical self-guided tour through Antwerp’s 190-year-old brewery: glass bridges soar above brewing vats, scents fill the halls and your stroll ends with a Bolleke straight from the source.
Mechelsesteenweg 291
www.dekoninck.be
Paleis op de Meir
This 18th-century city palace once hosted Napoleon and King William I; today you can wander restored salons, browse boutiques and sip hot chocolate beneath glittering chandeliers.
Meir 50
www.paleisopdemeir.be
Castle Den Brandt
A neoclassical manor set in an English landscape park; think rolling lawns, ponds, rare trees and summertime jazz festivals under open skies.
Beukenlaan 12
www.antwerpen.be
Beguinage
Slip through an unassuming gate on Rodestraat and you’re in a hushed 16th-century courtyard of whitewashed houses, herb gardens and a tiny chapel where Antwerp’s beguines once lived semi-cloistered lives.
Rodestraat 39
www.visitantwerpen.be
St. James’ Church
Often overlooked, this lavish Baroque church shelters Rubens’ tomb and a cluster of ornate chapels funded by Antwerp’s merchant elite.
Lange Nieuwstraat 73
www.sintjacobantwerpen.be
De Ruien
Explore Antwerp’s restored medieval canals and sewers on a guided walkway beneath the city with hard hats, boots and stories of the underworld included.
Suikerrui 21
www.deruien.be
Zurenborg
A streetscape of fin-de-siècle mansions with turrets, mosaics and stained glass, built by the 19th-century bourgeoisie to outdo each other in style.
Zurenborg Quarter, most famously Cogels-Osylei
www.visitantwerpen.be
St. Charles Borromeo
A theatrical Baroque showpiece designed with Rubens’ hand, stucco angels, marbled wood that’s actually paint, and a main altar with a hidden pulley system to swap paintings.
Hendrik Conscienceplein 12
www.sintcarolusborromeus.be
Last Glance, Lasting Impressions
It is hard to do Antwerp justice is such short format articles. There is always more to visit, always more to discover. Antwerp is best savoured in layers—one museum hall, hidden courtyard, or riverside sunset at a time. Let this guide be your compass, but leave space for detours: a quiet beguinage gate ajar, a jazz riff drifting from a park pavilion, the creak of those 1930s wooden escalators down to the Scheldt. When your feet are tired and your camera full, you’ll find the city has slipped under your skin—part masterpiece, part playground, wholly unforgettable.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article. As a thank-you for making it to the end, we’ve created a Google Map with all the museums, landmarks, and family-friendly gems mentioned above to help you plan your perfect day in Antwerp.