Antwerp was the last stop on our Netherlands/Belgium tour in April of 2022. We had already been to Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Bruges, and Ghent (in that order) and had been away from home for 10 days. We only had one afternoon and one full day in Antwerp.
So here is Antwerp in One Day: What to See.
First, a little bit of information sprinkled in for you;
- Antwerp is the largest city in Belgium, by area, covering 78.96 square miles but is the second largest city after Brussels.
- The River Scheldt runs through Antwerp on its way to the North Sea and the port here is one of the biggest in the world, and the second largest in Europe.
- Antwerp is known for its diamond trade history which dates back to the Middle Ages.
Stop and take in the Antwerpen-Centraal station on your one-day trip to Antwerp.
I know, I know… you’ve just arrived in a new city and want to rush around and see everything you can. I promise you, taking 15-20 minutes to look around Antwerp Central Station is worth it. This definitely needs to be something you add to your “what to see in Antwerp in one day”.
What an incredible train station.
The architecture is just extraordinary. In my opinion, it looks like the inside of a palace! The station is stone with green and gold accents everywhere and marble pillars throughout. The exterior is red iron and has glass windows that tower above the shops and cafes below.
A couple of quick facts on Antwerp (because apparently, that’s what I’m here for today);
- There are 4 platform levels (2 of which are underground) and 14 tracks
- The original building was constructed in 1895 and took 10 years to build.
- The glass train hall is 185 meters long and 44 meters high. It covers 12,000 square feet.
- There were multiple architects and engineers who worked on the building. Some of the most well known are; Louis Delacenserie, Jan Van Asperen, and Clement an Bogaert.
- Between 1998 and 2007 there was some major reconstruction work done on the station. It was transformed from a terminal station to a through the station. Now, it allows high-speed trains to run through the underground!
- It has been voted, by Newsweek magazine, as the world’s fourth greatest train station. In addition, in 2014 it was voted by the British-American magazine, Mashable, as the most beautiful railway station in the world.
Phew, enough facts.
If you’re taking the train to Antwerp, you will eventually just arrive at the station, but if you’re driving, please make sure you take a quick peek. Make sure you head to the upper level to have a look at the clock. Worth every second spent!
I know you say, “It’s just a train station” but due to the massive dome structure above the waiting room hall, the station has been called the “spoorwegkathedraal”, which means the railroad cathedral.
It is definitely deserving of that title, so add this to your list of what to see in Antwerp in one day.
Start in the Diamond District and end with a walk down Meirbrug to Teniersplaats for some shopping.
As I said earlier, Antwerp is known for its Diamond District, which dates back to the Middle Ages. It is definitely something that you should put on your list of what to see in Antwerp in one day.
You can enter the diamond district just outside the Antwerp Centraal Station. It is made up of a couple of blocks that encompass a square mile. Also known as the Diamond Quarter, it currently passes $16 billion dollars in polished diamonds, through the streets yearly. There are 380 workshops that supply 1,500 companies.
You could spend a lot of time in the Diamond District just window shopping, which is, sadly, all I did on this trip. I did work hard at trying to convince Trevor I needed a new wedding band, but alas, I was not successful. His response was “perhaps at 10 years”, so I will gladly remind him when the time comes.
Once you’ve wandered through the Diamond District, head over to Meirbrug & Teniersplaats for some shopping.
We only travel with carry-on bags, so shopping really isn’t an option most of the time. But I can window shop like a champ!
Make sure you take your time as you walk down the street. The architecture of the buildings is incredible. There are some historical buildings sprinkled in there too. It has been said that the Teniersplaats to Meirbrug street is the Belgian equivalent of 5th Avenue in New York. This street also connects Antwerp Central Station and Antwerp City Hall.
There are so many shops along the streets from fast fashion to designers, restaurants to cafes, and electronics to chocolate shops. Apparently, there is an indoor mall there, too! We must have missed it, but that’s probably because the streets were packed and there were just so many shops. Whether you’re shopping or people-watching, take a gander down this street.
If you keep walking, you will eventually get to Our Lady of Antwerp, which is another place you should add to your list of what to see in Antwerp in one day.
Take the escalators up to the top of the Maritime Museum.
The Maritime Museum in Antwerp, also known as The Museum aan de Stroom (Museum by the Stream) is right on the River Scheldt. It’s a 21-minute walk (2.1km) from the Central Station but almost everything you’ll want to see in Antwerp is headed in that direction. Council decided to build a museum in 1998 and by 2011 it had opened its doors to the public.
We didn’t actually go through the museum itself, other than up the 100 escalators we took to the top. Kidding, there were only 10 escalators, but they are LONG escalators. It is a very tall building (60 meters!) There are always multiple exhibitions on, so if that’s your thing then have at it!
It is free to go up to the rooftop terrace and take in the view of Antwerp. You can see almost everything from the roof of the museum. It is quite the view. We actually called Trevor’s parents from the rooftop to show them (obviously with Trevor staying as far away from the glass railings as possible).
If it’s a beautiful day, this is a great way to get an aerial view of Antwerp. You can then officially say that you’ve seen it all!
Pay to enter the Cathedral of our Lady Antwerp
Another cathedral! The Cathedral of our Lady Antwerp is a Roman Catholic Gothic Cathedral that was started in 1352 and completed in 1521. The belfry of this cathedral is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is €12,00 per person to enter and their opening hours are Monday through Friday 10 am – 5 pm, Saturday 10 am – 3 pm, and Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm.
If you are into artwork, the cathedral houses some major works from the artist Peter Paul Rubens. There are also three giant stained-glass windows in the cathedral that are incredibly ornate and jaw-dropping. Make sure you have a look out for them while you’re there.
Currently, there is some construction going on at the exterior entrance of the cathedral.
Everything else inside is recently renovated and beautiful. Lined with marble walls and ceilings, with nice, rich brown wooden accents, this cathedral is incredible.
I think the thing we found the most interesting, was seeing where experts were working on uncovering old murals. They had been painted over with whitewash, due to wars, riots, and revolutions. Like most historic buildings, there have been multiple renovations due to these events and also fires. It is incredible to see someone sitting on a scaffold with a scalpel and water. They are working to uncover the beautiful murals hidden on the church walls.
The last, but not least reason to put the cathedral on your list, is that Our Lady Antwerp is also the largest Gothic church in the low countries. There are also not one, but two organs!
Wander through St. Paul’s Church (Sint-Pauluskerk).
I’ve placed “wander through Sint-Pauluskerk” as the last thing on our suggestions of what to do in Antwerp in one day. That being said, it is definitely not in numerical order by level of importance.
What started as a “hey, there is a Cathedral over there, want to go see it?”, quickly became my favourite thing we did in Antwerp. It is tucked into the buildings that surround it (like most things in Antwerp) and unless you’re looking up into the sky you could actually miss it! The church sort of has an uninspiring entrance that leads you to the main courtyard.
I’m not going to admit that we walked around the building twice, trying to find the entrance. I’m so glad we eventually found it.
This was one of those times in life that starts with a little bit of disappointment. The entrance and the first room you enter in the Church are lined with deep dark wooden carvings and sculptures. It was built and consecrated in 1276 as a Dominican monastery church. It smelled musty and old and both of us looked at each other like, “wow this isn’t like the extraordinary cathedrals we are used to”. I was definitely not prepared for what came next. As we walked into the centre of the Church, both of our jaws dropped…the style of the church completely changed.
The style is called Brabant Rayonnant Gothic.
Tall white vaulted ceilings, large pillars, carved wood sculptures, marble decor, black panelling, (which I haven’t seen before) gold everywhere, and a black and white checkered floor. Just incredible, and the organ?! It screams dark gothic elegance. There are actually two organs here at Sint-Pauluskerk, with a combined total of 4,229 pipes!
Our amazement continued as we walked outside, off the right-hand side of the main altar. There we found a Calvary garden and a crypt! The stone carvings are just breathtaking, and they are everywhere!
We spent well over an hour wandering through Sint-Pauluskerk. Additionally, we got chatting with one of the volunteers about some of the bones that were displayed throughout. There’s a funny story, but a story for another day. Send us a message if you want to hear about it!
The church is open to entering daily from April 1st to October 31st from 2 pm – 5 pm and from November 1st to March 31st they are only open Saturdays and Sundays from 2 pm – 5 pm. The entrance fee is €5,00 per person, which is extremely reasonable for the beauty that you will be privileged to see. Add this to your list of what to do in Antwerp in one day. You won’t regret it.
Other noteworthy things to see in Antwerp;
Where we stayed
Hotel NH Collection, Antwerp.
This beautiful hotel is only a 4-minute walk from the Antwerp Centraal Station and a 27-minute walk across the city from the River Scheldt. It’s a great location if you enjoy walking and taking in the wonders of the city.
The NH Collection is modern and classy, the staff is extremely helpful, and our room was absolutely spotless and quite spacious. The bed was also ridiculously comfortable! We were early to check in and they stored our luggage for us, no question. Also, quick tip… they give away candy, apples, and cucumber water in these cute little jars by the main doors (you’re welcome!).
It was a bit pricier of a stay than we usually book but it was great at the tail end of our 2-week Netherlands/Belgium city tour. You do get what you pay for! Our room opened up to the garden, too, in the centre of the building, so it was quiet and so relaxing at night.
There is a gym, a restaurant, bar, and they allow pets! We really enjoyed our stay here and wouldn’t mind trying other NH Collections in the future!