The Fashion District, the hip Het Zuid neighbourhood and attractions such as the Red Star Line Museum make Antwerp unique in Belgium.
Antwerp: Not like the rest of Belgium
Cool is not generally seen as Belgium’s strong suit. Overcrowded Bruges is all picturesque canals, horse and cart rides and chocolate shops, while Brussels does the politics and serious beer pubs.
Antwerp is the odd one out in this cosy contented land of confectionary, chips and meaty stews, partly due to its historic role as the global centre of the diamond industry,
At the very least, it’s worth a day trip on the Amsterdam to Antwerp train.
Antwerp’s Diamond District vs its Fashion District
The Diamond District near the fabulously grandiose Antwerp Centraal station is surprisingly workaday – the buyers here are serious traders rather than fly-by-nights easily impressed by shiny things and slick presentation. But the Fashion District more than makes up for this lack of flamboyance. A loose collective known as the Antwerp Six put Antwerp on the fashion map in the 80s, and the lavishly bold floral prints in Dries Van Noten’s Modepaleis are indicative of the unashamedly quirky clothing you can find around Kammenstraat.
Five great things to do in Antwerp
- 🍺 Taste fantastic local beers – on an Antwerp brewing heritage tour.
- 🌙 Enjoy an evening walking tour – and discover Antwerp’s dark side.
- 🚢 See the ships industry and sights in Europe’s second-biggest port – on a harbour cruise.
- 🚲 Take a bike tour – and cover more of Antwerp’s highlights.
- 📖 Learn Antwerp’s best stories and legends – on a walking tour.
Het Zuid and the docklands
A little further south, Het Zuid is Antwerp’s schmoozing zone, with modern art galleries and hip bar-restaurant hybrids such as slavishly seafoody Fiskebar. But its most remarkable transformations have come north of the centre, where the former docklands have been radically overhauled, with serious cultural heavyweights amongst the squadrons of restaurants.
Antwerp’s museums
The Red Star Line Museum does a marvellous job of telling the story of mass migration from Europe to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And architecturally bold flagship museum MAS dares to be different, tackling loose themes such as trade and symbols of power with flashy, interactive presentation.
Just like the city itself, it’s an unexpected jolt of modernity.
More Antwerp travel
Other Antwerp travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- How quick is the Amsterdam to Antwerp train?
- 5 excellent reasons to make a day trip to Antwerp.
- Planning your visit to the Plantin-Moretus Museum.
- How to spend the perfect weekend in Antwerp.
- What to see at Antwerp Cathedral.
