Antwerp Sights

  1. 't Bootje

    Although Zurenborg has the city's most dense concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, another fine example can be seen in 't Zuid and is just a short walk from the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten. 't Bootje has a little ship-shaped balcony that is part of a 1901 townhouse called De Vijf Continenten (The Five Continents).

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  2. Antwerpen Zoo

    Antwerp Zoo ranks among the world's oldest. It opened in 1843 during Belgium's colonial heyday - its age is immediately evident by the striking lion and tiger mosaic panels that greet visitors. The 10-hectare park is home to an extremely diverse range of animals; some (such as the penguins) live in state-of-the-art enclosures but others are still in shoddy cages. The zoo is constantly upgrading accommodation and it also has a good reputation for its breeding programme.

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  3. Aquatopia

    Aquatopia, inside the Astrid Park Plaza Hotel near Central Station, is a watery hit. Newly revamped, it's now one of the most interactive and realistic marine theme parks in Europe. Let multilingual Fibu the octopus guide the kids.

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  4. Brabo Fountain

    The voluptuous, baroque Brabo Fountain rises from a rough pile of rocks in the centre of the Grote Markt. Crafted in 1887 by Jef Lambeaux (who lived at Grote Markt 44), it depicts the legend of Antwerp's name.

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  5. Centraal Station

    One of the city's premier landmarks is the extraordinary Centraal Station, designed by Louis Delacenserie at the start of the 20th century in a harmonious blend of styles. Steps lead from the main hall with its enormous dome up to the glass-covered train platforms above. The station and adjoining Koningin Astridplein have been undergoing massive works for years to accommodate the Eurostar and Thalys fast trains, thus directly linking the city to London and the rest of Europe. .

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  7. Cogels-Osylei

    This area, about 2km southeast of Centraal Station, is famed for the eclectic architecture found in a handful of streets. The showcase is Cogels-Osylei, a bazaar of all possible house styles. Here the city's affluent citizens went wild a century ago, creating competing and highly contrasting façades ranging in style from Art Nouveau and Flemish baroque to neoclassical and neo-Renaissance. Roofs and towers spiked with onion tops or witches' hats, wrought-iron balconies, bay windows, slate tiles, stained glass and mosaics…you name it, this street's got it.

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  8. Dagbladmuseum

    Those really into printing should consider visiting the Dagbladmuseum. It was here that the world's first newspaper, Nieuwe Tydinghen, was invented by Abraham Verhoeven in 1606. The museum doesn't have standard opening hours, so call ahead.

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  9. De Morgenster

    An exquisite Art Nouveau example along Cogels-Osylei is the De Morgenster built in 1904.

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  10. De Vier Seizoenen

    Mosaics are at their best at De Vier Seizoenen, designed in 1899 by the architect Bascourt.

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  11. De Zwarte Panter

    Established in the heady days of 1968, the 'Black Panther' art gallery continues to redefine contemporary art through its exhibitions.

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  13. Diamantmuseum

    The city's role as a world diamond centre can be explored at the Diamantmuseum. With an English-language audio guide in hand, start on the 3rd floor and let one of seven virtual guides assist in your quest for the perfect stone. The whole thing is very Antwerp - from the sultry fashions worn by the guides to the proud exhibits showing diamond-studded jeans. There's a special 'touch route' for visually impaired visitors.

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  14. Diamondland

    If diamonds are beyond your budget, you can watch them being cut and set during daily shows at at this vast 1000-sq-metre diamond-showroom. If they're not, this is one of the verified sales points of the Antwerp Diamond Jewellers Association (ADJA; www.adja.be), which oversees quality control.

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  15. Etnografisch Museum

    Next to the stadhuis entrance, the Etnografisch Museum contains a highly respected collection of traditional artefacts from around the world.

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  16. Euterpia

    The Euterpia, from 1906, follows Greek neoclassical lines - the door handle even resembles an Olympic torch.

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  17. FotoMuseum

    Five blocks south of MuHKA and with an excellent reputation is the newly renovated and expanded FotoMuseum. Once again housed in a renovated warehouse, this museum has a huge collection of B&W photographs, old portraits and ancient cameras. One of the highlights is the Keizerspanorama, a huge, motorised, slide-viewing contraption built in 1905 for Antwerp Zoo. In the evening you can take in a golden-oldie film in one of two auditoria.

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  19. Grote Markt

    As in every great Flemish city, life in Antwerp radiates out from the Grote Markt, a vast, pedestrianised, triangular market square presided over by the impressive Renaissance-style stadhuis.

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  20. Help U Zelve

    Help U Zelve is arguably the city's most beautiful and harmonious Art Nouveau façade. Built in 1901 by architects Van Asperen and Van Averbeke, it features mosaics and strongly geometric wrought-iron work. It's now used as a Rudolph Steiner school.

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  21. Hoge Raad voor Diamant

    To get a glimpse of the amount of diamonds (and gold) being traded, just wander along Pelikaanstraat, Vestingstraat or Hoveniersstraat at any time during the day (on Saturday many shops are closed for Sabbath, the Jewish holy day). These high-security streets are also home to important financing banks and the industry's governing body, the Hoge Raad voor Diamant.

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  22. Huize Zonnebloem

    An exquisite Art Nouveau example along Cogels-Osylei is the Huize Zonnebloem, built by Jules Hofman in 1900.

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  23. Justitiepaleis

    The city's new Justitiepaleis, reminiscent of Sydney's Opera House, will blow away any preconceptions that architecture in Antwerp is all old hat. The work of renowned British architect Richard Rogers, the man behind London's Lloyd's building and Paris' Pompidou Centre, its gleaming sails can easily be seen rising at the end of Amerikalei, down the southern end of 't Zuid. This area has largely been left begging in recent decades, but this flashy new addition has already sparked a real-estate boom.

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  25. Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten

    The Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten is a monumental neoclassical edifice built at the end of the 19th century. Its stately rooms house an impressive collection of paintings dating from the 14th century to contemporary times and includes works by Flemish masters.

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  26. Kruidtuin

    Secret garden fans shouldn't miss the city's tiny Kruidtuin. Originally the herb garden of St Elisabethgasthuis, a hospital that dates back to medieval times, this informal garden has 2000 plant species and, despite its diminutive size, is a great getaway from crowds and vehicles.

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  27. Les Mouettes

    Art Nouveau swirls and mosaic façades can be found at Les Mouettes, built in 1905.

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  28. Maagdenhuis

    In the 16th and 17th centuries the Maagdenhuis was an orphanage and refuge for girls of poor families. Today it's home to a small art collection. As you enter, note the delicate sandstone carvings of young girls above the archway. Of the museum's exhibits, the most nostalgic items are the playing cards, or identification tokens. These cards were cut in half when girls were brought into the refuge - one piece was retained by the parent and the other kept with the child.

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  29. Mode Museum

    Fashion followers must start with Antwerp's mode museum, MoMu. It's located in the much-celebrated ModeNatie complex, home also to both the Flanders Fashion Institute and the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Sticking firmly to avant-garde, MoMu changes its exhibits every six months.

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