Rubenshuis

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Lonely Planet review

Rubenshuis, the prestigious home and studio of the city's most celebrated painter, Pieter Paul Rubens, it was little more than a ruin when acquired by the city in 1937. Superbly restored along original lines, it's now Antwerp's chief attraction, despite the fact that only a handful of Rubens' lesser works are exhibited here. Rubens built this beautiful Flemish baroque mansion in 1611 when he was 34 years old; he died here 29 years later.

The building is divided in two: on the left are the living quarters and an elaborate art gallery where Rubens displayed sculptures and paintings by artists he admired; to the right you'll see the master's studio where he taught and worked. Near the entrance is a baroque portico, and beyond this lies a formal garden. Much of the furniture inside the house dates from Rubens' era but was not part of the original décor.

It's just off the Meir, on a nondescript square known as Wapper.