What to see in Antwerp in One Day
If you are in Brussels and you are looking for a day trip, look no further than Antwerp!
This riverside city is full of charm and history. It used to be a major trading center, and to this day it is still the second biggest port in Europe. While there is a lot of history to go through, you can most definitely see all of the city’s highlights in one day.
If you are the kind of traveler who loves a tour, you can use my unique Viator link to book incredible one day tours in Antwerp. If you are not that kind of traveler, then read on my friend because I’m going to tell you what to see in Antwerp in ONE day!
What to see in Antwerp in One Day?
So what is there to see in Antwerp in just ONE day? Well, I’ll tell you!
1. Antwerp’s City Hall
Your first stop needs to be Antwerp’s City Hall in the town square. This is a MUST see in Antwerp.
In 1999, Antwerp’s town hall became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This gorgeous structure features Renaissance architecture and it has been in use since the sixteenth century! The flags that are hanging belong to the countries in the European Union and to countries who also have consulates in Antwerp.
Pro tip: If you really want to get beautiful shots of this place without many tourists around, consider going early in the morning, or during the shoulder season which starts around September/October. I was there towards the end of September this year, and I saw the city hall at around 8am. As you can see, my husband and I got the place all to ourselves!
2. Het Steen
A short walk from the town square (about ten minutes), you can visit Het Steen. There is a museum area that requires a ticket to enter, but you can see most of this fortress completely free of charge!
Seriously, you can just walk in!
Het Steen is a medieval fortress that was built between 1200 to 1225, making it Antwerp’s oldest building. As you walk through it you will learn about the city’s complicated history. At the top of the fortress you can stop and take a picture of the port, or simply take in the views.
3. Museum Plantin-Moretus
When I say that this place blew my mind, I mean it. It BLEW me away! You might not know this, but I am a nerd. I love history and I especially love museums. I have been to over fifty museums all around the world. So when I say that this is one of the most unique museums I have EVER been to, you know it has to be good!
My fellow book nerds, you will fall in love with this place too!
The Museum Plantin-Moretus was once the home, office, and operating printing business of Christophe Plantin and his descendants, the Moretus family.
Plantin was a businessman, and in the Antwerp of the 1500s, printing books was good business. His success was so great that for a long time he held ties with the richest and most famous people of the time all throughout Europe. The books printed in his printing room eventually made it all over the world.
In the old printing room, museum guests can see the two oldest printing presses in the world, and as they walk through the house and the gardens they can go through 300 years of printing press history! (After 300 years, printing was no longer a profitable business and one of Cristophe’s descendants sold the mansion to the city of Antwerp so that they could turn it into a museum.)
A ticket to the museum costs 12 euro. They give you a bracelet that lets staff know that you’ve paid. As long as you have this bracelet on, you can come in and out of the museum as you please.
Antwerp is also known for its diamond industry, but unfortunately the diamond museum was closed when I visited in September of 2022.
From my experience, you can see all of Antwerp in about two days, but if you are only going to be there for a short time, then these are my top #3 recommendations.
Enjoy the beauty of Antwerp! Happy travels!