Hidden Antwerp Walking Tour: Half a Century of History, Art and Fashion

The Italian writer Lodovico Guicciardini called Antwerp “the most beautiful city in the world” in the 1500s. The French writer Victor Hugo found it “literally overflowing with art.” On this walking tour around the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, you’ll discover secret squares, forgotten monuments and hidden spots that many tourists never find.

Starting outside the striking Renaissance architecture of Antwerp City Hall, you’ll explore the old harbour quarter, the vibrant fashion district and the quiet streets around the mediaeval meat hall. Along the way, I’ll point out some of the city’s most unique establishments, including Goudsmederij Wim Meeussen (an art nouveau jewellery shop), Günther Watté (a gorgeous chocolate shop) and the quirky concept store, Books&Booze Antwerpen.

As you walk down Stoelstraat, one of the city’s oldest streets, you’ll feel the atmosphere of 15th-century Antwerp. You’ll be introduced to some of the people who lived here, including the writer Willem Elsschot and the artist Pieter Paul Rubens. I’ll also share stories about iconic fictional characters, like the figure from Flemish folklore that could change forms, who you’ll hear about at the Lange Wapper Statue. At Brabo’s Monument, a famous fountain, I’ll tell you about the fabled Roman soldier who saved the city from a giant. You’ll also get to know some of the best spots to stop for a coffee or an Antwerp beer.

Other highlights on this 90-minute tour include:

• Visiting Café Beveren, the bar where you can hear the last dance organ in Antwerp
• Learning about the spire that was never built at Cathedral of Our Lady, and the flying bombs that tore Antwerp apart in 1944
• Discovering the strange origin of the city’s name and find out why it’s dotted with statues of the Virgin and Child
• Hearing the story of the students, drag queens and sex workers who saved precious paintings inside Sint Pauluskerk (St Paul’s church)
• Finding out the connection between a marble sculpture representing the children’s book A Dog of Flanders and the TV series that brought thousands of Japanese fans to Antwerp
• Learning how to order a beer and a portion of perfect fries with mayonnaise at local establishments like Paters Vaetje, Witzli Poetzli, Elfde Gebod, Café de Kat Antwerpen or Vertigo Antwerpen, a romantic candlelit cocktail bar set in a vaulted cellar that dates back to the 1100s
• Spotting a giant mushroom mural by the street artist who married herself
• Shopping for an unusual souvenir at the gorgeous Plantin Moretus Museum, dedicated to printing

The tour ends on a terrace overlooking the River Scheldt near Het Steen, Antwerp’s oldest building.

If Antwerp sounds like your sort of place, let me be your guide. You’ll end this walk with a better understanding of the city’s fascinating history and unique character – and you might even decide that Antwerp is your favourite city.