What to see in Antwerp in 1 day on your own – but not much. This is how a tourist, inexperienced in sightseeing tours, argues. And an experienced traveler will lay out a route that will allow you to see the main sights. At the same time, the movements will not be exhausting and exhausting. And snacks in the restaurants and cafes closest to the viewing points will allow you to get acquainted with the local cuisine. Just one day is required for the first acquaintance with the amazing city of Europe!

Central station

Looking at this majestic building, the traveler experiences a feeling of Deja Vu. Like, already been and seen. Yes, I really saw it, but in the cinema. This building has been filmed in many films and television series, so it is impossible not to recognize it. It was decided to build the station on the site of an old wooden building at the end of the 19th century. There was money in the country: it came from the colonies. But the city authorities decided that the building should be more magnificent than the Brussels railway station.

Louis Delasenzeri carried out an eclectic project, adding neo-gothic. He tried to connect the Pantheon and the railway station in Switzerland. And in 1905 the building was solemnly opened. But the station did not please with splendor for long: in the middle of the 20th century it fell into disrepair and required partial restoration. But the work was fully completed only by the end of the 20th century, combining restoration with reconstruction.

Today's station is an architectural monument and transport hub. Everything is provided here for the comfort of passengers:

The traveler will have a good time while waiting for the train, especially since all rooms are protected from rain and snow.

Zoo

You don't need to go far to visit the zoo: it is located 100-200 m from the railway station. Now there are excellent collections of reptiles, polar animals – Vriesland Park, tropical butterflies. There are children‘s “playgrounds” – Kinderzoo. And the ticket (when purchased on the official website) is available to the visitor with the lowest income.

But once everything was different:

The first exhibition offered a look at several goats, horses and the taxidermy collection of the zoo director.
The ticket cost more than the worker earned in a month.
The territory of the zoo was 1.5 hectares.

And not everything went smoothly:

A Bengal tiger escaped and was killed.
The rhinoceros escaped from the enclosure and attacked the watchman.
Due to negligence, the monkey enclosure burned down.
During World War II, the collection of reptiles was completely destroyed. Ungulates were caught and eaten by local residents.

After the end of the war, a slow recovery began. But at the same time, the exposition was expanded and supplemented: this is due to a change in the attitude of man to the environment. In the 80s of the last century, the zoo was recognized as a monument. At the beginning of the 21st century, reconstruction began.

Diamond Museum

Immediately behind the zoo, on Koningin Astridplein 19 – 23, is the Diamond Museum. Why is this exhibition worth visiting? Because for more than 5 centuries, the jewelers of this city have been cutting gems for the nobles and royal families of Europe.

What to look for:

Products from precious stones. There are personalized diamonds (Rubens brooch, Marilyn Monroe jewelry). Non-standard solutions attract: jeans made of diamonds.
Copies of unique diamonds. Tour guides are proud of the imitation of the Kohinoor diamond, the original belongs to the British royal family.
Tools used and used by jewelers when working with stones.

The creators of the museum did not ignore the fans of interactive excursions. They are offered virtual journeys for perfect diamonds. Tourists can watch a film about the development of jewelry. Sometimes tourists participate in shows where jewelers demonstrate the process of cutting precious stones. This is a beautiful light show. It is noteworthy that special excursions have been developed for tourists with hearing and vision problems.

Rubens House

Rubens bought a plot of land in 1611, and in 1620 a house with a workshop already stood on this site. The construction aroused interest among local residents and delight among visitors. The hospitable house was visited by noble persons: Marie de Medici, Isabella, Archduchess of the Netherlands, the English Duke of Buckingham. Rubens willingly met with people of art.

After the death of the painter, the house changed several owners and was significantly rebuilt: at one time there was a riding school for royalty. The city authorities wanted to purchase the building and create a Rubens museum in it. But it was only in 1936 that the plan was realized. After a long restoration, the house became available for visiting. Legally, the building is part of the Anwerp Royal Museum of Fine Arts. Today, on the second floor, tourists get acquainted with the decoration of the artist's living rooms.

Visitors pass through the gallery to the workshop. The main attraction is the black marble fireplace. The door is very high: this is necessary in order to make it convenient to take out the pictures. The garden has also been restored. The statues of Bacchus and Hercules that adorned it have survived. But the statue of Ceres has been lost. But in the garden you can admire an old fragment of the wall of the corporation of arquebusiers. Once the land holdings were adjacent. The entire exposition is aimed at making it clear that the great artist lived sensibly and rationally.

Botanical Garden

The year of foundation of the Botanical Garden is considered to be 1825, although the cultivation of medicinal plants began here in 1804. A local pharmacist set up a small garden where he grew healthy herbs for medical students. Many of them could not stand the winter cold, so they were dug up and kept in the basement. In 1826, a greenhouse was included in the Botanical Garden, which still exists, and an alpine house, where a bar operates today. The greenhouse has a rich collection of tropical plants. Unfortunately, it is impossible to visit it.

The modern garden is complemented by a fish pond. They say that earlier medical leeches were bred in the reservoir, which were used to bleed the sick. The complex is divided into zones. One of them is called the Garden of Poets. Literary readings and meetings are held here. The botanical garden is a landmark of the city. It is protected and landscaped. Locals like to relax here on weekends and during the day.

Monument to Peter I

Emperor Peter went to Antwerp to study shipbuilding. He called himself Peter Alekseev. The Dutch, on the other hand, were subdued by the industriousness of the young king and his modesty. When he was recognized and invited to a reception in his honor, Peter came and impressed everyone with his knowledge of court etiquette. Therefore, an exception was made for a foreigner: usually, monuments are erected only to citizens of Holland. The monument was erected in 1998, when the days of Peter the Great were taking place in the country.

The author of the project is George Frangulyan. He took the work very seriously, because he believes that everything is important when immortalizing a historical character: from the overall composition and surroundings of the square to the way the sun reflects off the sculpture's boot. Even what kind of people might pass by the monument, the sculptor took into account. The monument is made of bronze. The Russian Tsar stands on the edge of the disk and examines the geographical map held by the angels. Next to the sculpture is the Abbey of St. Michael.

Fashion Museum

It is no coincidence that this is where the Fashion Museum is located: after all, the city has the oldest fashion university. It was completed by many famous couturiers. Fashion is a fickle phenomenon, so the expositions at MoMU change twice a year. It is noteworthy that the exhibition presents not only clothes and accessories, but also the tools with which the collection was created. Looking at the exhibits, visitors learn the history of something without which it is impossible to imagine modern life, without fashion.

Any couturier dreams of presenting his collection at MoMU, but students of the Royal Academy are especially eager for this. Once a year, the Museum presents such an opportunity to the best listener. The collection created by the applicant is open for viewing for 4 months. Then the winner is awarded. For a young couturier, this is excellent advertising. The storerooms of MoMu have costumes from the 16th century and later periods. Sometimes the administration exposes them for inspection by visitors. Even if the visitor is not at all interested in fashion, he is interested in studying the history of the world through the history of costume.

Plantin-Moretus Museum

In the 16th century, the Plantin-Moretus printing house was the largest in Europe. It was founded by the enlightened publishers of the time. It printed geographical maps, atlases, the Bible, scientific works, books of religious content. Authors could order a translation of their work. Now the museum presents fonts and printing presses of the 16th century, unique editions, a collection of tapestries. It is noteworthy that the exposition is located in the same room where books were printed in the 16th century. The museum is listed in the UNESCO catalogue.

Tunnel of St. Anne

This place especially attracts tourists. Although the tunnel was created solely for practical reasons: the Scheldt River is navigable along its entire length, and in order to ensure the smooth running of ships, they made an underground, not an air, crossing.

The depth of the subway is 31 m, you have to go down here by elevator. But then tourists experience unusual impressions:

The tunnel is somewhat narrow, located in the central part, so the traffic along it is too intense. Signs require getting off bicycles, scooters and roller skates. But few people follow this rule. The builders did not think about sound-absorbing panels: the walls and ceiling are lined with concrete, which resonates sound. So visitors experience a significant load on the eardrums. But after exiting the tunnel, tourists have an excellent panorama of the Scheldt embankment.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp

It is a majestic and tall building, so it will not be possible to see it up close. The building is surrounded by later buildings. But you should definitely visit the cathedral: at least in order to join the history.

The building was built gradually over many decades:

Until 1481, the remains of a Romanesque church were preserved on the site of the cathedral.
The nave and choir were built from 1352 to 1411
From 1422 to 1474 the western pediment was erected
In 1518, the northern tower was erected with 47 bells inside it. (The project assumed the presence of a southern neighbor of the tower, but due to financial difficulties, the building was not erected)
The interior decoration is also luxurious: Rubens' paintings and colored stained-glass windows are especially striking.
Believers can venerate the tomb of Isabella of Bourbon

The project assumed that the cathedral would be 3 times higher than the existing one. But even today it is the tallest building in the city. There are always a lot of people in the cathedral, so it is better to visit it in the afternoon on weekdays. On the square in front of the cathedral, actors act out performances with the participation of tourists. It's free for the latter and very interesting.

Antwerp City Hall

The idea to erect a new large-scale building belonged to the city authorities. Indeed, money came from the colonies, and the old town hall was rather unsightly. The first project was carried out by Domaine de Wagmaker. According to his vision, the building should have been made in the Gothic style. But in 1540 the political situation in Europe changed, and the prepared finances were directed to the strengthening of Antwerp. Only 20 years later, the city authorities again thought about building a new town hall.

Now the project belonged to another architect who was a fan of the Renaissance. The building was built at a record speed of 4 years. But it did not stand for long: after 10 years it was destroyed by a hit shell fired by the Spaniards. It was decided to leave the surviving walls, and rebuild the internal floors. The recovery did not take much time: about 3 years. At the end of the 19th century, the Town Hall was reconstructed. At the same time, the main trends of the original project were preserved.

For a long time, the entire first floor of the administrative building was given to merchants who traded colonial and other goods here. The facade is richly decorated with statues and coats of arms. One of the modern attractions of the Town Hall is 87 flags. These are the symbols of Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium, Europe, the UN and all states that have consulates in Antwerp. The Town Hall is an active building. The mayor, the city government work here, marriages are registered.

Brabo Fountain

A beautiful legend is dedicated to this monument. In ancient times, when there was no city in sight, an evil giant lived on the banks of the Scheldt. He taxed the ships passing by his castle with a huge tribute, and torn off the hands of those who refused to pay. The inhabitants of the surrounding area were in constant fear. But one day the strong and brave sailor Brabo fought the giant and defeated him. And he did justice to the defeated villain: he cut off both his hands and threw him into the Scheldt. Later, a city was built on this site.

Grateful descendants in 1887 built a monument to the brave Brabo. The fountain itself is interesting because it does not have a pool: water seeps between the stones and again exudes in a waterfall from the torn off hands of a giant. And the hand has since become a symbol.

Castle Sten

This building rightfully deserves the attention of tourists. The castle was built in the 10th century to protect against enemies. We can say that he appeared before Antwerp itself. Later, the castle performed different functions:

It was the residence of noble persons: Gottfried of Boulogne.
Then the city authorities were located in the castle.
Karl Habsburg again returned the role of a fortress to the castle. At the same time, the walls were reconstructed taking into account the heavy cannons that were supposed to be placed on the walls to protect against enemies.
The powerful building was used by the city authorities as a prison. It contained citizens of different incomes: those who could pay were placed in the right wing, the rest – in the left.
The Inquisition also did not ignore the castle: there was a court and cells where those condemned to death were kept.
At the end of the 19th century, Sten sheltered the archaeological museum.

But after 20 years, the city authorities decided to reconstruct the channel of the Scheldt. The castle interfered with this plan, and it was decided to demolish it. Part of the ensemble was destroyed, but the surviving buildings were defended by caring citizens. Today, the Sten has been restored, it even received a new wing, which houses the Museum of Shipping. The castle is part of the Cultural Center: there are craft workshops for children.

Church of St. Paul

The temple was founded by the monks of the Dominican Order in the 16th century. For construction, they chose the former sea settlement. The original building was built in the traditional Gothic style. But a few years later it was destroyed by the Scheldt, which suddenly changed course. The cathedral was rebuilt: now it was located away from the treacherous river. The style of the building has changed: now it was Baroque. But in 1571, the cathedral suffered again: during the religious war with the Protestants, it was plundered. The cathedral was completely restored by the beginning of the 17th century.

The interiors of the 17th century have been completely preserved. They amaze with unprecedented luxury: gilding is adjacent to marble trim, the walls are decorated with panels made of precious wood. Particularly noteworthy is the gallery, where paintings by 11 famous Dutchmen are exhibited, including: Rubens, Cornelis de Vass, Baiermans. At the side exit is a composition of Golgotha sculptures. Nearby are 63 statues representing saints and angels.

MAS Museum

This is a new, but extremely interesting complex. A place with an abandoned and dilapidated house was chosen for construction. Work began in 2016. The building attracts with its unusual architecture and location: literally MAS is an abbreviation of the words Museum aan de Stroom. This means: a museum on the river. The exposition here is rich: only 6000 items are exhibited. And that's not counting temporary exhibitions!

Once inside, the tourist will not be disappointed: each of the 10 floors of the building is interesting in its own way:

In the basement there are cafes and cozy rooms where you can arrange a business meeting. Sometimes groups gather here to view the exposition.
The semi-basement floor is designed for seminars and lectures on a variety of topics. If desired, a festive event or a scientific seminar can be held in this room.
On the first floor there are service rooms. Tourists are not allowed to enter here.
On the second floor there are expositions devoted to the history of the museum. Visitors are invited to familiarize themselves with the various ways of storing exhibits.
On the third floor there are temporary exhibitions.
4-8 floors offer to get acquainted with the permanent exhibitions of the museum.
On the 9th floor there is a modern conference hall. There is also a restaurant here.
From the 10th floor there is a beautiful panorama of the Scheldt, the port and the city.

The museum offers interactive tours. You can also watch documentaries about Antwerp and its history.