BE
Antwerp
Belgium’s port city of Rubens, diamonds and fashion, with a Gothic cathedral and a grand railway station
Belgium’s port city of Rubens, diamonds and fashion, with a Gothic cathedral and a grand railway station
The largest Gothic church in the Low Countries has a 123m spire and four paintings by Rubens, including The Raising of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross.
Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Completed in 1905, the station has a domed stone hall and a huge iron-and-glass train shed. It is right next to the diamond district.
Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 4.0
The home and workshop of a 16th-century printing family, with the world’s oldest surviving printing presses. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Museum aan de Stroom (MAS), opened in 2011 in the docks, covers the city’s history and its links with the world. Its rooftop has free views over the city and port.
Photo: Trougnouf, CC BY 4.0
A pedestrian tunnel under the Scheldt, the Sint-Annatunnel, leads to the Left Bank (Linkeroever), where there is a small beach and a view of the cathedral spire and the skyline.
Photo: Julien Grandgagnage, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try Antwerpse handjes (hand-shaped biscuits), bolleke (a glass of De Koninck beer), mussels, stews and frites. Elixir d’Anvers is a local herbal liqueur.
The Zuid district and the area around the cathedral have many restaurants and bars.
Trains from Brussels take about 40–50 minutes, and high-speed trains link Antwerp with Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Antwerp Central is a 15-minute walk or short tram ride from the old town.
The city has a low-emission zone; foreign cars may need to register. Belgium is in the Schengen area. Non-EU visitors are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System on arrival, and visa-exempt travellers will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once it launches, expected from late 2026. Check current rules before you travel.
Belgium uses the euro. Prices are similar to neighbouring France and the Netherlands; trains are good value, especially with weekend or multi-trip tickets.
Prices are approximate.
Rubens, printing and the port.
See the Grote Markt and the Brabo fountain, the cathedral’s Rubens paintings and the Plantin-Moretus Museum. Walk through the tunnel to the Left Bank for the view.
Visit the MAS and Het Eilandje, then Antwerp Central and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA) in the Zuid district.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Belgium is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
The Rubens House itself is closed for restoration until about 2030; the garden and the Rubens Experience are open.
Buy diamonds only from certified dealers.
Antwerp has a low-emission zone.
The MAS rooftop is free to visit.
Quick answers for planning time in Antwerp.
The house is closed for restoration and is expected to reopen around 2030. The garden and the Rubens Experience in the new reception building are open.
In the Cathedral of Our Lady, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA) and several city churches.
About 40–50 minutes.
Yes, it was listed in 2005.
April to September for mild weather; December for the Christmas market.
Dutch is spoken in Flanders, French in Wallonia; both are used in Brussels, and English is widely understood.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Belgium travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.