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The first slow travel guide
Meet Antwerp
The province of the North! Filled with major historic cities like Antwerp, Mechelen and Lier, Antwerp offers a rich cultural experience for any type of traveller. Even nature lovers will find gems of forests by the border and botanical gardens in the cities. A must for our urban explorers!
Why go to Antwerp
Get ready for a diamond-grade experience in the diamond capital of the world. Antwerp is the second biggest city in Belgium and known for it’s fashion scene. The city is always changing and growing as it always has since its golden days as the biggest port city in Europe. The city itself is packed full of cultural things to see, a big shopping scene and local beers to drink. Find hidden gems and nature just outside the big city.
What Antwerp is known for
Art & culture
Antwerp has style and everyone knows it. This province was home to many of the famous Flemish painters of centuries long gone, the most well-known being Peter Paul Ruebens. But Antwerp province is more than its artsy past. Culture thrives here! Fashion. Theatre. Dance and more. Every major city has an art gallery, theatre and events to enjoy.
Printing industry
We wouldn’t be giving you the full story of Antwerp if we didn’t tell you about the massive printing industry. Antwerp might be a trendy cultural centre now, but back in the 1800s it was also a leader of the printing press. Especially the city of Turnhout! You can still see traces of Antwerp’s publishing past in the Plantin-Moretus Museum. The Platin and Moretus families totally dominated the printing industry here. Plus, you’ll see two of the oldest printing presses all the way back from the 1600s.
Historical sites
Museum hoppers are spoiled for choice. You could head straight into the heart of the province to Antwerp city for the biggest museums around. The Rubenshuis is a must for art lovers too. But the smaller cities aren’t to be missed for their unique histories and things to do. Lier has two UNESCO world heritage sites to enjoy. Or head over to Mechelen to see Kazerne Dossin, a famous memorial and museum that was one a transit camp in WWII.
Escape into Nature
While you might think this province is all urban, Antwerp actually has plenty of beautiful nature reserves and parks. The province has been pushing eco-friendly options like cycling for quite some time. You’ll find nature in the city at the botanical gardens. Or escape to the outskirts for a long cycling journey around the nature reserves. One of the biggest is Kalmthoutse Heide, a beautiful and calm nature reserve on the border with the Netherlands.
Antwerp
Antwerp itself. The province is named after this place for a reason. A slow travel trip to the province won’t be complete without it. Antwerp is famous for its stylish vibes, trend setting, diamonds and more. Urban explorers and foodies will have a great time exploring the city. The city centre, Grote Markt, is a beautiful attraction for every tourist. But don’t stop there. Wander the alleys and suburbs off the beaten path to discover Antwerp’s hidden gems.
When to go
Antwerp is a pretty well known area. It gets busy during the tourist season in the major cities, but the suburbs and smaller towns won’t be as crowded. Antwerp city has a well-known Christmas market that’s worth a visit if you’re planning a trip in winter, but the province in general is awesome to visit in every season.
Transport
Getting There
Antwerp is a major province with good connections. Get the train to Antwerp Central Station or fly into the airport. Whether you’re coming from outside Europe or coming in for a day trip from Brussels, Antwerp is an easy province to get to. Decide which city you’re visiting first, then hop on the train or get in your car.
Getting to Antwerp province is easiest from Antwerp Central Station, which is in the heart of Antwerp city. From there, you can catch a train or bus to any spot around you’d like. Mechelen also has a train station with good connections if you’d rather start there with regular trains from Charleroi, Leuven, Antwerp and many more.
When coming to Antwerp province by plane, you’ll probably land in Antwerp International Airport. From there, it’s a 20 minute drive or 30 minute bus trip from Antwerp’s city centre. From the airport to Lier, you’re looking at a 30 minute drive or 40 minute bus trip. Not bad!
Antwerp province has good road connections. It depends which direction you’re coming from and which city you’re going to first, but generally you won’t have any trouble driving in. Lier and Antwerp are an easy going 1 hour drive from Brussels, and Mechelen is around 40 minutes.
Getting Around
Public transport is your best friend in Antwerp! There’s a bus and tram system to help you get around. You can get around in the car but there’s a few things to keep in mind.
Tickets cost around 2€ and last an hour. Buy tickets from machines at the station or using the mobile app. Day passes, 3 day passes and more are available too.
we recommend doing Park & Ride in the major cities of this province. In Antwerp city, different zones have different parking charges and it’s just easier getting around on foot or by bus.
Antwerp is cyclist friendly! Most cities have bike rentals. Most lanes are generally flat and there’s plenty of stands and places to rent bikes, especially in Antwerp city. Antwerp city has the bike-hire system “Velo” to help you get around.
Walking is an easy, hassle free way to get around the heart of Antwerp’s cities. We recommend using bikes, trains or buses to go further, outside the big cities.
Essential info
Languages: Flemish (Dutch)
Emergency numbers: Police urgent: (101), Fire, ambulance, police: 112
Tourist office
Visit Antwerpen
Address: Grote Markt 13, 2000 Antwerp, Central Station, Koningin Astridplein, 2018 Antwerp
Website: https://www.visitantwerpen.be
Tel. +32 (0)3 232 01 03
Email: [email protected]
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