One of the best things about visiting Belgium? How close all the cities are! It’s about 3 hours on the train to go from one end of the country to the other. And the capital, Brussels, is very well connected to cities across the country. I took advantage of this on my trip over Easter and decided to visit Antwerp for the day!

Antwerp (Antwerpen in Dutch or Anvers in French) is definitely a modern city. While Bruges and Ghent often felt like I’d taken a step back in time, Antwerp lives in the present, through and through. There is a lot to see here, and you could easily spend a full day (or even two!) in Antwerp if you wanted. But as I was limited on time, I settled for a daytrip and set off to see the main sights.

What to See in Antwerp

Probably the most famous train station in the country (and one of the most beautiful in the world) is Antwerp Train Station. One look at the photos and you’ll see why—it’s simply spectacular. If you’re arriving to Antwerp by train, you’ll definitely start your journey off right!

Grote Markt should be your first port of call. The main square has a collection of beautiful buildings, formerly guildhalls, and is surrounded by the famous Brabo Fountain. The fountain is right outside the Town Hall, which was built in 1565.

Walking around the center of Antwerp, you can’t miss the steeple of the Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal in Dutch). This stunning Roman Catholic Cathedral is possibly the best Gothic cathedral in all of Belgium. Construction began in 1352, but wasn’t finished until 1521! The cathedral is a beauty, with an ornately carved pulpit and a few works by the famous Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens. It costs 6€ for adults or 4€ for students.

While the main cathedral is beautiful, my favorite church in Antwerp was by far St. Charles Borromeo Church (St-Carolus-Borromeuskerk in Dutch). This church came so highly recommended that it was one of my big deciding factors in deciding to visit Antwerp in the first place! It is one of the most stunning Baroque churches I’ve ever visited. It was built in 1626 as a Jesuit church, with altarpieces and ceiling panels by the famous Rubens. Disaster struck in 1718, when a fire destroyed much of Rubens’ work—but it has been operating as a parish church since 1803. Don’t miss the beautifully carved confessionals on either side of the aisles!

The church is free to visit, although it is closed on Sundays for services. It is open from 10:00am-12:30pm and 2:00pm-5:00pm Monday-Saturday. The façade on Hendrik Conscienceplein is worthy of a visit even if the church is closed.

One of my favorite discoveries was the charming street from St. Charles Borromeo Church to the Grote Markt: Wijngaardstraat. Full of cobblestones, cute little shops, and charming restaurants and cafes, I loved strolling through here! If you’re looking for hidden Instagram corners, look no further.

With only one day, I didn’t have lots of time to see all the museums in Antwerp. But I chose to visit the Museum Plantin-Moretus, and I was definitely not disappointed! The museum itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—the only museum in the world with that designation. It’s all about the printing industry and the world of Christophe Plantin and Jan Moretus, two major printers in Antwerp. There are 30+ rooms to visit, including a few with leather wallpaper! The courtyard garden is gorgeous and like a peaceful oasis. Make sure to pick up a (free) English guidebook before you enter the house—I got so much more from my visit by following along with the book! The museum costs 8€ for adults, 6€ for anyone ages 12-25, and is free on the last Wednesday of the month!

Unfortunately, the Jan van Eyck Plaza was under construction when I visited Antwerp. Either that, or it was being taken over by the bicycle race event happening a few days after my visit! I didn’t get to see anything (I could barely make out the statue), but this is another main square to see in Antwerp.

Het Steen (Castle) is all that remains of Antwerp’s medieval castle—it’s actually the oldest building in the city! It was built in 1200, and over the years it’s been used as a fortress, a prison, and as a museum. There’s really nothing of substance left now, but it looks pretty and is worth a look if you walk along the river!

My best insider tip? Head to the free rooftop viewing platform on the 10^th floor of MAS, the giant museum located around the docks. It’s absolutely free, you just have to take about a million escalators to get up to the top. The views are just amazing and one thing you can’t miss on a visit to Antwerp!

While you’re in Antwerp, you can’t miss out on trying a local De Koninck beer! This beer is made in Antwerp and is synonymous with the city itself. It’s sold in pretty much all the bars and is nice and refreshing after a full day of sightseeing. If you’ve got the time, you can visit the city brewery for a full tour!

How to Take a Daytrip to Antwerp From Brussels

For my daytrip, I took the train from Brussels to Antwerp. Round-trip train tickets cost 15.40€. The trains to Antwerp stop in all 3 of Brussels’ main stations: Brussels North, Brussels Central, and Brussels South (Noord/Centraal/Zuid in Dutch, Nord/Central/Midi in French). Trains run frequently (at least every half hour) and take between 40-60 minutes. There is more than one train station in Antwerp. You’ll probably want to get off at Antwerp Central—that’s the beautiful main station!

If you’re under 26, you should get a discount on train tickets in Belgium! Trains from Brussels are also half-price on the weekend, so if you time it right you could get tickets even cheaper. Check out my post with my top tips for Brussels!

I really loved my daytrip to Antwerp from Brussels. Antwerp is definitely a modern city, but has an laid-back vibe and so much beautiful architecture. While there’s plenty of unique things to see in Brussels, there’s definitely enough in Antwerp to merit a daytrip.

Planning Your Trip

I flew to Belgium from the UK, and booked my flights through Skyscanner. You can also travel by rail on the Eurostar from London to Brussels too! I always book rail tickets in advance through Trainline. Whether you stay in Brussels like I did, or want to stay in Antwerp, you can search for hostels on Hostelworld, or hotels on Booking.com. You can also sign up to and search for accommodation on Airbnb here! Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. I hope this helps planning a daytrip to Antwerp!

Check out my other Belgium posts:

How Much Does It Cost To Spend 4 Days In Belgium?

8 Unique Things To Do In Brussels

11 Practical Tips For Visiting Brussels

Bruges And Ghent: A Busy Daytrip From Brussels

To Brussels On The Eurostar

Have you ever been to Antwerp? Did you visit as a daytrip from Brussels?

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