2 Days Antwerp Itinerary: Best Places to Visit in Antwerp

Day 1 | Morning

Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp

Opening Hours: Open on Mon-Thu,Sun,10:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 8 EUR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Hours

Location: Groenplaats 21, Antwerp 2000, Belgium

The Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp is the largest Gothic church in the low country of Belgium and was built in 1124. In the following centuries, the church has been renovated several times, and many styles such as Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo have been added, so this church has witnessed the long history of Antwerp. The northern tower of the Church of Our Lady towers into the sky, pointing to God like a finger, which is the symbol and pride of Antwerp. Inside the church are artistic sculptures and paintings that are guaranteed to blow your mind! Among them, the marble statues of the 14th century, the frescoes of the 15th century, the statue of the Virgin in the 16th century, the Baroque masterpiece of Rubens in the early 17th century, and the great bell on the northern tower in the 18th century are all left in the torrent of history. The treasures that come down are very worth seeing.

Day 1 | Afternoon

Now we come to another great highlight in the city: The Rubens House.

The Rubens House

Opening Hours: Open on Mon-Fri,Sun,10:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 8 EUR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Hours

Location: Wapper 9-11, Antwerp 2000, Belgium

The Rubens House is a studio and residence built by Rubens after five years from 1610. At that time, European dignitaries and artists often came here to visit him. After restoration from 1939 to 1946, it has now become the Municipal Art Museum, and some of Rubens' paintings are displayed in the former residence. The main body of the former residence is a two-story building, and there is a huge garden behind the building. The scenery is very good. I guess Rubens often painted in the back garden. There is a huge oil painting of Adam and Eve in the exhibition hall on the first floor, the proportion is several times that of ordinary paintings. In addition to displaying various paintings on the second floor of the former residence, there are also medals and souvenirs awarded to Rubens by emperors and kings of various countries, as well as valuables such as gold coins later found in Rubens' tomb. Character background Rubens was born in Germany, his father is Antwerp. At the age of 12, his father died and he returned to Antwerp with his mother. Not only does he have the talent for painting, but he is also a diplomat who has mastered seven languages. He made a group of oil paintings "The Garden of Love" and "Judgment at the End of Days" with religion and mythology as the themes. The brushwork is free and easy, and the overall feeling is strong. It is characterized by the combination of the superb skills and humanistic ideas of Renaissance art and the ancient national art traditions of Flanders, forming a unique style of grandeur, rich colors and a strong sense of movement that enthusiastically praises the joy of life. style and became a representative figure of Baroque art.

Day 1 | Evening

After visiting the glorious The Rubens House, Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp nearby is the best place to stay.

Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp

A hidden gem In Antwerp’s Botanical Garden A landmark property is underway to restore and revitalise an ancient listed monastery. The interior design preserves the original while indulging in sumptuous finishes. Spread across a 20,000sqm site, this highly anticipated luxury retreat brings together a sense of history with contemporary sensibilities – turning experiences into memories. Imbued with a laid-back spirit, it’s a destination with extraordinary fine dining, honest Belgium cuisine, a ground-breaking spa, conference hub, wedding venue, hotspot for celebrations and the ultimate in luxury and lifestyle shopping – but most of all: it’s the Botanic Sanctuary.

Day 2 | Morning

Het Steen

Opening Hours: Open on Tue-Sun,10:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 4 EUR

Recommended Length of Stay: 0.5-0.5 Hours

Location: Steenplein 1, Antwerp 2000, Belgium

Sten Castle is an ancient building in Antwerp and one of the oldest castles in Europe. The castle has had many generations of owners since it was built, and it has also been used for a variety of purposes. It is famous for the residence of the Antwerp painter Rubens in his later years.

Day 2 | Afternoon

After finishing the tour at Het Steen, you can head to MAS - Museum aan de Stroom, the most worth visiting place around the corner.

MAS - Museum aan de Stroom

Opening Hours: Open on Fri,Sun,10:00am-6:00pm;Open on Mon-Thu,10:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 10 EUR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Hours

Location: Hanseatic Place 1, Antwerp 2000, Belgium

The MAS Museum is also known as the Water Museum or the Riverside Museum because it is located on the bank of the Scheldt. It connects the city and the port in the canal, symbolizing the connection between the city and the world. Appearance inspiration It was once rated as one of the 20 museums in the world. It was designed by the Dutch Nutrins Redek Architecture Office. It was inspired by the warehouse Hanzehuis in the 16th century. The whole building seems to be a square The "boxes" are piled up, and the spiral staircase rotates up around these "boxes", providing visitors with a new perspective on the city and the port. The red stone on the exterior wall of the museum comes from India, the arc-cut glass curtain window is 6 meters high, and the three thousand aluminum hand-shaped patterns embedded in the red stone make this "red tower" glow in the sun. The museum is 60 meters high, and if you climb to the top, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the whole city. The museum has ten floors and houses more than 370,000 collections: the first floor is the office area, the second floor is mainly for the visual storage and exhibition area to display the collection and its history, the third floor is the temporary exhibition space, and the fourth and fifth floors are the world In the cultural exchange theme exhibition area, the sixth floor is the world port city maritime exhibition area, the seventh and eighth floors are the life and death theme exhibition area, the ninth floor is the restaurant and reception room, and the tenth floor is the terrace viewing area. Part of the museum's collection comes from the Belgian National Maritime Museum, the Ethnographic Museum and the Folklore Museum.

* All reviews in the blog are machine-translated.