1 Day in Antwerp – Things to do and Places to see
The gorgeous city of Antwerp is just perfect for a short weekend getaway. Due to its compact size you can wander the streets at your own pace and still experience lots of cool stuff. Here is our 1 day in Antwerp.
Don’t have the time to come over for a whole weekend? Never mind! Even if you’re just passing through and have just a couple of hours this city has plenty to offer.
1 Day in Antwerp – The 4 best things to do and see
I would recommend you start your day with Belgian Waffles (I know it’s a cliché but they’re sooo good) and coffee to-go and take a nice walk from Central Station towards the docks to get a feeling for Antwerp. The central station is iconic and one of the most beautiful in Europe.
ART : Of course you could easily spend 1 day in Antwerp just hanging out in museums and wandering in the footsteps of Rubens. If you visit only one art museum, it should be the fantastic M HKA!
The former grain silo looks great from the outside and hosts a formidable collection of contemporary art based on the Gordon Matta-Clark Foundation. Apart from the numerous international artists represented here it is the presentation of the Belgian avant-garde that is most striking for non-residents. The very friendly and well-informed art students who work in the museum will gladly answer any of your questions and are fun to chat with. Thus it’s probably best to visit the M HKA (Leuvenstraat 32) as early as possible.
FASHION : Antwerp is a true fashion city, and 2026 happens to be an especially good year to see why — it’s officially “Antwerp Fashion Year,” marking the 40th anniversary of the Antwerp Six, the group of designers (Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee) who put the city on the international fashion map back in 1986. To mark it, MoMu, the Fashion Museum (Nationalestraat 28), is running a landmark exhibition on the Antwerp Six through January 2027, alongside its usual collection of over 25,000 fashion pieces. If you have just 1 day in Antwerp and any interest in fashion, come here.
Beyond the museum, wander Nationalestraat and the surrounding Fashion District (Kammenstraat, Kloosterstraat) for the actual boutiques — flagship stores from the Antwerp Six designers themselves, plus concept and vintage shops for more accessible prices.
FOOD : In Antwerp you’ll have to be pretty tough to withstand the sweet delights of the numerous bakeries and chocolatiers. One of the best spots for food in general is the exotic market at Theaterplein (Saturday, 8am – 4pm).
Even from a couple of streets away, you can already smell fruity stews, herbs, fish and spices. As soon as you step into this spectacle you are charmed by the colors of food from around the world. Go there with an empty stomach, anything else would be a waste. One should try the huge variety of raisins in combination with roasted nuts and seeds.
Make sure you visit the food stand with the Moroccan pastillas (it’s the one where all the locals queue up). It’s sweet salty perfection – I tried olives, feta, dried figs, dried tomatoes, sesame and honey!!! – with a small glass of very sweet and very hot mint tea for just 3 Euros. Awesome!!!
CULTURE : The must-see in the culture department is St. Andrew’s Church (Waaistraat 5). Not because it is the most breathtaking church on earth but because this pretty little church presents some important Antwerp cultural heritage in a quite modest way and even the statue of the Virgin Mary has some fashion sense.
This century-old wooden statue was once clothed by fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester and has been wearing specially tailored haute couture ever since!
By the way you are now quite close to Kloosterstraat, where you can take a stroll and discover adorable antique shops and independent designer stores. For a golden finish of your 1 day in Antwerp just take a seat in one of the little restaurants and enjoy a cold and tasty Belgian beer.
