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Hidden Antwerp
Old postcard of the domed stone façade of Antwerp Central Station, with people on the square in front
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Classics of Antwerp

A Walk Through the History of Antwerp

Duration
2 h 45 min – 3 h 15 min
Distance
5.2 km
Difficulty
Easy
Stops
18
Pace
At your own pace; stop and continue whenever you like
Best for
First-time visitors and anyone curious about Antwerp's history
Accessibility
Mostly flat streets; some cobblestones in the old town
Languages
English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, and Ukrainian

About this walk

Walk from Antwerp's grand railway station through centuries of trade, art, religion and power, ending where the story of the city began: on the banks of the Scheldt.

At every stop your phone becomes your guide: what you are looking at, why it was built, what happened here, and the details most visitors walk straight past. Historical photographs show you how the city looked a century ago and more. There are no games or questions; just Antwerp, and the time to look at it properly.

Ready to explore?

€9.95 per team

Start the walk

What to expect

  • 18 of Antwerp's most important historical places
  • Written like a guide walking beside you
  • Historical photographs, engravings and postcards at every major stop
  • “Did you know?” stories you won't find on the information panels
  • Details to look for on the spot
  • Walking navigation from stop to stop

How it works

  1. Walk to the next stop with the map

  2. Read the story of what you see

  3. Look for the details on the spot

  4. Continue at your own pace

The route

A preview of the stops. The stories are revealed during the walk.

  1. Stop 1: Antwerpen-Centraal

    The railway cathedral

  2. Stop 2: The Diamond District

    One of the world's great diamond marketplaces, in a few quiet streets

  3. Stop 3: De Keyserlei & the Meir

    The grand boulevard, and the day the war came to the cinema

  4. Stop 4: Stadsfeestzaal

    The city's party hall that rose from the ashes

  5. Stop 5: The Handelsbeurs

    Where the world came to do business

  6. Stop 6: The Boerentoren

    Europe's first skyscraper

  7. Stop 7: Groenplaats

    A square that used to be a graveyard

  8. Stop 8: Cathedral of Our Lady

    The cathedral Antwerp almost made even bigger

  9. Stop 9: Vlaeykensgang

    A secret passage into old Antwerp

  10. Stop 10: Grote Markt & the guild houses

    The golden square that is younger than it looks

  11. Stop 11: The Brabo Fountain

    A giant, a hand, and the name of a city

  12. Stop 12: City Hall

    Built in pride, burned in fury

  13. Stop 13: Hendrik Conscienceplein

    The man who taught his people to read

  14. Stop 14: St Charles Borromeo Church

    Rubens' lost masterpiece

  15. Stop 15: The Vleeshuis

    A palace for butchers

  16. Stop 16: St Paul's Church

    Gothic, Baroque, and saved from the flames

  17. Stop 17: Het Steen

    The last piece of the castle where Antwerp began

  18. Stop 18: The Scheldt

    Where it all began