[ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM] — So I was posting live pics of Brussels on my Instagram and someone who follows me shot back “You should go to Antwerp.” Hmmmm, never thought about going there. And this whole trip was a last-minute. “It’s a quick train ride and cooler, smaller and more artsy. Not boring like Brussels.”  Really?

“You should go to Antwerp.” my Instagram friend said. “It’s a quick train ride and cooler, smaller and more artsy. Not boring like Brussels.”

I’d never even communicated with her before, but her IG name was intriguing enough, she’d been to amazing restaurants and hotels all over.

“Yes, you should definitely go to Antwerp!” commented another person I’d never communicated with… a very stylish hotel owner in France (who just happened to be eating in San Sebastian, Spain just right then.)

Wow! Two people I’d never even communicated with on Instagram, now both telling me to go to Antwerp. I guess I should go to Antwerp, then.

I was only in Antwerp for a few hours on a day trip from Brussels, on a Sunday even, but these are the best things to do in Antwerp. Cool things to do in Antwerp.

I’d only heard about Antwerp on cheesy discount jewelry commercials on TV — “We buy all of our jewelry directly from dealers in Antwerp.” — so it was never, ever on my radar.

Hadn’t planned on going there, but instantly hopped a train up, went in “cold” with absolutely zero info, no maps, no nothing. Just got off at the train station and started walking.  

Just loved it all. Where Brussels seemed all dark and grey, Antwerp was wide open and light, sunny. The buildings fresh, even though they were four hundred years old. It seemed like half the city was pedestrian shopping streets, all funneling into the Grote Markt,  jammed with people in a holiday mood. What could there be to not like?  So I just walked and walked. And smiled.

One thing I immediately learned was DON’T GO THERE ON A SUNDAY!  My new friends forgot to mention that until after I got there… “Wow, everything’s closed on Sundays” “Oh yeah, don’t go there on a Sunday.” Yet here I was. Virtually everything was closed. Old School.

You can pretty much walk the whole city in a couple of hours. I can’t wait to come back when everything’s open. But only after being there and researching later, there’s a whole lot of cool stuff happening here. And everything I completely missed. DOH!

But if you are stuck there on a Sunday day trip, like me, here’s what I saw and would recommend. I was just in-and-out in a few of hours before heading back to Brussels, but loved every minute.

Go To Hip Kloosterstraat for Antiques and Cool Cafes

Kloosterstraat is considered one of the hippest retail areas in Northern Europe. I absolutely loved it and it saved the day. There are a lot of cool walking/shopping streets in the central core of Antwerp, most full of the same chains as everywhere else, but head over here and just plan to spend the day, shop, eat, hang out in cafes.

Have a Long Lunch at Ciro’s

The same Instagram friend — who I later learned owned one of the best galleries in Antwerp — also recommended Ciro’s as an unpretentious, perfectly Belgian restaurant. So I went there and highly recommend you do, too. There are cooler places, but work this into your mix. I loved everything about it. From the waiters, to the rooms, to the families having Sunday Lunch. And when you see that logo on Instagram, you instantly recognize it.

 Here are some great reference articles:

“Fashion-Forward Guide to Antwerp” from the NYTimes.

“Three Cool Cafes You Need to Check Out in Antwerp” from Conde Nast Traveler. And here’s the UK CN Traveller’s list of the best design hotels in Antwerp. I tell ya what, when I go back to Antwerp, I’m definitely staying at. Look how gorgeous this former convent is (photo from the August hotel’s website):

Even Architectural Digest has a great guide to finding cool stuff in Antwerp.

Here’s a great Pinterest page on all the hip retail in Antwerp.

— Last Visited December 2015 —