First impressions count, as the saying goes.

Antwerp is a city that makes a remarkable first impression if you travel there by train.

“Wow!” I gasped, like the gawking tourist that I am, as I emerged from the train and up the escalators into the main hall of Antwerp Central. More of a palace than a station, it’s understandably regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful rail terminals. This immediate bout of sightseeing was the start of two lovely days in Belgium’s second city.

I’ve heard Antwerp described as ‘the Manchester of Belgium’, so naturally I was expecting to find rich history, vibrant culture, buzzing nightlife, and a top-flight football team.

Antwerp has all of those things.

It also had something else in common with Manchester.

Rain. And plenty of it.

Regular readers will be relieved to know that The Man of Kent had brought his trusty pack-a-mac, so the weather conditions were not a problem.

Today on Medway, She Wrote: what we did on an Autumn weekend in Antwerp, why Saturday night in the Grote Markt felt like a home-from-home, hunting for cocktails in dark courtyards, and one very narrow door.

Antwerp

Antwerp. Home of Peter Paul Rubens, Clara Peeters and Romelu Lukaku. A city famous for its proud history of publishing, its diamond trade and its superb craft beer. The local language is Dutch, specifically the Flemish dialect. A fun fact: Antwerp is the only Belgian city to have hosted the Olympics (in 1920).

The Man of Kent and I have a soft spot for Belgium, having thoroughly enjoyed visiting Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Tournai on previous trips. Antwerp had been on the must-visit list for a while, and I have a yen for Autumn breaks. With the city being just a few hours from Medway by Eurostar or car, Antwerp felt like an ideal choice for a weekend getaway.

All aboard Eurostar

One of the many wonderful things about Medway is how easy it is to get to London St Pancras and onto the Eurostar.

I love Eurostar. The excitement of hopping on a train, knowing that you will be in Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam in just a few hours, has never left me. Admittedly it is rather irksome to watch all the scenery you saw on the way up to St Pancras – the River Medway, the Dartford Crossing – flash back past you as the Eurostar heads towards the Chunnel (please come back to Ebbsfleet, Eurostar!) but the prospect of a weekend break in a new city makes up for it.

Previously, Eurostar tickets could be used to travel to any Belgian station. This has now sadly changed. At time of writing, a Eurostar ticket only covers the journey from St Pancras to Brussels Midi/Zuid. Thankfully, it’s straightforward to buy tickets for onward travel from Brussels. You can purchase in advance online from SNCB, and a one-way ticket costs around 10 Euros.

Settling into my Eurostar seat, I dispatched The Man of Kent to the buffet car for drinks while I delved into The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (it’s set in Kent, don’t you know!) A few hours and a connecting double-decker train later, we had admired the gorgeousness of the station and were unpacking our bags in B&B Antwerpen Centrum, just five minutes down the road (excellent hotel, reasonably priced, ideally located – would recommend).

Day 1 in Antwerp

It was a grey, damp October morning, as we strolled from our hotel along the Meir, heading for the Grote Markt and the old town. The Meir is one of Antwerp’s main shopping streets. Bustling and beautiful, it’s lined with baroque buildings that house department stores, international brands, and one enormous Christmas shop.

The Grote Markt was eerily quiet when we arrived. As The Man of Kent shrewdly observed, the place had the sleepy air of Newcastle’s Bigg Market on a Sunday morning – like all the bars and shops are still in bed after a heavy night, with no intention of getting going until around lunchtime. A few tourists were milling about, and a couple of cafes were starting to push up the shutters and put tables outside, but you could sense that this was a place that would come alive in the evening. Not to worry: there’s plenty to see and enjoy in the old town during the day too.

The Cathedral of Our Lady

Towering over the Grote Markt is the spire of the Cathedral of Our Lady, the oldest cathedral in all of Belgium. Never ones to miss an opportunity to add another entry onto the ever-growing list of ‘cathedrals we have visited’, we dived straight in after a hearty breakfast at nearby Wasbar, a trendy café-cum-launderette where you can enjoy a meal while doing your washing. (Speculoos pancakes for me, the Queen Elizabeth bagel for The Man of Kent, in case you’re wondering).

The Cathedral of Our Lady has been through the wars, literally. It was trashed at the start of the Eighty Years War, plundered during the French Revolution, and ransacked again during the First World War. All of that came after a fire in 1533 which saw 57 of the cathedral’s altars go up in flames. Amazing it’s still standing, really.

Rubens, Capello and a cowardly lion

The only tomb to survive the ransacking during the French Revolution was that of Ambrosius Capello, seventh bishop of Antwerp. Capello founded several scholarships, a retirement home for bishops, and left all his money to the poor when he died. Although Capello’s tomb depicts him apparently reclining in prayer, looking at the high altar of the cathedral, I couldn’t help thinking he looks like a bishop just lying there chilling, confident in a life of good works done, patiently waiting to ascend to heaven.

The cathedral was extensively renovated between 1965 and 1993. Walking in, the first thing that strikes you is how light and wide it is. Apparently you can fit 25,000 people into this cathedral. Whether they would all be comfortable is another matter. Several members of the Plantin-Moretus family were buried here (more on them later). Among its most impressive treasures are several masterpieces by Rubens, including The Raising of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross.

It’s also home to this poor cowardly lion, nestled at the foot of one of the statues near The Descent of the Cross. I couldn’t decide whether the lion is terrified by the vividness of Rubens’ work, overawed by the majesty of God, or just suffering from a severe case of anxiety and low self-esteem. Adorable and in need of a morale-boosting hug, either way.

On your right as you enter the cathedral is Jan Fabre’s arresting contemporary piece, The Man Who Bears The Cross. It depicts a man wearing spectacles, a suit and trench coat, balancing a gigantic cross on the open palm of his hand. The first new artwork to be installed in the cathedral since 1924, it has inspired various philosophical and theological interpretations. Getting it all into one photograph is quite the challenge!

Het Steen

Situated on the bank of the Scheldt River, Het Steen is the gateway to what used to be a much larger castle belonging to the Dukes of Brabant. The first thing that strikes you as you walk up to Het Steen is the weird, characterful statue of Lange Wapper, a giant from Flemish folklore who was said to terrorise and exasperate the inhabitants of the city by playing pranks on them.

Het Steen is now the city’s visitor centre. It has temporary displays and an interactive exhibition about the story of the city, which is a fun diversion that doesn’t take long to see. There’s panoramic views of Antwerp from the top, which I imagine are absolutely lovely on a day when it’s not dismal and blowing a hooley like it was when we were there. There’s also an excellent giftshop were you can buy Belgian beers, contemporary souvenirs, and the local artisanal liqueur, Elixir d’Anvers.

MAS

Our drizzly walk continued past the massive Vleeshuis (Butchers’ Hall), its mighty thick walls and towers looming over the street below, towards the MAS (Museum an der Stroom).

MAS sits on the dock like a stack of jenga made of glass tubes and red sandstone. It’s Antwerp’s largest museum, with a collection devoted to global connections between people and cultures. With feet getting weary, the clock ticking on, and having made plans to visit the Plantin-Moretus Museum the next day, we decided to bookmark MAS for a future visit to Antwerp so that we could do it justice.

There was just time for one last point of interest before heading back to the hotel to get ready for an evening out.

Regular readers will know what’s coming.

A bookshop, of course.

Luddites Books & Wine

Luddites does exactly what it says on the sign. It sells books, in English and Dutch. It will also serve you wine, and hot drinks. It’s elegant, tastefully decorated, peaceful, and has bookshelves so tall you need ladders to reach the top. Downstairs is an adorable children’s section. If those things haven’t convinced you to go, frankly nothing will.

Belgian pizza and beer

All that walking had worked up an appetite and a thirst. Dinner was pizza with a twist at Otomat, with drinks beforehand at nearby Café Cousteau. Afterwards we headed to Dr. Beer, just across the road from Otomat, where The Man of Kent – a true connoisseur – sampled six different Belgian beers.

Day 2  in Antwerp

Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted, as the saying goes. Having got our bearings by gently pottering about on day one, it was time to get serious about sightseeing on day two. The Man of Kent suggested we spend the morning at the Plantin-Moretus Museum, explaining that it’s a museum about the history of printing and book production in Antwerp. A museum about books? I needed no further convincing.

The Plantin-Moretus Museum

Once a family home, factory and shop, the residence of the Plantin-Moretus family is now a UNESCO World Heritage Museum where bibliophiles and fans of fonts, printing and book design can geek out to their hearts’ content.

The Plantin-Moretus publishing dynasty was founded by Christopher Plantin. Booklover, entrepreneur and intellectual, his publishing operations were monumental in their time, and earned Antwerp a reputation as Europe’s epicentre of book production. Plantin published 2,450 titles over his 34-year career, including bibles and other religious works, as well as books on humanism, music and science. His friendship with leading cartographer, Abraham Ortelius, led to Plantin printing the first ever modern atlas; the Theatrum orbis terrarum (‘Theatre of the world’). Plantin was so successful that he could even afford to decorate his study in gold leather wallpaper!

The museum houses the oldest printing presses in the world, has a library of over 25,000 books, and numerous portraits by friend of the family, Rubens. It currently has a temporary exhibition about the women of the Plantin-Moretus dynasty – not just the wives and daughters who ran the business alongside the men, but the maids and other servants who looked after the family. We watched a fascinating demonstration of how to print pages using a press, leaving with an admiration for the sheer strength and stamina it takes to operate one of those cumbersome machines.

A walk in Rubens’ garden

After a pleasant morning indoors immersed in books, and with the sun now shining (hurrah!) it was time for some fresh air and coffee. We meandered to the Rubenshuis, clocking and mentally filing Marigold cocktail bar, just beside the museum, for later on.

Rubens’ house is closed for renovation until 2030, but the gardens remain open to the public. Redevelopment of the gardens started in 2022, with designers Jan Bleys and Jasper Bijnen at the helm and colour advice provided by Antwerp fashion legend, Dries van Noten. The layout and style is based on Rubens’ painting, A Walk in the Garden. Filled with 22,000 plants, trees and shrubs, it’s an oasis of calm amid this busy city.

Saturday night in Antwerp’s old town

If the Grote Markt was like the Bigg Market when we went there on Friday morning, it was even more so when we returned on Saturday evening. Just like a night out in the Toon, the place was bouncing – every bar rammed, revellers spilling out onto the pavement tables, hen and stag parties enjoying themselves, and tourists (me included) photographing the brightly lit ancient guildhouses and Brabo Fountain amid the festivities.

De Pottekijker

You can’t start a night out in Antwerp without a decent meal. Dinner at De Pottekijker was just the ticket. A restaurant that claims to have Antwerp’s narrowest door (65cm wide), dinner here is a delicious and snug affair – like eating in a cosy loft. Great steaming portions of things like onion soup and Flemish stew are served with huge bowls of Belgian frites, enabling us to build up an armour of carbs to defend against the cold October rain. De Pottekijker only has a handful of tables so be sure to reserve in advance.

Tazu

The evening of day one was about beer. This evening was about cocktails. There’s no shortage of chic cocktail bars in Antwerp, and no way we could fit in more than a couple in one evening. Well, OK, yes we could have fitted in more with a bit of ambition and a devil-may-care attitude, but we decided that discretion was the better part of valour. Having done some internet recon in advance of our trip, we picked one that looked particularly snazzy: Tazu.

Tazu describes itself as “hidden in a medieval alley in the centre of Antwerp.” This is not an exaggeration. We eventually tracked it down to a dark courtyard, and even more eventually, unearthed the dimly lit entrance, a nondescript door with a tiny sign on the wall next to it. Tazu took some finding but once inside, we were cocooned in the sophisticated, sultry interior sipping Japanese-inspired cocktails in comfy armchairs. The chilled vibe was a stark contrast to outside; it was like we had passed through some sort of portal into another dimension, with a forcefield insulating us from the bright lights and raucous fun of the Grote Markt.  

 “I’m engaged!” a woman from a corner table shrieked to the whole bar, piercing the otherwise convivial murmuration. She hugged all of the people at the table next to us, who I’m fairly certain were vampires judging from their pallid complexions, flamboyant black clothes and black lipstick, then disappeared into the Antwerp night, her somewhat dazed groom-to-be following. It wasn’t clear whether this proposal was planned all along, or a spontaneous result of a few strong beverages. Good luck to them, either way.

Getting out of Tazu was just as much of a puzzle as getting in. As we emerged back into the dark courtyard, we discovered that every door and gate out of it was locked! A few other patrons emerged from the bar, and things suddenly became like a challenge in the Medieval Zone in The Crystal Maze, with everyone working together to find a way out. We eventually escaped with the help of one of the Tazu crew who located a key to one of the gates.

Marigold

From dark and sultry Tazu, to pink, art deco and disco at Marigold. Tina Turner tunes blasted from the record player behind the bar while we enjoyed herbal and floral cocktails made with home-grown ingredients. Someone was obviously having fun when they wrote the drinks menu; The Man of Kent had the Stout cocktail which was described as “chaotic and mindfucking.” We noticed that two members of our impromptu Tazu-escaping team were now sitting at the bar. Coincidence, or did they overhear me saying that there was another cocktail bar just five minutes down the road and follow us, making us accidental influencers? We didn’t ask, so we’ll never know.

Back to Medway

We were up and at ‘em early on Sunday morning to catch the Eurostar back to London. Just time for another pancake breakfast (chocolate and banana this time), some snaps of Antwerp Central, and a last-minute Seef beer purchase for The Man of Kent before another double-decker train ride to Brussels.

A note for fellow travellers. The Eurostar terminal at Brussels Midi-Zuid is currently being renovated. Sorely needed, as it’s a grey, cheerless, windowless bunker. There’s no coffee shop inside the terminal, which The Man of Kent described as “slightly inhumane.” You have to forgive his hyperbole because he had only had one cup of coffee at this point, and he needs at least two to be able to function normally. Luckily for him, he is married to me: I was able to locate a Costa coffee machine in the duty free area, so he was adequately caffeinated for the journey back. If you’re travelling back from Brussels to somewhere else on Eurostar and want coffee that isn’t Costa’s finest vending-machine-blend, get it beforehand or hang on in quiet desperation until you’re aboard the train.

And finally…

Someone once said that wherever you go, you should leave one thing undone so that you have a reason to return. With only two days here, it was inevitable that we would only see a glimpse of everything Antwerp has to offer. That means I have plenty of reasons to return to ‘the Manchester of Belgium’, including visiting MAS and the Red Star Line Museum, enjoying more of those delicious speculoos pancakes, and trying out a bit of Dutch. It won’t be long until I’m back in this beautiful Belgian city. Tot snel, Antwerp!