Antwerp is Belgium's second city, about half a million people on the Scheldt some eighty kilometres inland from the North Sea, and it has been one of Europe's great ports since the sixteenth century. In the 1560s it was briefly the richest city in the world, which is the period that built the cathedral in the photograph at the top of this page and paid for Rubens to work here, and the port is still the second largest in Europe.
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What makes Antwerp interesting rather than merely historic is that it never settled into being a museum. It is a working port with Zaha Hadid's port authority building standing on the old fire station, in the second photograph; it runs about eighty five per cent of the world's rough diamond trade from four streets beside the station; and it has produced a disproportionate share of European fashion since the 1980s. The third photograph is the Grote Markt, with the guild houses and the Brabo Fountain, which is where the older city still is.
What Is Here
The Cathedral of Our Lady is the centre of the old city and holds four Rubens altarpieces in the room they were painted for. A Gothic cathedral begun in 1352 with a 123 metre tower that was the tallest building in the Low Countries for centuries, and the Rubens works, including the Raising of the Cross and the Descent from the Cross, are in situ rather than in a gallery. That is the distinction worth making the trip for: these are religious paintings in the position and the light they were composed for.
The Rubens House, the Rubenshuis, is the painter's own home and studio and is a short walk away; note that it has been under major restoration in recent years with parts of the collection shown elsewhere, so check what is open before going. The Plantin-Moretus Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the surviving premises of a sixteenth-century printing dynasty with the two oldest printing presses in the world still standing in the workshop, and it is the best museum in the city and the least visited of the major ones.
Antwerpen-Centraal is a railway station and also one of the finest buildings in Belgium. A 1905 terminus with a stone eclectic facade and a vast iron and glass dome over the concourse, rebuilt in the 2000s onto four levels so that high speed trains run underneath the original hall. It is routinely called one of the most beautiful stations in the world and it is on your way in and out, which is convenient.
The Museum aan de Stroom, the MAS, is a red sandstone and glass tower in the docks with a free spiral walkway to a roof terrace that gives the best view of the city and the port. The Havenhuis, Zaha Hadid's last completed building, sits on the quay further north. Het Steen is the surviving medieval castle on the riverfront, and the Sint-Annatunnel is a 1933 pedestrian tunnel under the Scheldt with its original wooden escalators, which is a genuinely odd and good thing to walk through.
And two quarters define the modern city. The diamond district, immediately beside the station, is four streets through which most of the world's rough diamonds pass, with a working Orthodox Jewish and Indian trade and almost nothing to see, which is itself remarkable. Het Zuid and the fashion district around Nationalestraat hold the MoMu fashion museum, the designer shops and most of the city's eating and drinking.
When to Go
May, June and September. Antwerp's weather is the standard Low Countries pattern and the city is an all-year destination because most of it is indoors. Summer runs eighteen to twenty three degrees and is pleasant rather than hot; the terraces on the Grote Markt and in Het Zuid are the point of it.
Winter, December to February, is around three to eight degrees, grey and damp, with a Christmas market on the Grote Markt and the Steenplein through December. The damp cold here is more penetrating than the number suggests, which the packing list addresses. Rain is distributed through the year rather than concentrated, which means about one day in three in any month.
The thing that should actually shape your dates is not the weather. It is the Belgian strike calendar, which the safety section covers and which can remove a travel day at short notice, and it is worth checking before booking a tight itinerary.
Getting There
Brussels Airport is about forty five kilometres away with a direct train to Antwerpen-Centraal in about half an hour, which is the normal arrival. Antwerp has its own small airport at Deurne with limited routes, and Charleroi is further and cheaper.
Antwerp is extremely well connected by rail, which is both the pleasure and the risk. Direct trains reach Brussels in under forty minutes, Amsterdam in about an hour and twenty by Thalys or direct intercity, Rotterdam in about forty minutes, and Paris in a little over two hours with a change. Antwerpen-Centraal and Antwerpen-Berchem are the two main stations and some international services use Berchem rather than Centraal, which catches people out.
Locally the city has trams, a premetro running underground through the centre, and buses, all on one ticket system; the historic centre is compact and walkable. Antwerp is a serious cycling city with a bike share scheme and separated lanes, and cycling is the most pleasant way to cover the distance between the centre, the MAS and Het Zuid. A car is a liability: the centre is a low emission zone requiring prior registration for foreign vehicles, and parking is expensive and scarce.
Is Antwerp Safe for Women Travelers
The FCDO publishes no advised-against areas anywhere in Belgium. Its terrorism section is nonetheless among the more substantial it writes for western Europe: it states that terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Belgium, that attacks could be indiscriminate, and it names the kinds of place at issue rather than leaving it general, listing public transport, national and international transport hubs, music, sporting and cultural events, entertainment and nightlife venues, government buildings and international institutions, and places of worship. It records that the main threat is from extremists linked to Daesh, names fatal incidents in Brussels in 2022 and on 16 October 2023, and notes that Belgian authorities have disrupted a number of plots. Belgium operates a national threat level and it is currently set above its baseline, which is why you will see a heavier police presence than you might expect; we deliberately do not print the number here because it changes, so read the current setting from the advisory itself.
Antwerp is a safe city for a woman travelling alone, with the ordinary urban caveats. The centre is busy into the evening, the tram and premetro network is well used, and a woman walking or eating alone is unremarkable. The two things to know are the station and the strikes.
The FCDO names the exact stations and trains where theft happens in Belgium, which is more use than a general warning. Theft and pickpocketing are common in crowded areas and it asks for extra care in major railway stations and on public transport particularly at night, noting that there have been cases of violent robbery. The places it names are Brussels Gare du Midi, the Eurostar terminal, and Brussels Gare du Nord, the international trains on the Paris to Brussels and Amsterdam to Brussels routes, and the busy parts of central Brussels including Schuman. It also names a specific method: luggage taken from the racks at the ends of carriages on high-speed trains. Keep a bag where you can see it rather than in the rack by the door, and be wary of any attempt to distract you.
Applied to Antwerp specifically, the station area is the place to pay attention. The advisory names the Brussels stations by name, and the pattern it describes, theft and pickpocketing in major railway stations and on international trains with cases of violent robbery, applies to Antwerpen-Centraal and its immediate surroundings as the second busiest international hub in the country. The streets immediately north and east of the station around the De Coninckplein area are the rougher part of the city centre and are where a visitor is most likely to be approached; that is a two-street matter rather than a district to avoid, and the station itself is heavily policed. Keep a bag closed and in front of you on the concourse and on the Amsterdam and Paris trains, and do not put luggage in the rack at the end of a carriage.
Strike action is the thing most likely to disrupt a Belgian trip and the advisory is blunt about it. The FCDO describes strikes as an ongoing issue that can cause severe travel disruption across the country and can affect international travel, and adds the two details that make them hard to plan around: strike action may be announced at short notice, and planned strike action may be extended at short notice. Belgian national rail strikes stop trains across the country, and because so much Belgian travel is by train a single strike day can remove a leg of an itinerary. Demonstrations often coincide with them, particularly at transport hubs and around the Schuman area, the EU quarter in Brussels, where they can also affect access to the British Embassy. Check Belgian Railways before every travel day rather than only on arrival, sign up to BE-Alert, which sends emergency notifications by SMS, and keep a day of slack around any onward international connection.
There is one Antwerp-specific point about organised crime worth stating plainly because visitors read about it. The port's role in cocaine importation has produced a genuine problem with grenade and small explosive attacks on properties in the city's outer districts, overwhelmingly in Deurne, Merksem and Borgerhout, connected to disputes within the trade. It has been reported widely and it is real. It is also entirely confined to specific addresses in residential suburbs that no visitor has reason to be in, nobody has been targeted for being a bystander, and the historic centre, Het Zuid and the station area are not involved. The FCDO does not list Belgium as carrying any advised-against area and does not mention it.
The practical hazards are the bicycle and the tram. Antwerp's cycle lanes are busy, fast and frequently run between the pavement and the road where a visitor does not expect them, and stepping into one while looking at a phone is the commonest way to get hurt here. Trams have priority and run on streets without raised platforms in the old city. Look for the lane markings before stepping off any kerb.
The Antwerp Packing List
A flat, damp, cobbled northern European city where you will walk and perhaps cycle a great deal, and where the cold is about humidity rather than temperature.
Merino base layers, which are the answer to Low Countries damp
Our merino base layers are 100% Australian merino at 17.5 micron, and a long sleeve merino wool base layer for women is the right foundation from October to April. Antwerp's winter is five degrees with high humidity and wind off the Scheldt, which is a damper and more penetrating cold than a dry frost at minus five, and wool is the fibre that handles it. A merino base layer bottom is worth having from December to February, particularly if you intend to cycle.
A fleece from October to May
A Columbia Fast Trek fleece. Over a wool base layer this handles an Antwerp winter without anything heavier, and the MAS roof terrace and the riverfront are both exposed.
A packable rain shell, which you will use about one day in three
A Marmot PreCip Eco rain jacket. Belgian rain is frequent, usually light and often windy, which is the combination an umbrella loses to on a bridge or a quay. Packable is the operative feature because the showers pass.
Shoes for cobbles, and this is where the city is unforgiving
Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX shoes with Darn Tough merino hiking socks. The Grote Markt, the streets around the cathedral and most of the old centre are set stone and cobble, slippery when wet, and Antwerp is a city you cross on foot repeatedly. Waterproof is the useful feature, because wet feet by eleven is the thing that ends a day here.
The small things
An Eagle Creek packing cube set, which earns its place on a Benelux rail trip specifically, because this is a region of short hops between cities where you repack every second night and where a strike can turn a planned move into an unplanned one. Add a small umbrella for the city. A reusable bottle, since Belgian tap water is good. A warm hat and gloves from November to March. Something smarter than hiking gear for the evening, because Antwerp is a fashion city and dresses like one. And register your details for BE-Alert before you travel, which is free and takes a minute.
Recommended Tours and Experiences
Essential Resources for Women in Antwerp
Emergency numbers: 112 for all emergencies across Belgium, and 101 for police directly. English is widely spoken in Antwerp, which is a Dutch-speaking city where most people under fifty speak good English. Sign up to BE-Alert, the Belgian government's free emergency SMS notification system, which is what the authorities use for major incidents and which the FCDO specifically recommends; the Belgian Crisis Centre website is the other official channel.
US State Department travel advisory: the Belgium advisory. Read the current level there directly rather than relying on a figure printed in any guide.
UK FCDO travel advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium, and read the safety and security page rather than only the landing page, because that is where the substance sits.
Main hospital: the Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen at Edegem is the university hospital and the main tertiary centre, with ZNA Middelheim and the Sint-Vincentius and Sint-Augustinus hospitals in the city itself; emergency care in Antwerp is of a high standard and English is generally available. Belgium operates a reimbursement system rather than free care at the point of use, which is the practical point: you will usually pay and claim back, so keep every receipt. A UK Global Health Insurance Card or an EHIC covers necessary state treatment on that basis, and neither covers repatriation or private care, so travel insurance remains necessary. Pharmacies are plentiful and a duty rota covers nights and Sundays.
Official health authority: the Belgian Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment. BELGIUM OPERATES A REIMBURSEMENT SYSTEM rather than free care at the point of use, so expect to PAY AND CLAIM BACK and keep every receipt; a UK GHIC or an EHIC covers necessary state treatment on that basis and covers neither repatriation nor private care. Standards are high and English is generally available in Antwerp. SIGN UP TO BE-ALERT, the free government emergency SMS service, which is what the authorities use in a major incident
US Embassy: the United States Embassy in Brussels.
Official tourism authority: Visit Flanders, the Flemish tourism authority. BELGIUM HAS NO NATIONAL TOURISM BOARD because tourism is a regional competence, and ANTWERP IS IN FLANDERS, so Visit Flanders is the correct authority here; Wallonia and Brussels have their own. Two local notes: SOME INTERNATIONAL TRAINS USE ANTWERPEN-BERCHEM RATHER THAN CENTRAAL, which catches people out, and the city centre is a LOW EMISSION ZONE requiring prior registration for a foreign vehicle
Check Belgian Railways before every travel day. Strikes are announced at short notice and can be extended at short notice.
Do not put luggage in the rack at the end of a carriage. The advisory names that specific method on high-speed trains.
Look for the cycle lane before stepping off any kerb. It is the commonest way a visitor gets hurt here.
Sign up to BE-Alert before you travel. It is free and it is what the authorities actually use.
Solo women safety assessment: Antwerp is a safe city for a woman travelling alone, with the ordinary urban caveats: the centre is busy into the evening, the tram and premetro are well used, and walking or eating alone draws no attention. The FCDO publishes no advised-against areas anywhere in Belgium, and its terrorism section is nonetheless substantial for western Europe: it states that TERRORISTS ARE LIKELY TO TRY TO CARRY OUT ATTACKS IN BELGIUM, that attacks could be indiscriminate, and it names the kinds of place at issue rather than leaving it general, listing public transport, transport hubs, music, sporting and cultural events, nightlife venues, government buildings and international institutions, and places of worship. It records fatal incidents in Brussels in 2022 and on 16 October 2023, notes that plots have been disrupted, and says Belgium's national threat level is set above its baseline, which is why the police presence is heavier than you might expect; we do not print the number because it changes. ON THEFT THE ADVISORY IS SPECIFIC and names railway stations and international trains, with cases of violent robbery, and the method it names is LUGGAGE TAKEN FROM THE RACKS AT THE ENDS OF CARRIAGES on high-speed trains. In Antwerp that applies to Centraal as the country's second international hub, and the streets immediately north and east of it around De Coninckplein are the rougher couple of streets in the centre, which is a two-street matter rather than a district. Keep a bag closed and in front of you there and on the Amsterdam and Paris trains. STRIKES ARE THE MOST LIKELY DISRUPTION: the FCDO calls them an ongoing issue causing severe disruption nationally, announced and extended at short notice, so check Belgian Railways before every travel day and sign up to BE-Alert. One thing visitors read about and should see in proportion: the port's cocaine trade has produced real grenade and explosive attacks on specific addresses in Deurne, Merksem and Borgerhout, residential suburbs no visitor has reason to enter, with no bystanders targeted and no involvement of the centre. The daily physical hazards are the bicycle lane and the tram, both of which run where a visitor does not expect them.
Reading On
Antwerp is forty minutes from Brussels and an hour and twenty from Amsterdam, which makes it a natural part of a wider trip. The Brussels packing list covers the capital forty minutes south, where the embassies are and where the advisory's named station risks concentrate. The Bruges packing list covers the medieval town an hour west, and the Ghent packing list the city between them. The Leuven packing list covers the university town east of Brussels. For the country as a whole the Belgium travel guide for women and the Belgium packing list carry the rail network, the strike planning and the practical material in full. For why wool handles a damp five-degree day better than anything else, read the guide to merino wool base layers for women. Every destination we cover is indexed at the travel packing guide for women, and the base layers are at the Roman Trail collection.
If the outer journey is calling you, the inner one usually is too. Explore SoulMap at romantrail.com/blogs/soulmap.
