There’s plenty to see and do in this thriving metropolis that rarely sees large coach parties of tourists visiting, yet navigating its many layers takes effort and planning.
Museum Poorterswoning’s new exhibit at Poorterswoning provides an intimate view into medieval life for wealthy Antwerp burghers in the Middle Ages. This paints a vivid picture before Antwerp earned its name from an old legend: when Druon Antigonus severed river boats’ hands and Roman soldiers challenged him to fight over it.
Het Steen
Het Steen stands in the heart of Antwerp’s historic center as one of its oldest remaining structures, dating back to 1200-1225 as part of an early stone fortification system (city wall). Later it served as a gateway to an estate belonging to Dukes of Brabant whose castle complex was later demolished during the 19th century.
Het Steen Castle has served various purposes over its centuries-long existence, from fortress to prison and house museum to tourist visitor centre and cruise terminal, providing interactive experience tours about Antwerp and its port. Visitors can also climb to its roof terrace for stunning views of river and quays.
Het Steen underwent extensive refurbishment during construction. New elements added included a parking roof structure insulated with FOAMGLAS insulation and hot bitumen-fired membranes; as well as a visitor centre featuring rooftop terrace and interactive exhibitions; existing sheds were redeveloped into flexible facility space; with all elements working to reinforce Het Steen’s character as an independent castle.
Antwerp offers visitors a host of captivating medieval castles that you can explore. One particularly stunning castle is Het Steen, built around 1200 and serving various capacities since. First as a fortress and prison, its 1622 courtyard garden and historic tower make for an enjoyable visit.
At Het Steen Fortress there is also a statue of Lange Wapper – an iconic Flemish folkloric figure depicting him showing his famous “peeping Tom” physique to two diminutive witnesses. A visit to Het Steen is sure to be memorable and you can gain plenty of information on its visitor center.
Het Steen is a free-to-visit monument renovated with eco-friendly elements and is accessible for people with reduced mobility via its lift system, while wheelchair users may access its rooftop terrace.
Sint-Jacobskerk
Sint Jacobskerk (St. James’ Church), one of Antwerp’s most impressive churches, is best known as Peter Paul Rubens’ resting place and thus becomes a focal point. Constructed as a 15th-century Flamboyant Gothic structure with Baroque interior features, this church originally served as a chapel for pilgrims traveling towards Santiago de Compostela in Spain but eventually expanded into one of Antwerp’s largest parish churches.
The church is an integral part of the city’s heritage and boasts several valuable paintings by Rubens as well as an altarpiece by Johannes Vermeer and a sculpture by Jan van Eyck of St George. To protect these treasures it is crucial that care is taken with the building. Therefore the ErfgoedChallenge Fund provides free financial support for restoration work being performed on monuments within Belgium. To preserve these renowned artworks extensive renovations are being conducted on this church. Luc De Maere leads his team of restorers while funding is provided by this fund offering free financial support to restorations of monuments throughout Belgium.
As part of its restoration, many of the church’s windows will be closed; however, you will still be able to enjoy some of its exquisite art works inside. The interior features wood carvings, stained glass artworks and sculptures from around the world; live classical music can also be heard here regularly. At one time in its past life, Antwerp merchants would meet at this church.
Future improvements for this church will include installing a new organ and making itself more accessible to visitors. Furthermore, they have won the ErfgoedChallenge competition, receiving funds to renovate its crypt. As part of its restoration project, UV-repellent foil will be applied over its surface to shield against harmful UV radiation while simultaneously improving the appearance of works displayed therein.
As part of its restoration work, the church plans to install a new bell and host an exhibition featuring long-lost illustrations by Rubens called Opticorum Libri Sex from October through December 2019. To accommodate this exhibition and allow public access to these precious illustrations from October until December 2019, its doors will remain open from 14:00-16:30 each afternoon from 14th Street Church.
The Grote Markt
Antwerp, Belgium’s Grote Markt is its central square surrounded by historic guild halls and restaurants; designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, and considered its most iconic landmark. Though sometimes touristy, exploring this area may yield unexpected treasures!
This 16th-century Renaissance town hall stands as a central feature in this historic market square, its ornate facade adorned with 87 flags representing cities in Europe. Considered one of Antwerp’s most beautiful buildings and used as an inspiration for other guildhalls, its construction coincided with an unprecedented economic surge – making it an integral symbol of city power.
Middle Ages practice dictated the construction of large city halls to symbolize the wealth of Dutch-speaking towns. This led to the Grote Markt, an excellent example of Flemish Renaissance architecture with baroque accents. Due to an increase in population, its previous town hall had outgrown itself and required replacement.
Antwerp derives its name, “hand throw”, from this legend of Roman hero Silvius Brabo who famously threw his large hand into the river Scheldt and created Antwerp as an entity. This magnificent feature adds another lovely aspect to Grote Markt: Brabo Fountain is an eye-catching bronze statue depicting this magnificent tale of hand throwing. This legend gave Antwerp its name.
Attractions to visit at Grote Markt include Stadhuis and Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal, also known as Cathedral of Our Lady. Strolling along its historic street lined with guildhalls is an excellent way to discover more of this vibrant city, while being filled with shops and restaurants perfect for spending a pleasant day exploring this historic hub of city life.
Hotel Rubens-Grote Markt is located within walking distance of both MAS Museum Antwerp and Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp. Guests will have access to its garden, private parking lot and terrace; room amenities include work desks with satellite channels as well as air conditioning for optimal comfort, refrigerator storage space for tea/coffee beverages as well as hairdryers in every room.
Museum Plantin-Moretus
Officina Plantiniana Museum tells the tale of two printing pioneers – Christophe Plantin and Jan Moretus – and their establishment they established, Officina Plantiniana. Situated on Vrijdagmarkt, this grandiose house and workshop was owned by Christophe Plantin’s descendants for 300 years; their heirs sold it all to Antwerp City Hall in 1876, so that you may still visit today.
House and printing works are still breathtakingly impressive today, featuring their gilded leather walls, portraits of Peter Paul Rubens, and old bookshop with library. The collection includes books, illustrations and unique printing equipment; for example two oldest presses in the world (Cornelis Kiliaan’s Etymologicum Teutonicae Linguae), complete sets of dies and matrices from original fonts as well as several original presses from this museum’s own printing press (Officina Plantiniana published several influential works that helped shape our Western heritage such as Kiliaan’s Etymologicum Teutonicae Linguae), Pieter Coudenberg’s medical handbook “Dispensatorium”, as well as Abraham Ortelius’ atlas “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum”.
In the 19th century, the Plantin-Moretus collection expanded further with print and design drawings. City architect Van Averbeke designed a building specifically to house this vast graphic collection; its opening took place on 11 March 1939 with art historian Ary Delen serving as its first conservator.
It is an alluring place that attracts lovers of books and typography from around the globe, drawing visitors who share a passion for books or typography from all backgrounds. Its staff strive to maintain its collection at peak condition while sharing expertise with other institutions and partners – serving as a meeting point for specialists as well as an important platform to exchange ideas.
The Plantin-Moretus Museum boasts an expansive collection of over 200,000 printed items spanning manuscripts to prints. Notable pieces in its collection include the Bible (Biblia Sacra), Description de Tous les Pays-Bas and Flowers by Rembert Dodoens are particularly notable; in addition there are maps and charts. Alongside printed items you can also find beautiful manuscripts in its catalogue; these two basic categories differ based on whether or not there are significant illuminations – leading some people to mistakenly assume less important works without decorative elements are less significant.