Antwerp

Antwerp is a city that loves to do things in a big way. Sitting on the River Scheldt in northern Belgium, it has been one of Europe’s most important trading cities for centuries, and today its massive port keeps goods flowing to and from countries all over the world. The diamond trade has called Antwerp home for more than five hundred years, and the city still handles a staggering share of the world’s rough diamonds each year.

Walk through the streets and you will find a gorgeous Gothic cathedral that took nearly two hundred years to build, a lively main square with a fountain tied to a legend about a fierce giant, and the former home of brilliant painter Peter Paul Rubens, where his enormous canvases still hang on the walls. But Antwerp is not just about history. It has a buzzing, creative energy, with cool museums, excellent food, and one of the world’s oldest zoos sitting right beside its grand central station. It is a city where the past and present mix together brilliantly, making every corner feel like a new discovery.

Antwerp Puzzle Set

City illustration + map puzzle, shipped to your door.

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Quick fact

Antwerp is home to one of the busiest seaports in the world and has been a global centre of the diamond trade for over 500 years.

Fun fact

About 80 percent of the world's rough diamonds pass through Antwerp every year, making it the sparkliest city on the planet by some measures!

Landmarks

Cathedral of Our Lady

This jaw-dropping Gothic cathedral took nearly two centuries to build and soars so high into the sky that it guided sailors on the River Scheldt for centuries.

Antwerp Zoo

One of the oldest zoos in the world, sitting right next to the central train station, where you can meet elephants, gorillas, and even okapis up close.

Rubenshuis

This was the actual home and studio of the superstar painter Peter Paul Rubens, and you can still see some of his huge, colourful masterpieces hanging on the walls.

MAS – Museum aan de Stroom

This tall, twisting red-and-glass tower by the river is packed with stories about the sea, the city, and people from all over the world, plus a free rooftop view.

Grote Markt

Antwerp's main square is surrounded by beautiful guild houses and features a fountain with a giant hand — which ties into a legendary story about a giant named Druon Antigoon.