I wrote this guide to art, design, and architecture in Antwerp after spending about a month in the city and finding out what a great cultural hub it was.
When you’re planning a trip to Antwerp, include some of these cultural activities in your itinerary.
The guide covers Antwerp’s cool design shops, beautiful architecture (Art Nouveau and other styles), and excellent art scene.
Table of contents
Antwerp for art lovers
Antwerp is a great city for art lovers, home to an interesting variety of museums and galleries.
Historically, it was the home of famous painters, including Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens.
The city’s traditions are evident in some of its museums, but the contemporary art scene is also thriving.
There are plenty of contemporary art galleries in Antwerp, especially in the south of the city, in the district of Het Zuid.
I made a self-guided Antwerp gallery walk that takes you through Het Zuid, highlighting the most interesting galleries (and some museums) along the way.
Museums in Antwerp
Here are the best museums for art lovers in Antwerp:
KMSKA – Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp is a must-see. If you have to pick just one museum, go for this one. The building itself is very impressive from the outside, and the use of space inside is clever.
The museum has masterpieces from the 14th to the 19th centuries, including works by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Bruegel.
It also has contemporary and cutting-edge art.
Expect to spend at least a couple of hours at this museum.
M HKA, Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp is housed in an unusual, minimalist, white building.
I walked inside and found myself in a massive library full of art books and sculptures. That’s where the ticket desk is.
The ground floor exhibition featured artworks from the city collection of Antwerp by artists from the city alongside international artists.
From there I wandered around to see the exhibition spaces on the other floors. It’s a large museum with several floors and plenty to see.
Next to most artworks, you’ll find a QR code to scan for more info.
FOMU – Photo Museum Antwerp is located just a few minutes walk from the Museum of Contemporary Art through a lovely park.
Antwerp’s photography museum has both historical and contemporary photo exhibitions and a nice library.
Museum De Reede is a rather unique museum in Antwerp, as it focuses exclusively on graphic arts.
It highlights the work of 3 artists: Francisco Goya, Félicien Rops and Edvard Munch.
The most famous artwork in the permanent collection is “The Scream” by Munch, but it’s not the colourful version you’re probably familiar with. It’s a lithograph in black and white
You’ll also find drawings, engravings, and wood prints by other artists from the 17th to the 21st century.
It’s located in the historic centre of Antwerp across the road from the tourist information centre inside Het Steen.
MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp celebrates Antwerp’s fashion designers.
The permanent exhibition showcases selected items from the museum’s massive collection of 38,000 items. It highlights Belgian designers.
That’s where I learnt about the Antwerp Six, a group of fashion designers from Antwerp that came to fame worldwide.
Plantin-Moretus Museum is another unique museum in Antwerp and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the former home of Christophe Plantin, a famous 16th-century printer.
A visit to the museum takes you through the history of print, including live demonstrations.
MAS – Museum aan de Stroom is a cultural museum with several galleries stacked on top of each other within a tower.
It has both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
The exhibition themes vary, but in general, they revolve around cultural traditions, the history of Antwerp, maritime history, and cultures around the world.
Rubens House is a popular museum in Antwerp, dedicated to Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, who grew up in Antwerp and spent much of his life in the city.
Some of his famous artworks in the museum’s collection include The Annunciation and Adam and Eve.
Extra tip: get the Belgium Museum Pass
I recommend you get the Belgium Museum Pass (museumPASSmusées) if you plan to visit many museums in Belgium.
I bought it soon after arriving in Antwerp and used it in every city in Belgium I visited. I got a virtual pass on my phone, so there was no need to wait for a physical card to be sent.
It grants you entry to most museums in Belgium, plus some half-price train tickets and discounts in museum shops.
Antwerp for design lovers
You’d be surprised how many design shops you can find in Antwerp. It has entire streets with shop after shop of fresh, aesthetic, elegant, and sometimes quirky designs.
Kammen Street, Klooster Street, and Statie Street are the best places to go if you love design. The first two are central, so you’ll probably pass by them anyway.
I created a detailed Antwerp self-guided design tour that covers many of the beautiful shops I found there.
Antwerp is known as a fashion capital and is home to a famous fashion academy. I happened to be there around graduation time and saw many of the students walking around the city wearing their own creations.
Antwerp’s fashion museum, MoMu, is definitely worth a visit. It has a large collection displayed in the permanent exhibition space, plus temporary exhibitions.
If you’re into graphic design and typography, Antwerp has a unique museum on the history of print.
The Plantin-Moretus Museum is housed inside the historic location of an old and prominent publishing house.
It has live demonstrations of an old printing press, a wonderful collection of old prints, and a fascinating section about typecasting.
Antwerp for architecture lovers
As an architecture buff, I found some beautiful buildings during my stay in Antwerp.
They are pretty much scattered around the city, but as the city isn’t too big, you can easily see a lot of its most beautiful buildings while walking around the centre.
I made a self-guided Antwerp architecture tour you can take to see all the highlights, including, the central station, Bourla Theatre, the old stock exchange, and a few other buildings that are all within walking distance from each other.
The architecture of the fashion museum MoMu in the city centre is intriguing. You can take a free architectural tour on your phone when you’re inside the building.
There are a few more remarkable buildings to see outside the centre.
MAS Museum is an iconic building in the north of Antwerp. It’s a tall, red tower, with a design inspired by 19th-century warehouses.
Each floor has a different exhibition space and the rooftop has panoramic views of the city. You’ll also see a different view of the city on each floor as you climb up.
Another unique building in the north of Antwerp is Zaha Hadid’s Port House.
Built as an extension of an old fire station, the top of this building looks like the bow of a ship, using Hadid’s characteristic triangles.
In the south of Antwerp, I recommend you visit Cogels Osylei. This street and the ones around it have a collection of flamboyant houses built by the wealthy classes in the late 19th and early 20th century.
What are your favourite spots in Antwerp for art, design, and architecture lovers? Let me know in the comments.
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