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Discover Antwerp’s top museums and cultural highlights
Antwerp wears its history proudly – you feel it on every street corner. The city’s museums range from world-class art collections to fascinating glimpses of its golden age trading past. Whether you’re a history buff or an art lover, there’s always something that stops you in your tracks. Here are our favourites.
Museum Hof van Busleyden
A stunning Renaissance city palace where you can discover the Burgundian period (the era when Mechelen was the capital of the Burgundian Netherlands) through masterpieces of Northern Renaissance art and the stories of figures like Margaret of Austria and Emperor Charles V.
Museum Kazerne Dossin
Between 1942 and 1944, more than 25,000 Jews and Roma were deported from this site to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Today it’s a museum, memorial, and documentation centre on the Holocaust and human rights. One of the most important and moving sites in Belgium. Not to be missed.
Speelgoedmuseum
Seven thousand square metres of toys, games, and play across history: from Lego and tin soldiers to working train sets and interactive exhibits. A hit for kids, and deeply nostalgic for adults.
Romboutstoren (UNESCO)
Climb the 97-metre-high tower of St. Rumbold’s Cathedral via 538 steps to the Skywalk, where on a clear day you can see as far as Brussels, Antwerp, and Leuven. One of the tallest church towers in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Groot Begijnhof (UNESCO)
A remarkably well-preserved medieval beguinage, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A maze of cobblestone streets, Gothic chapels, and historic houses where lay religious women once lived; serene and utterly beautiful.
Boottocht op de Dijle (EXPERIENCE)
A 45-minute boat trip on the inner Dijle, departing from the Haverwerf opposite the Vismarkt, offering a guided view of Mechelen’s history from the water. A surprisingly different way to see the city.
Brouwerij Het Anker
One of Belgium’s oldest breweries, right in the heart of Mechelen, and the home of Gouden Carolus. Tour the brewery, taste the beer, and don’t miss the whisky.
Technopolis
An interactive science museum where you can explore the human body, the brain, evolution, and how everything from cars to trains works, with VR and AI thrown in for good measure. Great for kids, genuinely fun for adults.
Zoo Planckendael
A sprawling wildlife park near Mechelen housing over 1,000 animal species from five continents, organised by continent of origin, with plenty of walking routes, feeding moments, and playgrounds.
Kunstuur
A unique and intimate art exhibition where real people (not art historians) tell personal stories about the paintings on display, making masterpieces feel surprisingly accessible and alive. Located right opposite Sint-Romboutstoren.
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