St. Paul’s Church (Sint-Pauluskerk)

In the central city, the Veemarkt (the plaza that once functioned as a former cattle market) is home to the late Gothic St. Paul’s Church (Sint-Pauluskerk), begun in 1517 and not completed until 1639. The Baroque clock tower dates from 1680. A fire in 1968 badly damaged the church and only the spirited efforts of local people prevented the loss of valuable interior furnishings. The church is home to paintings by Rubens, Jordaens, and Van Dyck. These include the superb Baroque confessionals by Pieter Verbruggen the Elder and three paintings by Rubens: The Scourging of Christ (1617) in the left aisle and the Adoration of the Shepherds and Disputation on the Blessed Sacrament in the left transept.

Cathedral of Our Lady

The Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwkathedraal), is Belgium’s largest Gothic church. Work was started on the cathedral in 1352, continuing until 1521. Jacob van Thienen, Pieter Appelmans, Jan Tac, Everaert Spoorwater, Hermann and Dominic de Waghemakere, and Rombout Keldermans were among the architects and master-builders who contributed to its construction. The church has suffered serious damage on a number of occasions over the years, depriving it of many of its most precious works of art. First came a fire in 1533, then despoliation at the hands of dissident iconoclasts in 1566, Calvinists in 1581, and French Republican troops in 1794 and 1800. Sadly, only a few of the lost treasures have since been recovered. Restoration of the exterior was begun in the 19th century, and all the carved stonework on the outside of the building is therefore recent. Work on the interior began in 1965, starting with the nave where repairs were completed in 1983. The finest of the remaining works of art are displayed in the nave and aisles as well as in the cathedral treasury.

 Butcher’s Hall (Vleeshuis)

The elegant rooms of the late Gothic Butcher’s Hall (Vleeshuis) include the former council chamber of the butchers’ guild. The impressive brick building, built in 1501-04, was deliberately sited close to the Scheldt, allowing the blood of slaughtered animals to run off into the river. The Vleeshuis is now a museum of applied art and archaeology with collections of prehistoric, Egyptian, Roman, and Merovingian artefacts; weapons and armour; ceramics; furniture; sculpture and woodwork; and coins. Among its most prized possessions are a 16th-century depiction of the conversion of Saul created from Antwerp tiles known as the Averbode Retable by Pieter Coecke van Aelst. The Vleeshuis is also home to an outstanding collection of musical instruments including the remarkable harpsichord from the workshop of Ruckers the instrument-makers.

Havenroute (Port Tour)

The Havenroute is an approximately 50-kilometer-long sightseeing tour of the port area, marked out by the Antwerp Tourist Office. The Port of Antwerp is second only to Rotterdam among the major seaports of Europe, fully justifying its claim to be one of the largest in the world. The harbor installations alone cover an area of more than 10,000 hectares, with a further 3,400 hectares of land in industrial use. Start the Havenroute tour of the docks area from the Loodsgebouw (Pilot House) on the embankment north of the Steen, from where the route heads northwards, passing almost immediately the two oldest docks, the Bonapartedok and Willemsdok, at the far end of which can be seen the massive Koninklijk Stapelhuis. The tour heads past the 17th-century Eenhoorn windmill to Lillo, one of the few polder villages to have survived engulfment by the port. At Lillo, there is a choice between driving on to inspect the huge Berendrechtsluis, the world’s largest lock, or shortening the tour by turning round and following the Havenroute south again towards Antwerp, via the Frans Tijsmanstunnel beneath the Kanaaldok.

St. James’ Church (Sint-Jacobskerk)

With its sumptuously ornate Baroque interior, St. James’ Church (Sint-Jacobskerk) is one of the richest ecclesiastical buildings in Antwerp, blessed with an exceptional endowment of art treasures. It was the church at which the city’s patrician families worshipped, and they regularly commissioned leading artists to design their private chapels, altars, and tombs. The Rubens Chapel provides the chief focus of interest for visitors. Located behind the high altar, it contains the tomb of the artist (1640) and those of other members of his family.

Antwerp Zoo

Right in the center of the city, Antwerp Zoo was founded in 1843. It is widely regarded as one of the finest zoos in Europe on account of its variety of species, its success in breeding, the care bestowed on the animals that are kept in the most natural environment possible, and, last but by no means least, its architecture. While the Art Déco facades of the entrance area are the first features to catch the eye, inside the zoo are several buildings of note, among them the giraffe and elephant house (1855) in the style of an Egyptian temple. More than 6,000 animals of 950 species live in the zoo, including rare breeds such as the white rhino, okapi, and mountain gorilla.

Rubens’ House (Rubenshuis)

Peter Paul Rubens acquired No. 9 in 1610 — a year after his marriage to Isabella Brant – living there until his death in 1640. He arranged the house to his own taste and requirements, making his home to the left of the entrance and turning the right wing into his studio. Following the French Revolution it was used as a prison, thereafter falling more and more into disrepair. Rubens’ House (Rubenshuis) finally came into the possession of the City of Antwerp in 1937 and, between 1939 and 1946, was meticulously restored with the aid of old documents and drawings. The ten rooms are furnished in the style of the period and contain numerous original paintings. These include works by Rubens (self-portrait, ca. 1625/28, in the dining room) as well as by Snyders, Jan Bruegel, Veronese, Jordaens, and Otto Venius. The large studio contains several more works by Rubens (Adam and Eve in Paradise) and others by his pupils.