My great best friends Danny and Yarran from Australia paid me a visit in Antwerp, which is where I have been living in the past three years. I wondered what things I would show them here, mainly for them to get an idea of what is like to live in this little old town.
So I came up with a list to do and wanted to share it with you!
It's a mix of things to do, see, drink and eat!
It's a mix of things that are unique to Antwerp's nature or are things of good quality to do.
Enjoy!
1. Swimming + Chilling: Noordkasteel, Bar Le Tour, Camping Kontiki
Just an hour away from Central Station to the Northern part of Antwerp (by foot) is Noordkasteel, a weird foresty area with a swimming pond amidst industrial and porty Antwerp. This summer, the pond is blessed with a brique a brac cafe (Cafe Le Tour) where you can sip on Belgian beer and watch the Tour de France, or go across the pond to Camping Kontiki to enjoy freshly made pizza from 5pm on. The walk or bike ride there is also an excellent opportunity to explore the area!
2. Op shopping: at Think Twice
Antwerp is blessed with a non-chalante sense of fashion and the supply must have something to do with it. Think Twice is an op-shop chainstore all over Belgium and once every few weeks sell out their entire stock for 4/3/2/1 euro per piece (regardless of what it is), it's unlike anywhere that these shops are so rediculously cheap and have a pretty good assortiment.
3. Riding your bike at: the Sint Anna voetgangerstunnel
It sounds lame but I love the bike tunnel in Antwerp. It was made in the 30s, it's about half a kilometers long, goes through the water (Schelde) and there are BIKE elevators. It doesn't get more European than this.
4. Eating at: Loa's
Korean Fried Chicken, Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Shrimp Cake, Maroccan Pancakes. Eating out in Antwerp is 9/10 times a fucking disaster so bless yourself with some streetfood on Hoogstraat (near the Cathedral)
5. Drinking Flat Whites at: Caffenation
The ONLY cafe that does coffee right in Antwerp. I am not exagurating. The ONLY PLACE. The two brothers who run this place are super friendly, man, they are just really good hearted people looking out for their customers. They roast their own coffee and I think they supply for countless shops in the area.
6. Playing pool and footy at: Korsakov
Located on Mechelsplein, hipster cafe Korsakof has besides a terrace and a bar also a pool table, a footy table and a decent smoking room upstairs. Can't forget the spiral case stairs. Bring a deck of cards! You can also visit cafe next door Pallieter, one of those dreamy European cafes. Open till late!
7. Sitting at the dock of the bay: 't Vlot + 't Steen
Young people get food and drinks and sit on the raft at the Schelde, commonly known as 't Vlot. Next to the raft sits the oldest building in Antwerp, 't Steen, a fortress from the middle ages. It's Antwerp's most important historical building!
8. Enjoy summerbars and artsy things: Bodem
Well, every summer there are heaps of pop up bars and Antwerp is fuelled with art, and sometimes these things are combined such as "Bodem" and "Studio Start". Studio Start is an organisation that helps recent Fine Arts graduates with opportunities and next to their office/studio in the backyard sits Bodem, a cute little courtyard with a bar and a stage for music; there's a vegetable garden and there are yoga classes! Come sit, watch, play!
9. Check out the Jewish quarter: Stadspark, dem diamonds, Grosz supermarket
The Jewish diaspora is such an important aspect in the formation of Antwerp, especially as a diamond centre. The diaspora is mainly located between Central Station and Stadspark. And what better way to understand a community by looking at their food? Grosz supermarket is located on the Jacob Jordaensstraat 64.
10. Window shopping for antiques and winning at the fleemarkets: Kloosterstraat, Vrijdagsmarkt en de Veiling
Belgians love quality stuff and they are willing to pay for it and take good care for it. So fleemarkets are absolutely amazing here. Like an old school auction? Visit Amberes auction on Monday mornings. A flee market auction on a square? Check out the Friday markets on vrijdagsmarkt and enjoy a coffee and a little soup. Kloosterstraat is a long street full of antique stores. Have fun!
Antwerp is a TINY city and you can easily get anywhere you'd like in 10 mins by bike. MAX. The architecture is eclectic, from the Gothic cathedral to 60s housing projects, to middle age fortresses, to a Zaha Hadid harber house. It's troubled by old school bilingual bureacracy, grumpy old Belgian folk, hectic racism and too much bourgeoise. But yeah, rent is cheap and it's supercentral.
Come through :)