Bus to and from Antwerp from $3.99

Antwerp is a city in northern Belgium, not far from the Netherlands border. It is a city with that always-full-of-character Flemish architecture. It has a medieval theme throughout the city complete with an early 13th century fortress. It is the most populated city in Belgium with over 520,000 people. Antwerp is a rising fashion city with heavy influence from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. It is a big soccer city, as it’s team Royal Antwerp F.C. is the oldest team registered in the Royal Belgian Football Association in 1895. It is a charming city with tons of character that I highly recommend visiting!

Antwerp is complete in typical Flemish fashion with a Grote Markt. Grote Markt is the central square of the city, where you can find beautiful architecture, large town hall complete with flags and fountains, and charming cafes and restaurants. Not far from there is the 13th century fortress Het Steen. You can walk through this fortress free of charge and submerge yourself into Antwerp’s medieval history. It is situated right along the River Schelde for a truly medieval experience. Hard to miss is the Cathedral of Our Lady situated in the center of Antwerp. This gorgeous gothic-style cathedral is the largest cathedral in the Low Countries. It began as a small parish in 1124, but started to be built upon in 1352 and completed in 152 to become what it is today. The cathedral is constantly added to depending on the time, so it not only has Gothic influence but also additions from renaissance, baroque, and so on. This cathedral is so large that you can see its top spire from almost anywhere in the city, making it a landmark building. Another place to visit is Rubenshuis, or Ruben’s House. This is the former house and studio of the famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens. It is a gorgeous museum complete with not only his artwork, but of various items from his life. There is a beautiful garden and courtyard outside. In typical Belgium fashion, don’t skip out on getting a typical Belgian waffle, Belgian chocolate, or both combined! There are various waffle shops around the city where you can indulge in this Belgian delicacy. You can get delicious Belgian chocolates from Leonidas shops all around the city for a small price. If you’re looking to do some shopping, head over to the Meir Shopping Street. It has a great atmosphere, beautiful buildings, and unique statues, complete with plenty of places to shop.

It is thought that Antwerp had its origins in a Gallo-Roman vicius with findings from as early as the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Antwerp was first mentioned in the 4th century as being settled by the German Franks. It has a deeply medieval history and you can feel that influence all throughout the city. Antwerp has been an important port city in Europe throughout its history, and it became the sugar capital of Europe because of its imports. It has been an important city in the Low Countries both economically and culturally. Antwerp’s golden age took place in the 16th century; with historians noting is as the richest city in Europe at that time. It is also a place of the world’s oldest stock exchange building. Antwerp was an important strategic acquisition for the Germans in World War II because of its port, and it became occupied by the German Nazis. It was a city heavily bombed in World War II, but they focused a lot of energy on rebuilding it to the beautiful, character-filled city that it is today.

Catch the beautiful sunset in Antwerp as the city lights up. Antwerp by night is magical when everything is lit, especially around the Cathedral of Our Lady. There are so many great restaurants, pubs, and bars around the city to try out. Being in a beer capital, you will never be at a loss for somewhere to have a cold one! A great place to check out for beer lovers is Beirhuiske. It is a pub that has over 300 beers! For the club goers, in Antwerp you can party in a 16th-century old church at Café d’Anvers! If you are into EDM, Stereo Sushi is the place to be. It is one of the most popular nightclubs in Antwerp and many high-profile DJ’s preform there. Furthermore, the theatre scene in Antwerp is very active and it is said that Antwerp is one of the best cities in Europe for theatre.

You can go almost anywhere in Europe from Antwerp on FlixBus, but a great day trip that I recommend is Ghent. It is a city unlike many I’ve been to, complete with the largest medieval castle I’ve ever seen. You can take a tour of the castle and explore the entire interior, a surreal experience. You can also take FlixBus to Bruges, arguably the most beautiful city in Belgium. This is a great city to continue your European adventure on FlixBus, as the route options are endless!