Things to do in Antwerp?

I will give you a couple of things: one is the KMSKA, the art museum, which has a lot of Flemish old masters, and another thing is the shopping. It extends almost from the station right down to the cathedral, along the Meir. The station itself is excellent; they call it the 'railway cathedral' because it is so spectacular, worth a few photos. And of course you need to find a café down near the cathedral and drink a jenever or two and people-watch (although it's strong liquor - watch out!).

Lavandula

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Depending on your heritage and ancestors arrival in the US, there is a nice Red Star Line museum, a shipping company that transported many immigrants to the US from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and beyond.

If you enjoy Belgian beer, there are a number of great bars. quaint, old, and good selection.

The area between the Train station and the old town is a nice pedestrian area with a number of stores.

Some things we enjoyed:
Nello & Patrasche statue
Cathedral of Our Lady
1930s wooden escalator
Brabo statue
Grot Mark
Red Star Line museum
Het Bootje art nouveau building

If you decide to ‘dive into the world of jenever’, be sure to try Antwerp’s pride and joy, Elixir d’Anvers.
The place to go for jenever, with the widest selection of flavours and vintages, is Café De Vagant.

Be sure to visit Antwerp’s magnificent churches as well https://visit.antwerpen.be/en/five-monumental-churches

Although I personally would never settle for just a half-day visit to Antwerp... in that short time you’ll have barely seen anything.
What a missed opportunity!

Two of the top things to see would be the Rubenshuis which is the former home and studio of the artist Peter Paul Rubens and the Museum Plantin Moretus . This second museum was the home and original workshop of a 16th century printing family and within there are old printing presses and rare books. It did take the better part of a day to see these 2 places but then I tend to read most all of the exhibit labels.

Rubenshuis is closed for renovation until 2030. The garden already reopened.

As Antwerp is still the diamond capital of the world, a stroll through the Diamond District (Diamantwijk) is a unique experience. It doesn’t look flashy, nevertheless home to a multi-billion dollar industry it has a special vibe. The district is adjacent to the Central Station, so easy to do. There are also guided tours to join if of interest.

https://visit.antwerpen.be/en/diamond-district