Lonely Planet India - August 2016

just might come from “Antwerpen”
which translates to “throw the hand.”
The Cathedral of Our Lady once you enter
is a time-eater. It is the biggest Gothic church
in the Low Countries and you could stay
inside forever – marvelling at the four Rubens
paintings a striking Baroque pulpit dating
back to the 14th century the atmospheric side
altars and choir stalls and a beautiful statue
of the Madonna with Child.
But do leave at some point to walk through
the last truly 16th-century street that remains
in Antwerp – the Vlaaikensgang – to the
UNESCO World Heritage-listed Plantin-
Moretus Museum. Here thanks to the
enthusiasm of publisher-printer Christophe
Plantin and his son-in-law Jan Moretus
you will find the two oldest printing
machines in the world books from
the 16th century and a beautiful
Renaissance garden.
Walk past the Fashion Museum to lunch
at one of the busy cafés in this busy city
(the Horta Grand Café & Art Nouveau
Zaal on Hopland is always abuzz) before
taking a taxi to the De Koninck Brewery
the city’s main brewery since 1833 where
an interactive tour takes you through several
rooms and a welcome pint of beer at the end.
Take a taxi back to the Meir and catch
the last of the shopping – most stores are
open till 6.30pm – and then stagger on to
dinner at Graanmarkt 13 where the food
supplemented by herbs and honey from
the store overhead is superlative.

STAY

Leopold Hotel: 00-32-3-231-1515;

http://www.leopoldhotelantwerp.com

[email protected];

Quinten Matsijslei 25; from ` 7200

with breakfast and wi-fi

EAT/ DRINK

• Horta Grand Café & Art Nouveau
  Zaal: 00-32-3-203-5660;
  http://www.grandcafehorta.be (in Dutch);
  Hopland 2; 9am – 10pm; snacks
  from 1185 mains from 1340


• Graanmarkt 13: 00-32-3-337-
  7991; http://www.graanmarkt13.be;
  Graanmarkt 13; 12pm – 2.30pm
  6pm – 10pm Tues – Sat Sun closed;
  lunch menu: 2525 dinner menu: 3290

SEE/ DO

• Stadsfeestzaal: 00-32-3-202-
  3100; http://www.stadsfeestzaal.com/en;
  Meir 78/ Hopland 31; 10am – 6.30pm
  Mon – Sat Sun closed


• Rubenshuis: 00-32-3-201-1555;
  http://www.rubenshuis.be; Wapper 9 – 11;
  10am – 5pm Tues – Sat; 610 adult 460 child (12 – 25 years)


• Palace on the Meir: http://www.paleis
  opdemeir.be (in Dutch); Meir 50
  (exhibition temporarily closed)


• Cathedral of Our Lady: 00-32-3-
  213-9951; http://www.dekathedraal.be;
  Groenplaats 21; 10am – 5pm
  Mon – Fri till 3pm Sat 1pm – 4 Sun;

` 460 adult child under 12 free

• Plantin Moretus Museum:
  00-32-3-221-1450; http://www.
  museumplantinmoretus.be;
  Vrijdagmarkt 22; 10am – 5pm
  Tues – Sun closed Mon; entry:
  610 adult 460 child (closed
  till Sept end)


• De Koninck Brewery: 00-32-3-
  866-9690; http://www.dekoninck.be/en;
  Mechelsesteenweg 291; 10am – 6pm
  Tues – Sun closed on Mon;
  920 adult 500 child

BUY

The Chocolate Line: 00-32-3-206-

2030; http://www.thechocolateline.be/en;

Paleis op de Meir 50; 9.30am –

6.30pm Tues – Sat from 10.30am

Sun – Mon; chocolate shooter:

` 3435

GOOD TO KNOW

• You can rent a bike under
  Antwerp’s Velo scheme cross
  the city and return the bike
  at another Velo station closer
  to your destination (www.velo-
  antwerpen.be; from 40 for 30 – 60 min day pass: 290).


• Every first Sunday of the month
  is Shopping Sunday when most
  of the stores in the historic city
  centre remain open.


• More information:
  http://www.visitantwerpen.be

ANTWERP ESSENTIALS

The Cathedral of Our Lady
looms protectively over Antwerp
Facing page:

1. Pick up Spectacular Speculoos
   from Maison Dandoy


2. Gaston and his cat welcome you
   to the Belgian Comic Strip Centre


3. The mussels at Café Leon –
   a must-try for seafood lovers
   in Brussels

84 July 2016