Five Hours in Antwerp

While we were planning this trip, we considered which of the four most-visited cities in Belgium we would visit: Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, and/or Ghent. We decided to visit Brussels and Bruges and spend three nights/two days in each.

But the trip from Bruges to our next destination, The Hague, was only three hours, and Antwerp was on the way, so we decided to split the train ride into two 90-minute segments and spend about five hours in Antwerp.

We had several options for places to visit, but most were similar to places we had already visited in other cities. So we decided to visit the Museum aan de Stroom, a history and culture museum located on the waterfront.

Part of the appeal is the building itself. It’s ten stories, and the floor plan of each floor is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the floor below it. We rode the escalator from the ground floor to the first floor along one side of the building, then turned right and rode the escalator to the next floor along the next side of the building, and so on, all the way to the top.

The top of the building was an open-air observation deck with commanding views in every direction.

After we were through with the observation deck, we explored the museum from the top down. Each floor’s entrance and exit were located on the corner where the escalators met.

Our favorite exhibit was the one we visited first – ancient artifacts from Colombia, dating back to before the European invaders arrived.

On another floor, Belgium comic legend Tintin was placed next to ancient Greek (or Roman) busts.

Other floors covered Antwerp’s history, the importance of the shipping trade, the World War II years, green and sustainable living, and some traditional art. These were interesting to varying degrees, but the Colombian exhibit was by far the most engaging.

This is a street we walked on from the museum back to the bus stop. What’s unusual, compared to most other neighborhoods in European cities?

Plentiful parking!