Belgium has a common theme for having spectacular town centers and Grote Markt is a prime example…read moreof such. While it doesn't quite live up to its neighbor in Brussels, it is still something to see none the less. It is not the largest square, but it boasts plenty to in and around. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, shopping, and a cathedral all nearby, so again plenty to do. During the winter months, it is decked out with Christmas goodies including a full fledged festival, which is oodles of fun. Could you spend a whole day here, possibly, but quite honestly a few hours is all you need before you move onto your next adventure in the beautiful city of Antwerp.

Super great place to visit, eat, stroll and soak-up. Search for the historic alleyway and make…read moreyour way to the canal and visit the historic building and tourist info building.

Just a heads up -- the majority if art in here is by other artists. There are a few wonderful…read morepieces from Rubens himself but don't expect a museum of his work. This is mostly art that was part of his personal collection and the work of his contemporaries. Rubens is an example of an artist that was successful during his lifetime. He operated a studio and was very in demand. Thus, due to his wealth, the house is quite beautiful. The tour of the house is self-guided. They have booklets in various languages with numbers corresponding with art pieces. You just follow the path and bury your nose in your booklet to learn about the art. You don't need too much time here. If you move fast, you can probably see everything in one hour. This may change depending on how crowded the museum gets. The rooms are pretty small but it wasn't too bad when I came here since it was a rainy day at the end of August. **Make sure you see everything. The last room is the most beautiful (large paintings). Don't skip the courtyard in the back either -- gorgeous architecture (although they are currently restoring it). **Free on the last Wednesday of the month. I had no idea but just so happened to visit Antwerp on this day so I got very lucky.

The Rubenshuis, which was the home of the famous painter Pieter Paul Rubens is a site to see if you…read moreneed time to kill. From the outside it looks tremendous and while it does not disappoint from the inside, I felt a little down after seeing the whole thing. Now while this is not the cheapest attraction in the town by far, it will not break the bank, the problem really comes down to what you are expecting. I expected to see more of the lifestyle of Pieter Paul Rubens, but what I got was a refinished house full of art setup in the way of a small art museum. Do not get me wrong, the sculptures and paintings are wonderful, but nothing to write home about when compared to many other museums nearby. Couple that with the small hallways and large crowds and it will have you rushing for the exit as soon as possible. We ended up walking around pretty freely as not many were there an hour after the opening on a crummy weather day, but as we were leaving, we saw a HUGE group heading in, so be aware this may not be friendly for those with no patience or claustrophobic. On the plus side, the back yard and garden is beautiful in the Spring and Summer, but sadly the buildings facade was getting a makeover when we were there. Was it deserving of more than a three star, yes, but I'd leave it at a 3.5 out of 5 to be honest. Still worth visiting though if you read up on it beforehand and interests you.

We visited on 10/3/24. My husband and I love cathedrals so we always try to see them in new cities…read more The inside was exquisite. The details the art it was inspiring and breathtaking. It had this energy of peace and tranquility that I loved. I am very grateful we got to experience this.

Truly a stunning cathedral both inside and outside. I thought it was going to be a quick in and out…read morehaving seen a lot of the amazing churches in Europe but this one is up there as well and we ended up spending a lot of time here including some time to meditate. It was not crowded so did not feel rushed which was nice.

We had some time to kill before our train and this showed up as an option to explore since it is…read moreright across from the station. It was meh. Small, a few asian stores and restaurants and nothing else to do Well on second thought the gate was a little cool.

Chinatown looks to be about one street with one of those traditional Chinatown gates. There's…read morestores on both sides of the street (supermarket, bakery, restaurants, doctors office.) Not super interesting and I'm not sure if there's anywhere really good to eat, but it did feel like a real Chinatown (though very small.)

Amazing tour even without the free in person tastings…read more...... They've limited the number of tickets offered so there is heightened safety. Masks required. Given an audio guide, we entered room after room of narrative that expanded how only the best chocolate makes it to Belgium & how the chocolate makers then turn it into scrumptious Belgian chocolate The stage setup, the automation, the lights & the entire setup was incredible. Totally selfie-worthy & there were lots of opportunities to do just that And let's not overlook the chocolate sculptures and chance to see the atelier kitchen (all behind glass) where they make fun shapes like shoes or soccer balls And as a parting gift, we were provided with a goodie bag of all the flavors we would have been able to try while there, had we not been in a pandemic situation - so we still got to enjoy all the flavors from the different cacao beans.......this was definitely as good as it gets

Walked in easily without a wait in the morning. The tour is more informative than interactive other…read morethan the room where you can scan the audio guide at each of the chocolate exhibits. I thought the chocolate sculptures would be grander honestly so I was mildly disappointed with the experience. At the end, you get to sample 8 different types of chocolates ranging from white, ruby, gold, and different cacao levels of milk to dark chocolate. The white and milks were rich and decadent but nothing to write home about. The gold chocolate is supposed to be a caramelized white chocolate, it was very sweet and indulgent. The ruby chocolate has a lot of pronounced fruity notes -- personally not a fan of fruit with my chocolate so this one was a pass for me, but the color was gorgeous! The dark chocolates were more on the acidic side. The gift shop has a lot of chocolate varieties to choose from -- bars (plain or with toppings), rubbber duck shapes, chocolate chips, a bar with the Antwerp skyline, and much more! I selected a few bars to bring home as souvenirs. They were relatively affordable, most bars max around 5 euros, though they are on the smaller side. But I have seen pricier bars at the supermarkets, so it's a fair price for freshly made chocolate!

Waiting for the boat ride took longer than the ride itself. It is just a ride between two spots…read morewith nothing interesting to look at. If you know what a sewer looks like, then skip out on this waste of money. It also smells like, you guessed it, a sewer. The commentary is short and pretty much says people threw their trash in it and it took a while for them to clean it and make separate lines. I regret wasting time and money on this sorry "tour"

This is a literal trip into the bowels of the city. It was not at all as advertised on the…read morewebsite. Imagine spending two hours slogging through puddles of ancient and modern toxic waste, surrounded by trails of toilet paper, rats and spiders, all while breathing in toxic mold and the most horrendous smell you have ever experienced. Then imagine that you slip and fall--and you land face first in all that filthy and feces! Five minutes into our "tour" one of the members of our group did just that. There are no raised walkways, handrails or safety measures and the thick layer of mucky brown doo-doo is extremely slippery. We watched in horror as a fellow customer fell and it his head and got the mud and slime on his face, his hair , his hands and all over his suit. The tour guide did not have a towel or wipes. He simply took his hand and tried to rub off some of the black goo dripping off his face and then gave him a new tablet to use. The tour guide does not speak English or German or any other language but Dutch. His English is completely unintelligible and we spent the whole time listening to him try to explain things to us, but we could barely understand anything he was saying. The stench in the sewer is overwhelming and I have no idea why people say it is " a little smelly". It smells like 1,000 years of accumulated feces and waste, covered in mold. I have severe asthma and mold allergies, but the woman at the desk said it was "a little musty", which was the understatement of all eternity. This tour should provide respirator masks for anyone entering and frankly, I think it should be closed. It is unsafe, unclean and really the amount of information given is not enough to make it worthwhile. The tour guide also walks extremely quickly, making falls and slips an even bigger hazard. I feel that there should be a large warning sign at the entrance gate in all languages where the conditions are described in detail, and warning that it is slippery, that those with respiratory illnesses should not enter, that you may fall and that the floor is covered in a thick layer of mud and poop. This tour was not at all what I imagined--the boat ride is also a joke--it is just a small barge that goes in a straight line for a few minutes. But that would have been MORE than enough for me--the additional 90 minutes of hell spent slogging through this cholera and typhus infested hellhole was not enjoyable, or informative. I could have gotten the same information from a youtube video and not endangered my health. Save your money and go to a different museum. Worst experience of my life.

This museum was on our must visit list while in Belgium. Antwerp was the origin point for all the…read moreimmigrants that came through Ellis Island and everyone came via the Red Star Line. The history, stories, description and depiction of the travel accommodations, interviews with some of the passengers, the trials to cross Europe just to get to Antwerp, the struggles... awe inspiring. I left here with a profound appreciation for the commitment of these people to find a better life. They do an amazing job over 3-4 floors bringing this epic individual journey to life. A visit here will stay with you for a very long time.

This museum was well worth a visit. It was the 'reverse' of Ellis Island in New York, which…read morereceived so many immigrants. These well done exhibit(s) showcased the history of the many immigrants who left Antwerp to head out to the new world, for hopefully a better life. The better life did not materialize for many individuals, but to see the pictures and to read the information regarding the passage of thousands of immigrants from Eastern and Western Europe was truly worth the afternoon's visit.