Free Walking Sightseeing Tour #1 in Antwerp, Belgium
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Tour Facts
7.3 km
70 m
Explore Antwerp in Belgium with this free self-guided walking tour. The map shows the route of the tour. Below is a list of attractions, including their details.
Activities in AntwerpIndividual Sights in AntwerpSight 1: Protestants Evangelische kerk
The Brabant Mount of Olives is the name of the Protestant community of Antwerp during the period when it met in secret during the time of the Austrian Netherlands. The church building, which has been in use since 1821 by the Protestant congregation Antwerp-North of the United Protestant Church in Belgium, is also referred to by this name. The late Gothic church building, the first stone of which was laid in 1615, is located on the Lange Winkelstraat and is recognized as a monument. It is all that remains of the Roman Catholic convent of the Annunciation Sisters in Antwerp.
Wikipedia: Brabantsche Olijfberg (NL), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 2: Begijnhof Antwerpen
The Beguinage of Antwerp is one of the beguinages in Flanders and a beguinage in the Belgian city of Antwerp. It is located in the Rodestraat in the University Quarter and was founded in 1544 when the old beguinage from 1245, which was located outside the city walls, was abandoned for security reasons. The beguinage was originally of the square type, but later an alley was added. The original church was destroyed in 1799, the current St. Catherine's Church was built in 1827, probably under the direction of Pierre Bruno Bourla.
Sight 3: Snijders & Rockoxhuis
The Snijders&Rockox House is a museum in Antwerp, Belgium. It is located in two neighbouring townhouses formerly owned by the artist Frans Snyders (1579–1657) and the mayor Nicolaas Rockox (1560–1640). It is owned by KBC Bank and showcases a collection of 16th and 17th century Flemish art.
Wikipedia: Snijders&Rockox House (EN), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 4: Het Letterenhuis
The Letterenhuis is a Belgian non-profit organization located in Antwerp. The Letterenhuis collects and archives information of Flemish artists, musicians, and writers, as well as portraits concerning Flemish culture as from 1750. The Letterenhuis fulfills two tasks: on the one hand it is an archiving and documentation centre and on the other hand it is a museum. The most interesting part of its collection are the manuscripts of famous Belgian authors like Hendrik Conscience, Willem Elsschot and the contemporary writer Tom Lanoye. In 2012 the Letterenhuis featured a theme exhibition about Louis Paul Boon to honor his one hundredth birth year.
Sight 5: Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience
The Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library is the repository library of the city of Antwerp. It is named after the Flemish writer Hendrik Conscience, whose statue adorns the library. The library conserves books and magazines to keep them available permanently.
Wikipedia: Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 6: Cathedral of Our Lady
Book Free Tour*The Cathedral of Our Lady is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never been 'completed'. In Gothic style, its architects were Jan and Pieter Appelmans. It contains a number of significant works by the Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, as well as paintings by artists such as Otto van Veen, Jacob de Backer and Marten de Vos.
Wikipedia: Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp) (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 7: Brabo Fountain
The Brabo Fountain is a eclectic-style fountain-sculpture located in the Grote Markt of Antwerp, Belgium, in front of the City Hall. The fountain, dating from 1887, contains a bronze statue by the sculptor Jef Lambeaux depicting the city's legendary founder, Silvius Brabo, throwing the severed hand of the giant Druon Antigoon into the river Scheldt. It received protected status in 1982.
Sight 8: Jacob Jordaens
Jacob (Jacques) Jordaens was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and a designer of tapestries and prints. He was a prolific artist who created biblical, mythological, and allegorical compositions, genre scenes, landscapes, illustrations of Flemish sayings and portraits. After the death of Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, he became the leading Flemish Baroque painter of his time. Unlike those illustrious contemporaries he never travelled abroad to study the Antique and Italian painting and, except for a few short trips to locations elsewhere in the Low Countries, he resided in Antwerp his entire life. He also remained largely indifferent to Rubens and van Dyck's intellectual and courtly aspirations. This attitude was expressed in his art through a lack of idealistic treatment which contrasted with that of these contemporaries.
Sight 9: Sint-Annatunnel
The Sint-Anna Tunnel is a pedestrian and bicycle tunnel under the Scheldt in the city of Antwerp. Construction of the St. Anne's Tunnel began in 1931 and the tunnel was opened in 1933.
Sight 10: Het Steen
Book Free Tour*Het Steen is a medieval fortress in the old city centre of Antwerp, Belgium, one of Europe's biggest ports. The surviving structure was built between 1200 and 1225 as a gateway to a larger castle of the Dukes of Brabant which was demolished in the 19th century. As the first stone fortification of Antwerp, Het Steen is Antwerp's oldest building and used to be part of its oldest urban centre. The words "Het Steen", translated from Dutch mean "the rock" in English, although that is not the equivalent etymological meaning.
Sight 11: Lange Wapper
Lange Wapper is a Flemish folkloric character. He is a legendary giant and trickster whose folk tales were told especially in the city of Antwerp and its neighbouring towns, but similar tales are also prominent in other Flemish cities.
Sight 12: Butcher's Hall
Museum Vleeshuis in Antwerp is a monumental former guildhall located on the Vleeshouwerstraat between the Drie Hespenstraat and the Repenstraat. The building dates from the beginning of the sixteenth century. Since 1913, it has been a museum for applied arts, including musical instruments. Since 2006, it has been dedicated to 800 years of musical life in Antwerp and the Low Countries.
Wikipedia: Vleeshuis (Antwerpen) (NL), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 13: Hessenhuis
The Hessenhuis is a historic building in North Antwerp, in the same name Hessenplein, the Old Lionenrui, the Stiffel and Falconrui, and Hessenbridge, which connects to the Horsenmarkt. Today, an exhibition space and a gay café are located.
Sight 14: Stadsarchief Sint-Felix pakhuis
The Stapelhuis Sint-Felix, nowadays called Felixpakhuis, is a monumental warehouse from 1858, at Godefriduskaai no. 30 in Antwerp, with a central passage to the Oudeleeuwenrui. Since 2006, the building has housed the Antwerp city archive FelixArchief. It is located on the Willemdok, opposite the MAS or the Museum aan de Stroom, in the 't Eilandje district.
Sight 15: Bonapartedok
The Bonapartedok is located in the northern Antwerp in the port area near the Eilandje. The Bonapartedok is located on the Rijnkaai, which runs on the west side of the oldest dock in Antwerp, where Hangar is 26, in which the Antwerp regional TV channel ATV is located. On the other side of this warehouse on the Bonapartgeuldam, the tavern and disco bar "Starboard" is located on the top floor. The Willemdok is east and in connection.
Sight 16: Museum aan de Stroom
Book Ticket*The MAS, or Museum aan de Stroom, is a museum in Antwerp that opened on 14 May 2011. The MAS has eight exhibition spaces and a collection of approximately 600,000 objects. The focus of the MAS is the connection between Antwerp and the world. The history, art and culture of the port city of Antwerp, international trade and shipping and art and culture from Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Oceania are central.
Sight 17: Nassaubrug
The Nassau Bridge is a bridge in the Antwerp port area on the right bank of the Scheldt. The bridge is located over the narrow connection between the Bonaparte dock and the Willem dock in the old port of Antwerp, connecting the dock complex with the Eilandje and the Sint-Laureiskaai on the north side of the Bonaparte dock. It is the oldest bridge in the port of Antwerp, built in 1867 and repaired for the first time in 1912.
Sight 18: Willemdok
The Willemdok is located in the north of Antwerp and is located next to the older Bonaparte dock. The Willemdok has a length of 378 m and a width of 198 m. At 6 m, the dock is slightly deeper than the Bonaparte dock. The Willemdok was designed and constructed in 1803-1812 by a decree of 26 July 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte and came into use in 1813 as "le grand bassin". Like the Bonaparte Dock, it was designed by Nicolas Mengin. In 1815, the King of the Netherlands donated it to the City of Antwerp.
Sight 19: Kattendijkdok
The Kattendijk dock is located in the north of Antwerp and connects to the Verbindingsdok and the Suez dock, which in turn connects to the America dock and Albert dock. It is located in a north-south axis. The Kattendijk dock was excavated and extended in several phases, namely from 1860, 1869 to 1881.
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Disclaimer Please be aware of your surroundings and do not enter private property. We are not liable for any damages that occur during the tours.
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