A Walking Tour of Antwerp

The Grote Markt is a good place to start your walk, with its impressive fountain of the city's mythical hero Silvius Brabo commanding its center, while the Stadhuis and Flemish guild houses form a triangle on this marketplace. Head down Suikerrui toward the river. At the end of the street, turn right to the waterfront fortress, the Steen. Walk up the block-long Repenstraat to the step-gabled Vleeshuis. Proceed along Oude Beurs to Schoenmakersstraat, which will bring you to the cathedral. Walk down Blauwmoezelstraat in the direction of the Grote Markt, going around the cathedral to its entrance on Handschoenmarkt. The Gothic Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal contains some of Rubens's greatest paintings. A few steps to the left from the front of the cathedral, and you're in Oude Koornmarkt. At No. 16 begins the Vlaeykensgang, an old cobblestone lane. It merges into Pelgrimstraat. Turn right, then right again on Reyndersstraat, past the Baroque house of the painter Jacob Jordaens; then left on Hoogstraat and left again on Heilige Geeststraat, and you're at the Plantin-Moretus Museum, the printer's stately home and workshops. Walk along Oever with its many antiques shops and make a left on to Muntstraat, coming along to Sint-Andrieskerk. Muntstraat changes to Augustijnenstraat; when you reach Nationalestraat you'll find the fashionista mecca, the Mode Museum. Continue on Sleutelstraat, which with a slight jag right on Kammenstraat leads to Oudaan. Follow Oudaan to Lange Gasthuisstraat to the Museum Mayer Van den Bergh on the left to see its outstanding Bruegels. A few doors down on Lange Gasthuisstraat is the Maagdenhuis, a museum displaying artifacts from its days as an orphanage as well as Flemish art.