When traveling to Belgium, Antwerp is only a 30 minutes train ride away from Brussels Airport (Zaventem, NOT Charleroi). You can’t imagine a better arrival, as you will be greeted by one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. 

From there on, you can choose different ways to discover our Belgian culture. There’s trams and busses connecting to every corner of the city. Download the app from De Lijn to easily find your best route and to get the best prices (Buy a 10 ride ticket in the app and you will only pay 1,7€/ride of 1 hour). 

The best way to show yourself around is by bike. Antwerp has a very useful bike rental system called Velo. You can take a bike at over 300 locations spread all over the city. Best part is: it will only cost you 12€ for a whole week. It’s the best way to feel like a true local! 

My favourite way to explore new places is by just walking. It slows you down and gives you lots of opportunities to discover hidden gems. Our city is very walkable, but keep in mind that the old historic center has quite a few place with cobble stones, so high heels might not be your best choice. 

Other options are, like in many other cities: Taxis and Ubers (but they are expensive, and going by car often takes longer than taking a bike) and of course sharing steps. You can find them scattered around town. 

If you’re coming by car, please be aware that Antwerp is a low emission zone and that parking in the center can be expensive. There’s Park and Ride parkings at the edge of the city with public transport going from each one of them straight to the city center. For more information check Slim naar Antwerpen.

Brown bars are different from normal bars. They are called that way ( bruin café in Dutch) because of their dark wood filled interiors. They are part of Belgian culture and every small town here has their own “Bruin Cafe”, with their local loyal customers hanging on a high chair at the bar.
These small bars are not for dancing, but more so for talking and drunk, philosophical conversations until late at night.
The smell of scaled beer as you enter one is a good indicator of the big selection of draft beers they normally serve.

Here’s some of my favourite brown bars:

De Duifkens: located right behind the stunning Bourla theatre, this is the place where you’re more likely to spot famous Belgian actors and artists (although you probably wouldn’t recognise them).

Paters Vaetje: nestled right next to the Cathedral, you’ll find this tiny but cosy bar. They have a small upstairs area which makes you feel extra special if you can find a spot there.

Witzli-Poetzli: if you can’t find a spot to sit at Paters Vaetje, you can try your luck 20 meters down the same road at Witzli Poetzli. Same same, but different. When the weather is good, they have a small terrace in the shadows of the cathedral.

Den Engel: Right next to our city hall you’ll find this monument of a bar in a building dating back to the Middle ages (If you visit the KMSKA, you can find this building in paintings!)

Den Boer van Tienen: Right in the middle of the Mechelse Plein, you’ll find this bar with it’s small interior but very large exterior. Perfect to get some vitamine D if the sun decides to join us. Another cozy brown bar called De Pallieter, is right across the square. 
 

When you say Belgium, you say fries. The best fries. It’s not just food. It’s culture. If you want to feel like a true Belgian, you go to a Frituur on Friday or Sunday evening, when you don’t feel like cooking. Or after a heavy night out as a midnight snack. Stepping into a Frituur for the first time, you might feel overwhelmed by all the choices in snacks. So to help you out: Watch this Video from one of our Local Influencers: Average Rob.

Sannes go to choice is a mini portion of fries with sweet, Dutch Mayonnaise and a (veggie) viandel special with tomato ketchup or veggie bitterballen.

Filles favourite is  a Bicky burger with a normal portion of fries special and also bitterballen. 

Best places to find fries are: 

Frituur De Petaat: Closest Frituur to the conference venue, this place is located right on the Theaterplein. Great fries, great location, lots of vegetarian options. Keep in mind they only have an outdoor seating area.

Frituur Dageraad: Further from the historic city center, but located on the very cosy Dageraadplaats in the middle of Zurenborg. This is Sannes go to frituur. You can take your fries to go and order a drink at one of the bars and eat them on their terrace. 

Frituur No.1: Maybe not the best fries, but definitely the most famous frituur. Mostly aimed at tourists or hungry people looking for food after midnight. Open every day until 3AM.

Chips: Not only does this places have great fries, they also serve lots of veggie and vegan options. 

Arré Patat: Right in front of the Sint-Anna pedestrian tunnel, you’ll find this frituur that also has lots of veggie en vegan options. You can’t miss it as the facade of the building has an amazing mushroom mural made by local artist Charlotte De Cock.

Coming soon

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KMSKA: This one is the first on our list as it’s an absolute must visit museum. Both Fille and I are one of the main photographers for this Royal museum, so chances are, your might have already seen some of it if you follow us on Instagram. It’s one of the only museums that are open on Monday. The collection consists of artworks from the 15th century, all the way to the 21st. The building itself also combines classic with modern architecture. 

FOMU: We’re all photographers, so a visit to a Photo Museum is always a good idea. Located just a walk away from the KMSKA and MUHKA, it’s easy to combine it with a visit to one of the other museums. 

MUHKA: Located close to the KSMKA and the FOMU, this museum for modern art focusses on exactly that. They have in their collection works from Belgian artists like  Panamarenko, Luc Tuymans and Berlinde Debruyckere as well as works from more internationally known artists like Bruce Nauman, Anish Kapoor and Marlene Dumas.

Middelheim: Located out of the city center, but only a little bike ride away, you can visit this park filled with sculptures for free! If you’re looking for a place to play around with your camera, I would definitely recommend going here as it has some great artworks that can be the backdrop for a photo shoot. 

Coming soon

Coming soon