Originally published on September 15, 2025
We left Dinant this morning and pointed the car north toward Antwerp. A couple of hours and far too many construction zones later, we finally reached the city. The streets leading into the old town twisted and turned like, well, a pan of guts—but we eventually tracked down both the hotel and a nearby parking area. To our delight, the hotel let us check in early.
Once settled, we wandered over to the tourist info center where a huge tapestry caught our eye, its detail a whole story in itself. From there we climbed to the top of Het Steen—Antwerp’s oldest building, originally a medieval fortress—for a sweeping view of the Scheldt River and the city skyline.
The Cathedral of Our Lady was next. You can see its spire from almost anywhere in Antwerp, but the real treasures are inside: three monumental Rubens paintings. The church’s interior has gone through many phases, including “whitewashing” during the Reformation when Protestants stripped away Catholic decoration. Hidden beneath some of that whitewash are older wall paintings, just waiting for restoration to reveal their color again. And in a twist of ownership, the soaring bell tower isn’t even part of the church—it belongs to the city.
We wrapped things up with a walking tour led by a terrific guide. Somehow we managed to miss the famous Belgian waffles today, but we’ll make up for it. Hard to believe we’re already halfway through this adventure—just as many days left as we’ve already spent.
