Antwerp is a charming city, neither modern nor new, which retains the historical European appeal. It boasts the most amazing restored old bridges running behind the Mercatorstraat. The trams run constantly above the bridges while the side streets run below the many arches.

I was in Antwerp for a short visit a few years ago, on our way to Holland. I was surprised that although it is a city, whenever I asked the natives what attractions Antwerp has to offer, I got very noncommittal responses (and the zoo of course.). Last time we visited, we indeed went to the zoo and the Nachtengalenpark- both relatively local. 

We visited again recently, and rented a car for part of the time (although it is not a necessity since public transportation is well set up there). This time we dug a bit more and found some excellent places to visit. One conclusion I came to: The Antwerp area has the most amazing playgrounds (in addition to the best Kosher Bakery-Kleinblatts, as every native will make sure you know).

There are also bike and scooter shares all over the city. It’s a lot of fun to pick up a bike or scooter and visit and cruise around a bit before dropping it off at the next station. 

We really enjoyed our stay in the historic city of Antwerp.

Posted: August 24, 2023

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