Sometimes you are not allotted a very long time in a city. 48 hours may not be the ideal amount of time to spend in a city but, if you plan everything out, you can definitely see a good portion of the city.
So to continue on our limited time travel guide series here is what you can see, eat and do in Antwerp, Belgium in just 48 hours!
Must Sees:
Antwerpen Centraal Station
I know it sounds weird to put a train station on the list of things you must see in a city but, trust me, you will not be disappointed! This train station is one of the most beautiful train stations I have ever seen and it has even made its way onto a few lists of must-see train stations! This is also the easiest way for you to travel to other parts of Belgium.
Park Spoor Noord
Park Spoor Noord is a great place to go in Antwerp to get that local feel. This huge park was created on reclaimed railway land and has a great modern feel. This is a great place to take a morning run or have a picnic on the lawn. You may even catch a morning soccer game like we did.
Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal Antwerpen)
Within the historic Antwerp Centre, the Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp stands tall and beautiful among it's fellow buildings. This point of interest is definitely worth a look and a picture and you can go inside and look around for a small entrance fee.
Brabo's Monument
Still, within the historic centre, you can find the Brabo's Monument. Another picturesque landmark, the statue stands right in front of the town hall and is a breathtaking sight. With beautiful architecture and tons of little shops and restaurants all around, it was a very populated area with both locals and tourists alike.
Grote Markt
If you are standing at the Brabo's Monument and just pivot around you will easily find Grote Markt. You are basically already standing in it. This is considered the old city quarter and is where you can find some of the most beautiful architecture in all of Antwerp. We highly encourage that you take some time to walk down these streets, you can get some incredible photos here.
Eats:
Greenway
If you are looking for some yummy vegan food I have your answer. Greenway is a vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurant with many options from salad to burgers and they have great side dishes like the "to die for" Mediterranean potato with an herb aioli sauce!
Wasabi Sushi
One of our running jokes while in Antwerp was just how many sushi places there were, this joke actually went on to apply to every city we visited during the trip. Wasabi Sushi is a very tiny and cute sushi restaurant near the water. Fairly walkable from Park Spoor Noord, they offer a great selection of veggie rolls. They do not have English menus but, the waiter was very kind in translating the menu for us.
De Broers van Julienne
This was probably one of the most expensive restaurants we ate at the entire trip but, the food at De Broers van Julienne is so delicious, you won't even care. This super chic and modern restaurant appears to have once been a house renovated into and open floor plan. They specialize in vegetarian dishes, with some completely vegan dishes and some you can customize to be vegan. They have an English menu and the staff was super sweet. This ended up being mom's favorite restaurant for the trip.
Tours:
During our time in Antwerp, we did not go on any tours. It was a little bit not wanting to spend the money and a little bit disinterest in our options. The tour we were most interested in was De Ruien, which is a tour that takes you underneath the city of Antwerp and through the sewers. There are other things to do like museums and the Antwerp Zoo which is located right next to Centraal Station.