Plantin-Moretus Museum

Get the most out of your visit to Antwerp with a private guided walking tour through the historical heart of the city to explore all of Antwerp's highlights while learning about history, legends, and countless fun facts. On this tour, you'll admire historic churches, characteristic squares, popular museums, and medieval architecture on a route that includes all the must-visit spots. You'll explore Grote Markt first, where you can marvel at the medieval guild houses, city hall, and Brabo Fountain. From there, you'll head to Hendrik Conscience Statue, named after the Flemish writer Hendrik Conscience. This site hosts an impressive Baroque church and the old city library. Next you'll visit the world-famous Carolus Borromeus Church with its 17th-century Baroque details before stopping at Handelsbeurs Antwerpen (the Bourse of Antwerp), the world's first Wall Street. Here, you’ll find out how the city came to be an important international trading center in the 16th century. Rubens House is next on the itinerary: the former home and workshop of the famous Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens. Learn more about his life story and some secrets behind the artist’s success. At MoMu, one of the world’s leading fashion museums, you'll get some inspiration for your next fashion shopping trip before heading to the Museum Plantin-Moretus, the first museum to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also walk through Vlaeykensgang, a secret medieval alley that’s not easy to find on your own, to see you the best-preserved remnants of the Middle Ages in Antwerp. This spot is said to be the most photographed place in the city. Make sure to keep your camera ready as you arrive at the Nello & Patrasche Statue, another popular attraction in the city. You'll finish the tour in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady, where you’ll learn the history and curious facts behind its construction. History and funny stories, legends and interesting facts, highlights and hidden gems — this tour has everything to make your experience of Antwerp authentic and unforgettable!

The historic walk takes 2 hours. Our journey begins at a beautiful square in the city, he Grote Markt (Grand Place). After a brief overview, we leave for the river Scheldt, where it all started. We reach the fortifications of the first town. Follow the city's expansion between the remaining parts of the first city wall. The oldest and largest guild house can be found here. This was the home of the butchers, called the Vleeshuis. We follow the timeline and arrive at the first financial heart of Antwerp. We explore the history and consequences of religious strife in the 16th century, and arrive at a new era with a new style of art. The Baroque in all its glory, the Carolus Borromeus Church. Let's go to the mother of all stock exchanges and hope the door opens. On our way to our final destination, we will pass the biggest Gothic cathedral in the Low Countries. We end up in the garden of the Plantin&Moretus museum, a 16th-century printing and publishing house, owned by the same family until the late 19th century.

Traverse the city's historic core, delving into Grote Markt's medieval charm with its guild houses, City Hall, and Brabo Fountain, while tales of their significance unfold. Venture to Hendrik Conscience Statue, unveiling architectural gems and the city's intellectual legacy. Marvel at the opulence of Carolus Borromeus Church, steeped in Baroque elegance linked to Rubens. Dive into Antwerp's Golden Age at Handelsbeurs Antwerpen, a historical hub akin to Wall Street. Discover the artistic realm at Rubens House and delve into fashion's heart at MoMu - Fashion Museum Antwerp. Explore the UNESCO-recognized Museum Plantin-Moretus and the medieval allure of Vlaeykensgang.