Free things to do in Antwerp
Antwerp is easy on the wallet. Here are 12 things you can do for free, from the city's most famous sights to museums with free entry once a month, plus the squares where locals spend the evening.
Free sights
© Maros M r a z (Maros) · CC BY-SA 3.0 Grote Markt & City Hall · Old town · Always open
Guildhall-lined main square with the Renaissance City Hall and the Brabo fountain.
© Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · CC BY-SA 3.0 Het Steen · Old town · Daily 10:00–17:00
Medieval riverside castle, now the visitor centre with a free rooftop and the Antwerp Story.
© Fred Romero from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0 Vlaeykensgang · Old town · Always open
Hidden 16th-century cobbled alley tucked away behind the cathedral.
© Lieven Smits · CC BY-SA 3.0 St James' Church · Meir/Rubens · Daily 14:00–17:00 (not during services)
Restored Gothic church with a rich Baroque interior and the chapel where Rubens is buried.
© Kristina D.C. Hoeppner · CC BY-SA 2.0 Diamond quarter · Station/Zoo · Always open (shops roughly Mon–Sat daytime)
The streets beside the station where most of the world's rough diamonds are traded.
© Fred Romero from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0 Antwerpen-Centraal station · Station/Zoo · Always open (station hall)
The 'railway cathedral': a domed 1905 hall of marble, iron and glass.
© Victuallers · CC BY-SA 4.0 Port House · Eilandje · Exterior always; atrium during office hours; tours on set dates only
Zaha Hadid's glass 'diamond ship' perched on a former fire station by the docks.
Free at night
- De Muze · Old town · Mon–Sat, live jazz from 22:00
Jazz café since 1964 on three brick floors; live bands most nights. - Café Hopper · Zuid · Mon evening and Sun afternoon (live jazz)
Jazz café opposite KMSKA, named after Edward Hopper; weekly live sessions. 
© Maros M r a z (Maros) · CC BY-SA 3.0 Grote Markt (by night) · Old town · Nightly after dusk
City Hall, guild houses and the Brabo fountain lit up, with the cathedral spire behind.- Marnixplaats · Zuid · Daily evenings, busiest Thu–Sat and in summer
Round square in Het Zuid ringed by café terraces, a classic start to the night. - Eilandje docks by night · Eilandje · Nightly after dusk
Evening walk round Willemdok and Bonapartedok, with the MAS tower lit up.
Markets to browse
Free to wander around; see the full guide for days and times.
More ways to save
Mondays & free entry
- Closed Mondays: MAS and FOMU (MAS opens on Easter and Whit Monday)
- Open daily: KMSKA, the Cathedral and the Zoo
- There is no free day for visitors: the first-Tuesday deal is for Antwerp residents only
- Under 18s get in free at KMSKA and MAS
Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.
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Last updated: 1 October 2026