Antwerp

About Antwerp

Antwerp is another stunningly beautiful and interesting city which has a lot to offer families with young children. The closest Belgian city to Holland, it is quaint and pretty with its cobbled roads, impressive with its international port and grandiose buildings and open spaces, and fun and vibrant all at the same time! Its central station is one of the most beautiful stations in the world. The station building is also home to Plopsa Station Antwerp, a small indoor attraction park suitable for little ones! And right next door to the station is the famous Antwerp Zoo! Getting around the city is equally easy and all doable on foot or by hopping on the tram and all fine with a buggy. The peaceful riverside is a great place to go for a stroll with the buggy and right by the river is the Steen castle which looks truly magical ! Antwerp is famous for its many shops (there are loads of children’s and baby clothes and toy shops to get around too!) but also for its many cycle paths and parks and play areas.

Just like the other Belgian cities, Antwerp’s culture is deeply entrenched in the Belgian comic book heroes and cartoon characters. Antwerp also has paintings of childhood characters splashed across its many walls in the form of the Comic Strip Trail where the murals tell the adventures of Tin Tin and his friends as you walk around the city.

So much fun can be had on a sunny day in the city! Frolicking by the water fountain in the market square (the Grote Markt), followed by an ice cream and then over to the Sint Anneke beach reached through the Sint Anna pedestrian tunnel under the river! This is a sandy beach with a boat themed playground and an outdoor pool and has plenty to keep your little explorers entertained!

A trip to Antwerp wouldn’t be complete without experiencing a boat ride along the river. Further along the river at the London bridge it is all aboard the pancake boat! Fresh pancakes are served throughout the trip and under 3s go free.

Chocolate in Belgium is amazing and there are plenty of chocolate shops dotted around Antwerp so you’ll have to stop and taste them at some point! If you want to try something a bit special then you must visit the Chocolate Line on the Meir (The main shopping street in Antwerp). Babies and toddlers can also marvel at the chocolate being made here. The whole smell of the place is a treat for the senses!

Antwerp has plenty of parks and playgrounds which you can dip in and out of while you’re exploring the city so don’t forget to pack a picnic! The Stadspark , the Parkspoor Noord and the Nachtegalen Park are our favourite ones for visiting with babies and toddlers. The Parkspoor Noord has water fountains your toddlers can run around in on hot days so dont forget to pack a(nother) change of clothes!

Shopping, chocolate, ice creams, pancakes, river boat rides, playgrounds and the zoo. If you’re lucky there might be enough time for a quick Kriek (cherry beer) before calling it a day!