Luxury holidays in Antwerp
While the city’s proud heritage is on permanent display, thanks to stately 16th-century guild houses, noble churches and an enviable collection of fleshy masterpieces by home-grown artistic genius Rubens, the modern illustrations of Antwerp’s talents seem less well known. In recent decades, Antwerp’s prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Art has produced a new generation of designers that have helped transform the city into one of the most exciting in Europe – a cutting-edge fashion centre to match the continent’s best. The streets to the south of the Gothic cathedral are lined with boutiques and showrooms to satisfy even the most demanding fashionista. Nor are the city’s creative skills limited to cloth cutting; the Belgian love of gastronomy – paired with an almost monastic dedication to fine beers – is legendary. With its slinky cocktail lounges, chic restaurants and irresistible moules and frites, Antwerp offers an experience of Rubenesque sensuality.
When to go
Antwerp is a year-round destination with a mild climate. Like many European cities, you’ll find just as many tourists as locals in high summer. As Antwerp is a centre of fashion, you might want to time your visit to coincide with the start of the buying season (spring or autumn).