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Antwerp River Cruises

About Antwerp 

It’s possible that you’ll know Antwerp as one of the world’s busiest sea ports and indeed, it has a long history of maritime trade. However, it’s also a very popular river cruise port, thanks to its proximity to the network of canals and rivers known as the Dutch Belgian Waterways. A wide range of river cruise lines offer itineraries which allow you to explore the Waterways and Antwerp is a regular fixture on many of them. This Belgian city is the country’s second-largest after its capital Brussels and can trace its origins as a settlement as far back as the second century. Since then, it’s certainly come a long way, being Europe’s economic giant by the time of the 16th century, the centre of the world’s diamond trade and more recently, something of a fashion hot-spot. During your visit to Antwerp you’ll have time to experience a little of everything that makes this vibrant city so great. 

Exploring Antwerp 

Antwerp boasts some truly fabulous architecture from a number of different periods and one of its most celebrated structures is its beautiful neo-baroque Central Station – surely one of the most ornate railway stations you’ll see in your lifetime. The city’s also home to the largest church in the whole of Belgium and indeed Holland – the stunning Cathedral of Our Lady. This gothic masterpiece is a sight to behold and also home to a number of works by Rubens, who worked and died in Antwerp. The artist’s house is another popular attraction and an opulent sign of his success, which he earned at an early age. The town hall is another key attraction and one of the city’s most pleasing Renaissance buildings. It’s located in the beautiful yet not too overwhelming City Square, where you’ll find a number of Antwerp's other architectural treasures. 

The city's location on the very first diamond trading route at the time when both the trade and the city’s prosperity as a city were flourishing ensured its place as the world’s diamond capital. Today, a trip around the relatively unassuming diamond district will offer you a look at Antwerp's more contemporary glittering wares but to explore their history further, you’ll need to visit the MAS museum, where a diamond exhibition is now housed, as well as one which explores the city’s maritime heritage. Antwerp is also home to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, something which has contributed to its status as a fashion capital. A number of Belgium’s leading designers studied here and the city enjoys a huge influence on the rest of the country’s fashion output. There’s certainly plenty of stylish wares on offer in the city’s modern shopping district, but it’s also possible to enjoy an altogether more traditional experience in the old city’s Grote Market, which as you may imagine is always bustling and offers a truly authentic shopping experience. 

Antwerp tips 

Belgium is famous for its numerous beers and in Antwerp, local produce to sample includes Bolleke, an amber beer and Roodthooft, a liquor. Bicycles are a popular form of transport in the city, so be sure not to walk in cycle lanes when you are exploring.

Antwerp Itineraries

Hoorn

Tulips & Windmills From Antwerp To Amsterdam

4 sailing dates March 2024 to April 2024
9 Nights From Antwerp, Belgium to , Amsterdam
Uniworld River Cruises logo FROM £3959pp
Antwerp

Windmills, Tulips and Belgian Delights with Keuken

5 sailing dates April 2024
7 Nights From Amsterdam , to Amsterdam
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £2879pp
Cochem

Romantic Rhine & Moselle - Amsterdam to Basel

9 sailing dates April 2024 to September 2024
14 Nights From Amsterdam , to Switzerland , Basel
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £4349pp
Rudesheim

Romantic Rhine & Moselle with Switzerland

3 sailing dates June 2024 to August 2024
18 Nights From Zurich, to Amsterdam
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £6559pp
Brussels

Amsterdam To Brussels

1 sailing date September 2021
7 Nights From Amsterdam, to Belgium , Brussels
Uniworld River Cruises logo CALL
Middelburg

Brussels To Amsterdam

1 sailing date October 2021
7 Nights From Brussels, Belgium to , Amsterdam
Uniworld River Cruises logo CALL
Basel

Romantic Rhine & Moselle - Basel to Amsterdam

8 sailing dates May 2024 to October 2024
14 Nights From Basel, Switzerland to , Amsterdam
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £4689pp
Amsterdam

Best of Holland & Belgium

22 sailing dates November 2023 to December 2025
7 Nights From Amsterdam , to Amsterdam
AmaWaterways logo FROM £2249pp
Antwerp

Holland & Belgium in Bloom

3 sailing dates March 2024 to April 2024
7 Nights From Amsterdam , to Amsterdam
Emerald Cruises logo FROM £2339pp
Ghent

Western Front Explorer

1 sailing date April 2024
14 Nights From Amsterdam , to Amsterdam
APT Cruising logo CALL
Rotterdam

Amsterdam & Brussels Bound from Brussels

1 sailing date September 2023
7 Nights From Zeebrugge (Brussels), Belgium to , Amsterdam
U by Uniworld logo CALL
Ghent

Bruges, Medieval Flanders, Amsterdam

9 sailing dates April 2024
7 Nights From Amsterdam , to Amsterdam
Riviera Travel logo FROM £1799pp
Antwerp

Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time from Amsterdam

2 sailing dates March 2024 to April 2024
7 Nights From Amsterdam , to Belgium , Brussels
Uniworld River Cruises logo FROM £4049pp
Brussels

Holland & Belgium At Tulip Time from Brussels

2 sailing dates April 2024
7 Nights From Brussels, Belgium to , Amsterdam
Uniworld River Cruises logo FROM £4049pp
Strasbourg

Romantic Rhine & Moselle with Switzerland

2 sailing dates July 2024 to September 2024
18 Nights From Amsterdam , to Zurich
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £6559pp
Ghent

Tulip Time - Amsterdam to Amsterdam

57 sailing dates March 2024 to May 2025
7 Nights From Amsterdam , to Amsterdam
AmaWaterways logo FROM £2199pp
Cochem

Wondrous Europe - Amsterdam to Lyon

1 sailing date May 2024
24 Nights From Amsterdam , to France , Lyon
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £11199pp
Amsterdam

Wondrous Europe - Lyon to Amsterdam

1 sailing date May 2024
24 Nights From Lyon , France to , Amsterdam
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £13389pp
Cochem

Unforgettable Douro - Porto to Amsterdam

1 sailing date October 2024
24 Nights From Porto, Portugal to , Amsterdam
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £10999pp
Strasbourg

Europe's Heartland - Paris to Amsterdam

1 sailing date May 2024
24 Nights From Paris (Honfleur), to Amsterdam
Scenic River Cruises logo FROM £11799pp

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