Discover Antwerpen 6 : The districts of Antwerp

Antwerp is the country's second-largest city after Brussels, with a population of over 500,000. So it's a pretty big city, not to mention Europe's second-largest port - and that's saying a lot! It is divided into nine administrative districts: Antwerp, Berchem, Borgerhout, Deurne, Ekeren, Hoboken, Merksem, Wilrijk and Zandvliet. The airport is in the Deurne district, the main railway station in Antwerp and the second railway station in Berchem. For the rest, we'll just focus on the Antwerp district, the central part of the city that concentrates sites of interest, museums and monuments for visitors. We've divided it into three tourist districts. You can walk from one district to another, but to avoid walking too much, you can also take the many buses and streetcars that serve the city, as well as the metro.

Historic centre

This is the old town, whose nerve center extends around Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Grand Place/Grote Markt where the town hall is located, and the Meir, a shopping district. The historic center can be delineated by Steen Castle on the banks of the Scheldt River to the north, and the port beyond. To the west, its natural boundary is drawn by the Scheldt, while to the south, it finds its limits in the rather quiet, residential district of Saint-André (adjoining Het Zuid, which we'll detail later). It's also a great shopping area, with numerous antique shops and trendy designer boutiques. Finally, the eastern part is bounded by the Frankrijklei ring road, where streetcars 1 and 10 pass. The latter is part of the "Leien", a series of boulevards linking the north and south of the city, and following the route of the ramparts built by the Spanish in the ^16th century, which have now disappeared.
The old town is pedestrianized, paved for the most part, and crowded with tourists in summer, as it concentrates most of the historic monuments and sites to visit. It's picturesque, lined with houses with redentent facades (a sort of staircase under the roof) and Renaissance buildings. If you're planning to get there by car, aim directly for the pay parking lot or cab. The metro is ideal for getting to your hotel, while walking is enough to get from one end of the center to the other without any problems. In the end, it's very small compared to the size of the city. Restaurants tend to focus on moules-frites, jambonneaux, carbonnades and other Flemish delights in sauce, washed down with local beers. Watch out for the tourist traps!
The Meir, beyond the eponymous district, is the name of the main pedestrian shopping street lined with the international ready-to-wear brands we know in France. It's always very busy, and very wide for a pedestrian thoroughfare, allowing you to look up and admire the magnificent ^18th-century buildings that line it between stores. Start with the Palais du Meir, testimony to Antwerp's splendor in centuries gone by.

Het Zuid

It's a bit like Paris's Marais or New York's Brooklyn. It's Antwerp's trendy district, home to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Photography and cultural centers and galleries galore. All these nerdy hipsters eat and drink in the many trendy, cosmopolitan bars and restaurants. You'll find less Flemish steak and more sushi and conceptual vegan restaurants here. This is definitely the place to stay and dine if you want to discover Antwerp like a local, as there are more Antwerp locals and far fewer tourists. The accommodation is all quietly located, and includes many bed & breakfasts.

North station and neighbourhoods

The Central Station, with its impressive monumental architecture, is very convenient if you're arriving by train, as it's close to the historic center (accessible by metro). It lies to the west of the famous Leien, the ring roads that separate them from the center, close to the zoo and the triangular-shaped city park. The area around the station is multicultural and very lively, with a small Chinatown featuring good restaurants from all over Asia, the city's diamond center with kosher restaurants, and so on. However, it's a bit creepy after dark. To the north, on the other hand, the city comes alive in the evening, in the Port district. Especially in the summer months, when the zomerbars (short-lived summer bars) and restaurants are in full swing with their Berlin-style parties on the banks of the Scheldt. It's "Antwerp beach"! Every place has its own terrace, sand and deckchairs. This is also where you'll find the famous MAS museum and the clubs housed in former industrial port warehouses, where you can crank up the bass without disturbing the neighbors. In the distance, the containers form a giant Lego (which can be visited by boat).