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Around Central Station

Around Central Station

Antwerp

Provided byNoortje Palmers/Visit Antwerpen
PDF Guide

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

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€4,95

HomeEuropeBelgiumAntwerpShoppingAround Central Station

Around Central Station

Around Central Station
Did you know that Antwerp has been the world's largest diamond centre for over 550 years? Hundreds of diamonds are traded here daily. More than 80% of all rough diamonds in the world pass through here. All this takes place within a compact area next to the central station. You can shop precious stones, gawk at the shiny window displays, check out the specialised jewellery tool shops or have excellent Jewish or Indian food.

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    The Meir is a pedestrianized shopping street that connects the central station to the historical centre of Antwerp. Here, international chains jostle for attention with small Antwerp designer boutiques. The Stadsfeestzaal shopping centre, once a concert hall, has 40 luxurious stores lavishing in the restored marble, gilded and mosaic interior, plus a few restaurants and a bar. Once a month and all through the month of December, many shops, cafes and restaurants will stay open for Koopzondag (Shopping Sunday).

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    Kloosterstraat

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    Kloosterstraat remains Antwerp’s most compelling paradox. It's a street where 17th-century guildhouses jostle with avant-garde boutiques, and the scent of aged wood from antique shops mingles with espresso from minimalist cafés. While still home to Belgium’s densest cluster of vintage dealers (think Art Deco chandeliers, Flemish oak cabinets and stacks of Delftware), the thoroughfare has evolved beyond its brocante roots. Design galleries and independent fashion ateliers now occupy spaces between the traditional antiquarians, their sleek displays contrasting with the patina of Mercator-Orteliushuis’s Golden Age facade. The real pleasure lies in the hunt: you might uncover a 1920s medical diagram in one shop, then turn the corner to find handcrafted leather jackets or a gallery specialising in Brutalist ceramics. Even the street’s quirks — like the whimsical wooden Guirlande sculpture dangling above the pavement — reflect its refusal to be pinned down as purely old or new. Come weekdays when dealers have time to chat about provenance over bitterballen at the corner wine bar.

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