Travel: Antwerp, Belgium

With Belgian frites being world famous, it's hard to resist lunching at least once on chips and mayo '“ but in Antwerp it's more a case of Rubens with everything.

Elegant buildings at Grote Markt in the old town. Photograph: Getty Images/iStock

His bronze statue, completed in 1843 (three years too late for the bicentenary of his death, so the celebrations went ahead with a plaster replica), stands in the Groenplatz. The nearby Cathedral Of Our Lady, the biggest and tallest church in the Low Countries, is home to three of his works, among them the monumental Descent From The Cross, in which the flowing movement of his figures are caught for posterity in a frozen moment.

Several of Rubens’ paintings are among those on show at the former home of his wealthy patron Nicolaas Rockox, with its delightful courtyard, though the bright star of that exquisite collection, to my mind, is Lucas Cranach the Elder’s sensual Adam And Eve.

Rubens pops up again in the baroque setting of St Paul’s, a former Dominican cloister church, along with Van Dyck, Teniers and Jordaens, and of course at his own house, off the city’s main shopping street. This attracts so many visitors that a separate building houses the ticket desks, lockers and shops. Even with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts closed for a revamp, you can find 52 of his works in Antwerp.

The bronze statue of Rubens, with the Cathedral Of Our Lady in the background. Photograph: Getty Images/iStock

If you feel, having taken all those sites in during a carefully planned day, that you’ve seen enough Rubens to last you a lifetime, do not miss his intimate portraits of Christophe Plantin, his wife, and members of their family at the Plantin-Moretus Museum. Though born in France, Plantin came to Antwerp in the mid-16th century and established a print shop and commissioned work from Rubens. Make plenty of time, for this breathtaking museum is home to perhaps the world’s oldest surviving printing presses. On one of them, set in original type, is a sonnet by Plantin. It also contains a fascinating collection of rare books from the period, among them early works on anatomy and the Romans.

But Antwerp is more than wall-to-wall culture. Besides the aforementioned chippies there are the inevitable waffle vendors. There are chocolate shops and cafés. And of course there is beer. There are countless atmospheric bars, among them Quinten Matsijs on Moriaanstraat, claimed to be the oldest in town. The local De Koninck brewery, established soon after the birth of Belgium in 1830, has just launched a new tour. Its best known brew is synonymous with the bowl-shaped glass in which it arrives – a bolleke.

Few cities can have such a density of places to eat. One which stands out from our visit is the Docks Café, on the waterfront, as the name implies. And one dish in particular lodges in the memory: herb crusted cod in gleaming fresh flakes, with leek and mashed potato, topped with a perfect poached egg.

On a hot and humid evening we took the tram to Zurenborg, a suburb to the southeast of the city centre. While the narrow streets of the old centre are thronged with tourists in high summer, few venture this far from the honeypots. I had wanted to see the posh mansions on Cogels Osylei, an avenue named after two people who once owned the land. Elegant art nouveau houses rub shoulders with overblown properties whose design was clearly influenced by French chateaux. We returned to Draakplaats for a beer and an organic burger at a café where all the other tables appeared to be occupied by locals.

Antwerp has lots of tasty treats, including the famous Belgium waffles. Photograph: Getty Images/iStock

Even if you can’t fit Zurenborg into your schedule, do not neglect to walk north of the centre, along the Scheldt, to Antwerp’s up-and-coming dockland area. Take the lift and stairs to the top of the MAS building for a magnificent view of the city, the docks and the river, stretching away towards the North Sea. Make your way down through the museum floors (best get an audio guide with English translation as much of the information is only in Flemish).

But make time for a little more history, this time more recent. The Red Star Line museum is one of the most compelling you will find anywhere, with a particular resonance in this time of migrant issues. It is housed in the clearing house used by the former shipping company to process tens of thousands of emigrants between 1873 and 1934, refugees from anti-Semitic pogroms in eastern Europe, poverty and the Nazis, who sailed on its ships in the hope of better lives in North America. Many travelled on hard train seats for several days, with no washing facilities. From Antwerp’s ornately impressive central station they headed for the brick chimney at the line’s riverside facility, a landmark now rebuilt as part of the museum complex, where they and their luggage were disinfected. Some, children at the time, have provided their family stories, told through letters, interviews, film and photographs, and items they carried with them. It is a rich history of humanity uprooted, beautifully realised – and very moving.

FACT FILE

The most convenient way to get to Antwerp from Scotland is by air (http://www.edinburghairport.com/flights/destinations-and-airlines) to Amsterdam and train (https://www.b-europe.com/Travel) from Schiphol Airport to Antwerp Centraal. We booked a room and breakfast at the very pleasant Hotel Rubens-Grote Markt (Oude Beurs 29, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium, [phone], http://www.hotelrubensantwerp.be) through booking.com.