Discover Antwerp
Welcome to Antwerp!
Studying in Antwerp is more than just coming to school and taking classes. It's living in a beautiful and historical city, with so much to discover:
A metropolis on the river, a city that always leaves you wanting more. Hip and historic, cool and classical, trendy and traditional. Everything is within walking distance. Combine a day’s shopping on the Meir with a visit to Rubens’s house. Check out the MAS museum and then enjoy a drink on the terrace of one of the Eilandje district’s many bars. Try on an exclusive piece by a leading Antwerp fashion designer, go thrift shopping and then enjoy a bite to eat at 't Zuid. It’s impossible not to fall for this astonishingly diverse, pocket-sized international city.
Museums
With museums like the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), the Fashion Museum (MoMu), the Museum of Contemporary Art (MHKA) and many more, Antwerp is a prime location for fans of the arts.
History buffs also get to have their fill with the Plantin Moretus Museum, the Red Star Museum and many more historical sites across Antwerp.
The Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) is especially impressive. It's a museum that strives to illustrate the global connection between cultures and environments. Every floor holds a different exhibition. And even if you don't have any interest in the expo's, you should definitely still go for the amazing view at the top of the building. The building itself can be visited free of charge, so there's no reason not to sneak a peak!
If any of these caught your attention, you might be interested in the full list of all the museums in Antwerp.
It's also good to know at that as a student, you're entitled to some (big) discounts at most of these places!
Tip! Use chrome to translate all Dutch texts to English!
Sports
Go for a run, cycle or skate along the river or through one of the parks here in Antwerp. Don't be scared to join a group or club either! For the best hiking routes, on overview of the swimming pools in the city, where what clubs gather and more, you can visit the 'sport & movement' page of the City of Antwerp.
The instagram account @antwerprunningcrew is a great account to follow if you're looking for places and people to run with!
To boost activity and accessibility of sports for students, the schools of Antwerp joined forces to create a school-wide sport network called MOVE. This includes AMS students! For only €35, you can join all activities with your very own MOVE-pass.
Shopping
As Antwerp is the 4th fashion capital in Europe, it speaks for itself that we have some amazing places to go shopping.
The main shopping street is the Meir, which has all the big brands and stores. For more smaller boutiques, you should check out the area around Kammenstraat, Nationalestraat, Steenhouwersvest and the shopping zone "Wilde Zee". Of course, there are shops scattered all over the city, so be sure to visit those as well!
On Sunday, the Kloosterstraat truly starts to come alive, with an amazing blend of vintage and antique shops, as well as modern interior and lifestyle stores.
You can find a full overview of all the shopping areas here.
Food
The best places to eat are, of course, very personal. But we can give you the best locations to start looking!
For fast food, you should head straight for the Keyzerlei. It's where almost all of the major chains have their restaurants. Of course, you can also find them in other places, but it really is a great place to go when looking for a quick bite.
One of those other places is the Groenplaats. Starting from there, you really can't go wrong. If your head towards the Grote Markt through the Oude Koornmarkt, you'll find restaurant after restaurant, with many different flavors and cuisines.
Close to campus, around the Marnixplaats, you will also find some very cosy restaurants, amongst others Tio tapasbar, Sumac (a Lebanese restaurant), Lucy Chang (Asian cuisine).
But the best advice we can give you, is to check out this interactive map, made by one of our alumni. @theantwerpfoodie has a dedicated instagram page, filled with great recommendations!
Getting around Antwerp
Belgium might be a small country, but there is so much to see! The best ways of making your way through the city of Antwerp, as well as the country are listed right here.
Meeting other students
Since you're here, you probably want to meet other people and make friends with you're fellow students. We've got just the thing for you!
