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Free walking tour Antwerp: A medieval metropolis

Duration: 2h and 15min
Languages: English
Guru: Pieter
Registered on May 13, 2023

Hello! My name is Pieter, a 23 year old student of history that has lived in Antwerp his entire life. I am passionate about travelling and have followed plenty of free tours all over Europe myself. I am very proud of my city and I hope that through guiding you I can reserve a little place of Antwerp in your heart as well. See you on our cobbled streets!

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  • No minimum number of attendees
    No minimum number of attendees is required for the tour
  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free
  • Accepts electronic payment
    This tour allows payment by electronic means or credit card

Tour description

Antwerp is the jewel of the 16th century and a city of jewels.
In this tour, I will guide you through the remnants of this great medieval metropolis and through the beautiful modern city of today.

Join this history student and local guide on a trip from the edge of the medieval city. The border of the now long gone Spanish citadel, the most beautiful cathedral North of Rome, the centre of the richest European city of the 16th century.

  • Where did this money come from?
  • Where did it go?
  • Why are all these corners decorated with statues of Mary?
  • Who invented Capitalism?
  • What is left of it today?
  • Where do I drink a nice Belgian beer?


Join me on my tour and find out all about it. I hope to see you there!

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Highlights

What will we visit on this tour?

  • Meeting point:
    Kasteelpleinstraat 1, 2000 Antwerpen,...
    Kasteelpleinstraat 1, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
    View on map

    I will be waiting by the benches on the little square on the corner of the Kronenburgstraat and the Kasteelpleinstraat. I will be wearing a backpack with a red Antwerp scarf tied to it.

  • 1
    Outside visit
    Kasteelpleinstraat

    The meeting point of our tour, small square where finding each other will be easy. A great castle stood here once, on the border of the 16th century city.

  • 2
    Outside visit
    Vleminckveld

    The start of the inner city.

  • 3
    Outside visit
    Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp

    We cross the main traffic artery of the city, here we find a connection to the royal academy of fine arts and the fashion museum of Antwerp.

  • 4
    Outside visit
    Vrijdagmarkt

    A historical square bordered by cozy bars and the home of the Plantin-Moretus family, a rich 16th century family that dealt in information.

  • 5
    Outside visit
    Vlaaikensgang

    The last medieval allyway of Antwerp, see how the people of the past used to live.

  • 6
    Outside visit
    Handschoenmarkt

    The Antwerp cathedral, touristic shops containing beer, chocolate, Belgian lace and more.

  • 7
    Outside visit
    Grote Markt

    The main square of Antwerp, flanked by beautiful guild houses the historical city hall. A square filled with culture, history and folklore.

  • 8
    Outside visit
    Willem Ogierplaats

    Beautiful view of the "Steen" castle. The oldest part of Antwerp.

  • 9
    Outside visit
    Vleeshuis

    An old guild house, but which guild? Let us find out together.

  • 10
    Outside visit
    Hendrik Conscienceplein

    The most beautiful square in the city. The most decorated church of Antwerp, to be visited for free.

  • 11
    Outside visit
    Sint Nicolaasplaats

    Quiet little square to have little breather before we head into the busiest part of town.

  • 12
    Outside visit
    Handelsbeurs Antwerp

    The old trade hall of the city. Renovated into one of the most beautiful buildings of the city.

  • 13
    Outside visit
    Meir

    Quick visit to the main shopping street of Antwerp.

  • 14
    Outside visit
    Paleis op de Meir

    A palace in the middle of the city? How did that happen? Please join the tour and we'll learn about it together.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

72 ratings
4.9
By category
Professionalism
4.98
Fun
4.86
Expression
4.89
Quality
4.94
Route
4.92
Generic
5 stars
67
4 stars
5
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Vera 30 Apr 2024
Berlin

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Apr 2024
A great tour with many fun facts about Antwerpen! Pieter is easy to understand and speaks very good English. It was my first time in the city and I feel that we got a very good overview of all the important landmarks. The only thing that I would suggest to improve would be to make the tour more historically chronological if possible - we jumped between centuries quite a lot and that personally makes it hard for me to get a good overview of history. That's just a personal preference though :)
Jan-Friedrich 31 Dec 2023
Wetzlar

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Dec 2023
Pieter introduced us to his Antwerp in a very pleasant way. He brought history and the present together, was friendly and knowledgeable. 👍
Rosemary 30 Dec 2023
Aberdeen

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Dec 2023
Pieter was an excellent guide. His knowledge of the history of Antwerp was amazing. His passion for his city shone through. He was informative and I could have listened to him explain about the history of his city all day. Excellent
Carolina 24 Dec 2023
Bamberg

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Dec 2023
It was an amazing tour Really complete 🤓👍🏽🇧🇪✌🏼
Royston 23 Dec 2023
Freiburg im Breisgau

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Dec 2023
The tour with Pieter was splendid! He was enthusiastic, engaging and knowledgeable - the benefits of being a proud (rightfully so!) native of Antwerp and a diligent student of history! :) Pieter’s collection of visuals really helped with the story-telling. I can only highly recommend his tour!
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Non suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Suitable for carrying pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
There is no minimum number of people required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour does not require the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Electronic or credit card payment is accepted.
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