Antwerp · Where to stay
Checked 31 August 2026 · 3 official sources
PICK YOUR BASE
Antwerp is compact enough that every base works, so the choice is really between noise, price and how far you want to be from the river.
Historisch Centrum — cathedral and Grote Markt
The medieval core between the cathedral, Grote Markt and the Scheldt quays. Everything on a short trip is within a 15-minute walk and Antwerpen-Centraal is two pre-metro stops away, but it is the loudest area at weekends and the most expensive per night.
📍 Map · $$$
Het Zuid — museum quarter with wide streets
South of the centre, built on the filled-in Zuid docks: KMSKA, FOMU and long café terraces on Marnixplaats and Leopold de Waelplaats. Quieter after midnight than the centre and about 25 minutes on foot from Central Station, or tram 4.
📍 Map · $$
Het Eilandje — the old docks around the MAS
The former harbour district north of the centre, rebuilt around the MAS, the Red Star Line Museum and the Willemdok marina. Wide, modern and calm in the evening; tram 7 runs to the MAS terminus and the walk into the old town is about 20 minutes.
📍 Map · $$
Zurenborg and Berchem — cheaper beds, belle époque streets
East of the ring road, with the Cogels-Osylei villas and a run of neighbourhood cafés around Dageraadplaats. Beds cost noticeably less than in the centre, and Antwerpen-Berchem station puts you two minutes from Central by train, which matters if you arrive late.
📍 Map · $