8 Best Sights in Antwerp and the Northeast, Belgium

The elaborate Basilica of Our Lady is one of the most beautiful medieval monuments in the world. The original church was built on Roman foundations in the 4th century and was the first stone cathedral north of the Alps. A siege in 1213 destroyed everything but the 12th-century Romanesque cloister; soon afterward construction of the present-day Basilica of Our Lady began, a project that would take three centuries to complete. The central nave, up to the pulpit, the choir, and the south transept, dates from 1240. The candlesticks and lectern, from 1372, are the work of Jehan de Dinant, one of a number of outstanding metalworkers who flourished in the Meuse valley at that time. The basilica has excellent acoustics and is often used for symphony concerts.

A miracle of soaring Gothic lightness, the Cathedral of Our Lady contains some of Rubens's greatest paintings and is topped by a 404-foot-high north spire. The monument is the work of a succession of remarkable architects, including Peter Appelmans, Herman and Domien de Waghemakere. The tower holds a 49-bell carillon played at various times throughout the year. The cathedral's art treasures were twice vandalized, and many were either sold at auction or carried off to Paris—though some have been returned. The cathedral nevertheless has an outstanding collection of 17th-century religious art, including four Rubens altarpieces.

Begun in the 13th century, but only completed in the 1520s, this cathedral represents a magnificent achievement by three generations of the Keldermans family of architects, who were active in cathedral building throughout Flanders. The beautifully proportioned tower, 318 feet high, was intended to be the tallest in the world, but the builders ran out of money before they could reach their goal. Inside are two remarkable 40-ton carillons of 49 bells each. Carillon playing was virtually invented in Mechelen (the Russian word for carillon means “sound of Mechelen”). The best place to listen to the bells is in the Minderbroedersgang. Chief among the art treasures is Van Dyck’s Christus an het Kruis (Crucifixion) in the south transept. The remains of the cathedral’s namesake, Sint-Rombout (St. Rumbold), are hidden in the high altar. Climb to the top of the tower and you'll be rewarded with an exhilarating 360-degree panoramic view of the city and the surrounding region—space at the top is limited, however, so advance reservation is recommended.

This late-Gothic church dedicated to St. Andrew dates from 1514 but reflects substantial Baroque influences from its extension during the 18th century. The church is notable for the magnificence of its Baroque high altar, stained-glass windows, and columns. Its most striking feature is the pulpit depicting Peter and his brother Andrew, created by Jan-Baptist Van Hoof and Jan-Frans Van Geel in 1821. The church is closed to visitors during services.

Like so much of Antwerp, the Jesuit St. Charles Borromeo Church bears the imprint of Rubens. The front and tower are generally attributed to him, and his hand can certainly be seen in the clustered cherubim above the entrance. The church’s facade suggests a richly decorated high altar, inviting the observer inside. The interior was once magnificent, but most of Rubens’s frescoes were destroyed by fire, and other works were carted off to Vienna when the Austrians banned the Jesuits in the 18th century. The square is one of the most attractive in Antwerp, flanked by the harmonious Renaissance buildings of the Jesuit convent, now occupied by the City Library.

The church where Philip and Joanna were wed is a product of the De Waghemakere–Keldermans architectural partnership that worked so well in building the cathedral in Antwerp. The interior is notable for its stained-glass windows from the 15th and 16th centuries—those in the choir were the gift of Maximilian of Austria (father of Philip the Handsome), who visited in 1516 and is depicted in one of the windows, along with his wife, Mary of Burgundy.

Peter Paul Rubens is buried in the white sandstone St. Jacob's Church. A painting depicting him as St. George posed between his two wives, Isabella Brant and Helena Fourment, hangs above his tomb. The three-aisle church blends late-Gothic and Baroque styles. The tombs are a who's who of prominent 17th-century Antwerp families. A notable visitor (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) allegedly played the organ here during his 1727 stay in the city.

The late-Gothic St. Paul's Church, built 1530–71, is a repository of more than 50 outstanding paintings, including a series known as the 15 mysteries of the Rosary by Antwerp's finest painters of the time. There are three by Rubens, including a visceral depiction of Jesus's flagellation, as well as early works by Jordaens and Van Dyck. The church is further enriched by more than 200 17th- and 18th-century sculptures, including the 10 Baroque confessionals attributed to Peeter Verbruggen the Elder. A Baroque altar completed in 1639 towers over the more somber Gothic nave. Sint-Pauluskerk was restored in 1968 after damage from a major fire.