Image by Niko Caignie

In a small alley next to the St Vincentius Hospital you can find this quiet and cosy day time lunch-bar. It’s quite new but that doesn’t change its charm.

The interior feels warm and cosy. The food is homemade with care and you just take it out of the counter and pay at the counter.

A very down to earth place and ideal for a relaxed lunch or just to read your newspaper during lunch.

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22b | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Lunch) | Meal € 10.00
Sint-Vincentiusstraat 22B | Zurenborg | +32475674930
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 20:00

Image by Niko Caignie

Just a little bit outside of Antwerp, 10 minutes by metro, you can find this little park.

This park is very well maintained and has lots of activities inside. There is a free swimming lake, a volleyball field, a tennis field, … and most of all it’s just nice to walk there and escape from the busy city for a while.

There is also a small natural historic museum inside. (€ 1.00 entrance fee)

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Boekenbergpark | Relaxing | Free
Gouverneur holvoetlaan | Zurenborg
08:00 – 22:00 daily

Image by Marie by Niko Caignie

If you’re looking for a quick dinner or a casual location to dine, Marie is the place to be!

Marie is a small restaurant near “De Zurenborg”. Very cosy and well decorated interior. And the food is exactly what you expect from a place like this.

It looks plain and simple but it tastes just great. Very down to earth and honest, just as the people who work there. I like places and people like this. Check it out, that’s all I have to say!

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Marie | Restaurants (Mediteranian/French) | Main Meal € 25
Boomgaardstraat 42 | Zurenborg | +32475804022
Wed – Sun from 18:00 – …

Image by Niko Caignie

Ask any Antwerp local to name some typical things from the city of Antwerp and there will always be “De Koninck” in the answer. Brewery The Koninck was founded in 1827 and has been making great beer ever since. You know we Belgians know how to make beer… well our Antwerp beer is a great one! If you enter any pub and ask for “A Bolleke” you will get a “De Koninck”.

So if you like the beer then you should visit the brewery as well. They’ll guide you through its rich history and brewery secrets. It’s worth a visit!

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Brewery De Koninck | Art & culture
Mechelsesteenweg 291 | Zurenborg | +3232184048
Check Website

Image by Niko Caignie

When you are wandering through Antwerp you’ll notice that there is wide variety of architecture and styles. You can find old and authentic houses next to the most modern structure imaginable. But… there is one neighbourhood and especially one street where almost all old houses are in their original form or restored in the original form.

On a beautiful day it is interesting to walk from the train station in Berchem (outer city) towards the Draakplaats, a square with several restaurants and cafés. The development of this neighbourhood coincided with the peak of Art Nouveau popularity and has some other influences as Gothic Revival, Neo-Renaissance, Greek Revival, Neoclassical, and the “cottage style” that coincided with British Tudorbethan architecture…

Anyway… despite all this culturally loaded architectural info… it’s just a nice walk with great bombastic houses from another era. Wander around in the nearby streets as well… and take your time to absorb the details of these magnificent buildings. Even I still find new things every time I pass there. And you can end with a nice breakfast or lunch at café Wattman.

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Cogels Osylei | Art & culture
Cogels Osylei | Zurenborg
24 hours daily