Antwerp this autumn: culture, new train connections and gastronomy
Newsletter – September ’26
Antwerp has loads of new things to offer this autumn. Museum Plantin-Moretus, the very first museum on UNESCO's World Heritage List, is celebrating a double anniversary this year: 150 years as a museum and 450 years as a printing house. From December, visitors will be able to explore a revamped scenography and a new museum tour. Want to know more? Read on to find out how you can experience it for yourself during a press visit.
Antwerp will also become even more accessible. New direct train connections will bring passengers from London, Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne to Antwerpen-Centraal, the historic train station regularly ranked among the most beautiful in the world. There are also some fantastic exhibitions on the programme this autumn, not to mention plenty to enjoy on the culinary front.
Read all about it in this newsletter.
Museum Plantin-Moretus is celebrating 150 years as a museum and 450 years as a printing house
New presentation and anniversary programme
Museum Plantin-Moretus, the very first museum on UNESCO's World Heritage List, is celebrating 150 years as a museum this year. Nine generations of the same family of printers lived and worked in this imposing house. The museum and the 450-year-old printing works now welcome more than 100,000 visitors every year. From December 2026, visitors will be able to explore a revamped museum tour during a festive opening weekend.
The Officina Plantiniana grew to become a world-renowned printing house. Its presses produced some of the most influential works of their time, featuring high-quality typefaces, rich illustrations and collaborations with artists and scientists. For example, the family had close ties with the great Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens, among others. Highlights include the anatomy book by the Spanish physician Juan Valverde de Amusco and Abraham Ortelius’s Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern atlas of the world.
From December 2026, a new scenography will welcome visitors to the house and the printing works. A new app, projections and screens tell the story of the family, the business and the books. Also included are works by Rubens and Jordaens, remarkable maps by Mercator, a 9th-century manuscript by Sedulius, and the oldest original printing presses in the world.
Would you like to find out more about the new exhibition and the festive reopening? Please get in touch at press@visitantwerpen.be to arrange your press visit.
Antwerp, surprisingly close by
New direct train connections with Amsterdam, Cologne, Paris and London
Antwerp is centrally located in Europe and easily accessible from neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK. From 14 December 2026, new direct train connections will be introduced. Eurostar will provide a direct connection between Antwerp and London, Deutsche Bahn is launching a direct ICE service to Cologne, and GoVolta will offer a direct connection from Antwerp to Amsterdam and Paris.
Starting on 14 December, Eurostar trains from London will stop in Antwerp. The journey time will be 2 hours and 41 minutes, almost an hour faster than the current service via Brussel-Zuid station. There is also a new direct connection to Cologne, with Deutsche Bahn collaborating with SNCB/NMBS to launch a new ICE connection between Antwerpen-Centraal station and Cologne. Stops along the way will include Brussels Airport, Leuven, Liège-Guillemins and Aachen, among others. The journey will take 2 hours and 20 minutes and two trains will run daily in both directions.
In addition, the Dutch railway operator GoVolta is launching a new train service between Amsterdam and Paris on 14 December, with a stop in Antwerp. This will provide a direct connection between Antwerp and both cities.
These new train connections will make travelling to Antwerp easier and more sustainable. What’s more, travellers will arrive right in the heart of the city at Antwerpen-Centraal, the historic railway station regularly ranked among the most beautiful in the world.
Eurostar * Deutsche Bahn * GoVolta
Installation view on Cockatoo Island during the 20th Sydney Biennale, 2016.
© Lee Bul. Foto: Algirdas Bakas. Courtesy of the artist.
7 highly-anticipated exhibitions
From Antwerp fashion to contemporary Asian art
With The Antwerp Six, MoMu brings together the unique journeys of six iconic fashion designers: Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee. The exhibition has already attracted international attention and is open to visitors until 17 January 2027. The Martial Arts exhibition at the MAS explores the beauty, philosophy, traditions and stories behind martial arts and runs until 29 November 2026. DIVA is showing the Rings That Rock exhibition, which explores the meaning and symbolism of diamond rings from the 15th century to the present day, until 8 November.
From 13 November 2026 to 7 March 2027, M HKA will present a large-scale retrospective exhibition of Lee Bul, one of Asia's most influential contemporary artists. This exhibition spans more than four decades and brings together her radical, visionary body of work. The KMSKA will present a solo exhibition by Philip Aguirre from 3 October 2026 to 17 January 2027, with monumental sculptures and smaller works. From 31 October 2026 to 18 April 2027, the exhibition Ossip Zadkine and Belgium will be on display, featuring sculptures, gouaches, drawings, lithographs and etchings.
Historical female artists will also be in the spotlight this autumn. Catharina van Hemessen was the first female artist from the Habsburg Netherlands whose work has survived, at a time when painting was predominantly a male-dominated field. From 15 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, Museum Snijders&Rockox House will present the first retrospective exhibition on the Van Hemessen family of artists.
Antwerp welcomes international chocolatiers and female chefs
World Chocolate Masters and Lady Chef of the Year
In October, 15 of the world’s finest chocolatiers will gather in Antwerp for the ninth edition of the World Chocolate Masters. Over two intensive days of competition, finalists from various countries will go head-to-head in challenges that demand creativity, craftsmanship and technical precision as they create innovative chocolates and spectacular chocolate artworks.
The Lady Chef of the Year awards ceremony will take place at AMUZ on 12 October 2026. Since 1991, the competition has been held annually to crown Belgium’s best female chef. A longlist of 12 nominees was narrowed down to five finalists who will compete in the Culinary Challenge. The Lady Chef Rookie of the Year will also be announced during the ceremony.
And more…
- Antwerp fashion designer Julie Kegels won the LVMH Prize, one of the most prestigious international fashion awards. Kegels studied at the Antwerp Fashion Department and set up her own label in 2024.
- During Winter in Antwerpen, the city will once again be transformed into a charming destination with a Christmas market, an ice rink and a host of winter activities. This year's festival will take place from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.
- Full Circle combines nightlife and culture. On Tuesday 10 November, visitors can party in Antwerp’s well-known clubs, as well as at special locations such as the Town Hall, the MAS and De Singel. Open Circle, a new concept featuring top international and Belgian artists, will take place on Sunday 4 October at the Handelsbeurs and on Friday 13 November at Antwerp Expo.
- The Antwerp coffee bar Andy Roasters in the Het Zuid district has been included on the list of Europe’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.
- Chocolate Nation, the chocolate museum near Antwerpen-Centraal station, has opened a new shop on the Grote Markt, selling its own creations and chocolate from well-known Belgian brands. The new Antwerp Chocolate City Tour gives visitors the chance to discover the story behind Belgian chocolate while travelling on a tourist tram.
Would you like more information about these news items? Or would you like to explore Antwerp for yourself? Please contact our press team at press@visitantwerpen.be. We will be happy to assist you with information, interviews or a press visit.
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