Never before had I been to Antwerpen, despite it being quite close to where I actually live. The city has a gorgeous center with a Grote Markt that is filled with cafes buzzing with people at all times of the day. This destination, which is famous for its diamonds, has multiple museums to further your knowledge (if u want haha). With this in mind, my friend Philipe and I took a bus down there to explore the city. Our goal was to look at some museums and try out some trendy restaurants. But we were disappointed…museums are closed on Wednesdays (the full day we had) so that was a bit of a fail.
Instead, this trip turned into a little getaway. Hence the title haha. We splurged a little and decided to stay at the Raddison Blu on Koningin Astrid Plein. The view from the room was stunning, with the window perfectly framing the central station building. Staying away from this hotel room made exploring the city kind of hard haha. Starting the morning off with fancy room service and eating that in your bathrobe is the best way to relax and spend your morning. Sitting on the chair and finishing your freshly brewed coffee before showering and actually starting your day is honestly the best way to go.
Once we had actually decided to leave the hotel, we did get to know the city quite well. If you ever plan on visiting Antwerpen, I do recommend exploring the city as you can find some exciting spots (for a good view!!). One of the museums that did decide to be open on a Wednesday was the Mas Museum. This place is filled with exhibitions about a city in India to a Life and Death. Once you climbed the 13 floors to the top of the building you are welcomed with a view of Antwerpen making the climb totally worth it. Except it wasn’t actually a climb, there’s just a lot of escalators…
As a treat, I suggest trying ice cream from this place called Australian. Yes, a misleading name haha but to me this was some pretty good gelato outside of Italy. And I can’t forget to mention the restaurant called Morso. A place where you can enjoy some very yummy meat and eat yourself fat 😉