Authentic Local Food: Stoofvlees (beef stew); paardenvlees (horse steak); fritjes (French fries). Let’s also consider beer a food, too.
Coffee: Cafe Nation is the most… and only…
“American-style” café in town. And that’s a good thing.
Must See: Antwerpen Centraal Station. Hands-down, this is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful train stations in the world. A recent renovation has added state of the art amenities and infrastructure, but has maintained the incredible original architectural integrity of this monumental station.
Must Ride: Ride out of the city along the Albertkanaal. After about ten kilometers, turn left onto the gravel path along the Antitankkanaal where you’ll pedal past WWI and WWII bunkers and fortresses. Turn right when you reach Antwerpsesteenweg. Follow that for about six kilometers until you reach Cafe Trappisten, where they serve the freshest Westmalle beer, which happens to be brewed across the street by monks.
Best Time to Visit: Early April. The weather starts to get nicer, the days get longer, and people begin to emerge from their winter hibernation. The Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix, held on the first two Sundays of the month respectively, are both about a one-hour drive away the city.
Need For Speed: Want to ride fast? Drive an hour out to Circuit Zolder. It’s an auto racing course, but each evening in the summer, a couple hundred Flemish cyclists show up with their best race bikes to ride around the course as many times, and as fast, as they want.
Two Wheeled Celebrities: Someone from Omega Pharma Quick Step lives at the end of my street, but I haven’t yet figured out who he is.
Top Tourist Attraction(s): Kulminator is consistently noted as one of the best beer bars in the world. Check it out, for sure. The MAS (Museum Aan de Stroom) is a brand new museum built smack in the northern port area of the city. The permanent collection housed in this ultra-modern, cantilevered building focuses on local and Belgian art, while varying rotating exhibits engage a wide range of visitors.
Advocacy: Fietsersbond is a very large and active cycling advocacy organization. But cycling is so woven into the fabric of society here that municipal governments already do a good job of making wise policy decisions relating to cycling infrastructure.
Locals Only: The locally-brewed De Koninck beer can be ordered four ways: In a bowl-shaped glass, ask for a “bolleke”; in a small bowl-shaped glass, ask for a “prinske”; in a pilsner-style glass, ask for the “fluitje”; finally if you want it in a tulip-shaped glass, you’ll want to request a “handje.”