Around Central Station

Did you know that Antwerp has been the world's largest diamond centre for over 550 years? Hundreds of diamonds are traded here daily. More than 80% of all rough diamonds in the world pass through here. All this takes place within a compact area next to the central station. You can shop precious stones, gawk at the shiny window displays, check out the specialised jewellery tool shops or have excellent Jewish or Indian food.

De Meir

The Meir is a pedestrianized shopping street that connects the central station to the historical centre of Antwerp. Here, international chains jostle for attention with small Antwerp designer boutiques. The Stadsfeestzaal shopping centre, once a concert hall, has 40 luxurious stores lavishing in the restored marble, gilded and mosaic interior, plus a few restaurants and a bar. Once a month and all through the month of December, many shops, cafes and restaurants will stay open for Koopzondag (Shopping Sunday).

• Web:

  visit.antwerpen.be/en/sunday-shopping

Fashion District

The Modenatie building on the corner of Nationalestraat and Drukkerijstraat is the centre of this district, housing the Fashion Museum and the Fashion Academy. The area around Kammenstraat, Lombardenvest and Sint Antoniusstraat beckons the true fashionistas.

• Web:

  visit.antwerpen.be/en/shopping-zone-fashion-district

Het Zuid

South of the centre, between Amerikalei and the river, is the district known as het Zuid. Art and culture are the assets of this area, with important museums, numerous art galleries and renowned auction houses. Surely the trendiest area of the city, there is an abundance of designer restaurants, shops and cafes, too.

• Web:

  visit.antwerpen.be/en/shopping-zone-het-zuid

Historic City Centre

There is nowhere better to begin a shopping trip to Antwerp than in the traditional heart of the city — the Grote Markt and Groenplaats. The Grand Bazar Shopping Centre links Eiermarkt and Schoenmarkt with 50 shops. Kloosterstraat offers top-notch antiquing.

Kloosterstraat

Kloosterstraat remains Antwerp’s most compelling paradox. It's a street where 17th-century guildhouses jostle with avant-garde boutiques, and the scent of aged wood from antique shops mingles with espresso from minimalist cafés. While still home to Belgium’s densest cluster of vintage dealers (think Art Deco chandeliers, Flemish oak cabinets and stacks of Delftware), the thoroughfare has evolved beyond its brocante roots. Design galleries and independent fashion ateliers now occupy spaces between the traditional antiquarians, their sleek displays contrasting with the patina of Mercator-Orteliushuis’s Golden Age facade. The real pleasure lies in the hunt: you might uncover a 1920s medical diagram in one shop, then turn the corner to find handcrafted leather jackets or a gallery specialising in Brutalist ceramics. Even the street’s quirks — like the whimsical wooden Guirlande sculpture dangling above the pavement — reflect its refusal to be pinned down as purely old or new. Come weekdays when dealers have time to chat about provenance over bitterballen at the corner wine bar.

• Web:

  www.kloosterstraatantwerpen.com/planjebezoek