Zurenborg: Antwerp's art nouveau quarter
Getting there: about a ten minute walk from Antwerp Central Station, 900 metres; tram 24 stops at Joe English - Collegelaan
Every city keeps one neighbourhood mostly to itself. Antwerp keeps Zurenborg: a knot of streets where the builders of the Belle Epoque went gloriously over the top, and where daily life still happens at street level.
VIA Antwerp didn't end up here by accident. Before you plan a single museum, give the neighbourhood a slow morning. Five ways in.
Five reasons to fall for Zurenborg
1. An open-air museum, no ticket required
Zurenborg's Art Nouveau and fin-de-siècle mansions were built to outdo each other, and a century on they still do. Walk Cogels-Osylei slowly: turrets, mosaics, wrought iron, facades in open competition. Come back at golden hour. It's a different street.
2. Dageraadplaats at seven in the evening
The square is Zurenborg's dining table. Cafés and restaurants ring it on every side; terraces fill up, string lights come on, and Belgian classics share the evening with kitchens from everywhere else. Arrive without a plan. That is the plan.
3. A village that forgot it's in a city
People greet each other on these streets. Shopkeepers remember faces. Two turns off the tram line and the pace drops to neighbourhood speed. On a city trip, that's a rare kind of luxury: having somewhere quiet to come back to.
4. Creative energy, locally grown
Artists and musicians live and work here, so gallery openings and small concerts are part of the week, not the exception. That spirit runs indoors too: the interior of VIA Antwerp is a contemporary reinterpretation of Zurenborg's Art Nouveau, by Merav Bustan Design Studio.
5. The rest of Antwerp, closer than it looks
Antwerp Central Station is about a ten minute walk, 900 metres, straight through the neighbourhood's finest streets, which is reason enough to leave early. From there, the whole city opens up, and so does the rest of Belgium. Add Antwerp Zoo to the morning: a twenty minute walk through Zurenborg, or ten minutes by tram. Do the city all day, then come home to quiet streets. That's the trade Zurenborg offers, and it's a good one.
VIA Antwerp sits in the middle of it all, at Plantin en Moretuslei 136. Stay here and Zurenborg isn't a stop on the itinerary. It is the itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Zurenborg from Antwerp Central Station?
Walk. It's about a ten minute walk, 900 metres, and the route runs through the neighbourhood's Art Nouveau streets. Tram 24 stops at Joe English - Collegelaan.
How far is VIA Antwerp from the centre of Antwerp?
About 2.3 kilometres. That's a twenty-five minute walk through Zurenborg's Art Nouveau streets, or eight minutes by bike, and it ends on the Meir.
What is Zurenborg famous for?
Its Art Nouveau and fin-de-siècle architecture. Cogels-Osylei is the showpiece street: turrets, mosaics and wrought iron, facades built to outdo each other.
Is Antwerp Zoo close to Zurenborg?
Antwerp Zoo is a twenty minute walk through Zurenborg, or ten minutes by tram.
Where should I eat in Zurenborg?
Dageraadplaats is ringed with cafés and restaurants. And at VIA Antwerp itself there's MEA, where chef Omri McNabb cooks modern Eastern Mediterranean.
