From Paris, Ont., to Antwerp: A Belgian native shares her favourite hidden gems

The exterior of Antwerp Central Station — often hailed as one of the world’s most beautiful railway buildings — stands as a striking architectural landmark in the heart of the city.

Maria Wheeler

Paris Independent Contributor

When it comes to travelling to Europe, Belgium is often overlooked as a destination. Unless of course you have been invited to attend a function at NATO headquarters in Brussels. I'm sure I personally will never receive such an invitation, so I tend to stick to family visits. I am an immigrant from Belgium, and have lived in Canada for some 25 years, these last 15 years in lovely Paris, Ontario, which has become my home.

My husband Tim and I have a daughter in Toronto, and a son who lives in Belgium. My mama sadly passed away in February 2025 age 91. All my family lives in or around Antwerp and I fly over as often as I can. Unfortunately, due to a stroke my mama suffered in 2023, some of these were emergency trips. But even then, you need some time away from it all, and so I always try to add in a little outing here and there to take the stress out of things.

Most folks who tell me they've been to Belgium mention they visited Brussels or Bruges and how wonderful that was. To be fair, they are great destinations. But there are so many more hidden gems - things you will never get to see in North America. Old culture, history, architecture, tasty food, people watching on outside patio's, bicycling along canals and rivers, following the bicycle network. There is something for everyone to enjoy. So, I'm going to tempt you with some teasers!

When I fly to Belgium, I tend to select the most inexpensive flights. Mind you, I'm not really fond of multiple stopovers or really early morning departures, so I'll skip those. Flying direct is not usually in the cards, so recently I have travelled via Kevlavik in Iceland or Dublin in Ireland and then on to Brussels. Those two airports are small and you don't need a long layover. Two hours will do the trick. You may even have time for a coffee while you're there. But make sure you have a jacket at the ready, because you may have to walk the tarmac from the plane to the terminal, and Kevlavik early in the morning can be pretty darn cold.

When my family cannot pick me up, I take the train from Brussels International to Antwerp. Easy peasy, and it's just a half hour ride. I know you will be jetlagged, but take a few minutes to admire Antwerp Central's train station. It is a majestic art nouveau building that is often considered one of the world's most beautiful stations. Be sure to take some selfies in the downstairs entrance hall. You'll be able to showcase it to your friends when you return home!

Antwerp is not a large city and you can walk to most places. If you prefer to use public transit, the trams are a very efficient and inexpensive way to move from place to place. You can hop on your first tram right at the train station and make your way to your hotel.

Antwerp offers some of the best shopping anywhere, along the Keyserlei and the Meir, the wide boulevard that takes you from the train station west towards the river Scheldt. You will also find many lovely boutiques and cosy eateries in "De Wilde Zee", a collection of charming streets across from the "Boerentoren" (built in 1931, art deco, and the first skyscraper in Europe). Did I mention that the Meir and De Wilde Zee are traffic free? Make sure to stop along the way to rest your tired tootsies and enjoy a cappuccino coffee - I'm all for Tim Horton's, but to have coffee served in a proper cup and saucer with a cookie or chocolate is a lovely treat. 

According to AI, Antwerp is a "vibrant, multicultural hub blending rich Flemish heritage with avant-garde fashion and a historic, diamond-trading legacy". I can recommend so many things that will strike your fancy! 

Antwerp was the home of the "Antwerp Six", six people educated at the Antwerp Academy who rose to world fame as avant-garde fashion designers. Some still have a shop in town. Our daughter is currently translating a book about these designers. It will probably be published in English later this year. If you love fashion, do also visit the Fashion Museum (MoMu).

Many centuries before the "Antwerp Six", another world-renowned artist made waves: Peter Paul Rubens was a 16th century painter whose home you can visit on the Wapper (a traffic free street which is also a lovely place to have an outside lunch or dinner). Rubens' huge canvasses can be admired in the Cathedral of Our Lady, a majestic gothic gem that is at its most magnificent when you see it reaching high into a clear blue sky, or when its spire is lit up into the night sky. 

Art lovers can also check out the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. It houses Flemish and Belgian art from the 14th to 20th centuries: masters such as Anthony Van Dyck, Jan Van Eyck, Pieter Paul Rubens, Quinten Matsys, James Ensor, and René Magritte. 

There is more: the MAS, the "Museum aan de Stroom", was built in one of the docks at the river Scheldt. Its collection features history, art, and culture of the port city of Antwerp. The FoMu, the Fotomuseum, is known as one of the most prestigious in Europe. I was personally very impressed by the Red Star Line Museum. It is located in the authentic building of the Red Star Line and tells the stories of migrants from all over Europe who were headed to a new start in the US and Canada at the beginning of the 20th century. I also visited the DIVA (Museum for Jewellery, Silver, and Diamonds) which showcases fantastically ornate pieces and offers most interesting information about those precious metals and stones. 

On my wish list for future visits are the Bunkermuseum, which housed the German 90th army corps during WWII, and the Plantin-Moretus Museum, the original home and studio of the Plantin-Moretus publishing family, which illustrates the history of book printing and exhibits some of the oldest printing presses in the world. 

For something entirely different, take a tour of the Antwerp sewer system. My son and I signed up for one a few years ago. You'll be outfitted with overalls, boots, and a tablet. A guide (in our case an extremely funny one) will take you below to learn about the sewers, and how they connect to the city's history. We found it a most amazing tour. A word of advice: take a backpack for your stuff, and a clothes peg for your nose. If you have a fear of rats, brown or black, skip this tour!

Antwerp is also a city of ambiance. The "Zomer van Antwerpen" (the Summer of Antwerp) is a festival that runs each year from June to end of August and offers circus performances, music in the streets and on market squares, theatre, family spectacles, and much more. Throughout the year, you enjoy a drink at one of the hundreds of cozy cafés, some with live entertainment. In wintertime many patios are heated. For a yummy Flemish meal don't expect anything Parisian or overly fancy. Flemish people mostly favour hearty local dishes such as "steak frites", "witloof met ham" (Flemish endive with ham), "koninginnehapjes" (chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent), goat cheese salad, or mussels with fries if you're into seafood. You will find fries shops at every other street corner if you fancy something handheld on the go, or what would you say to a steaming waffle?

Oops, I almost forgot to tell you that there's a chocolate museum as well, right across from the train station - and you will find many chocolate praline shops along your route. Don't forget to take some for your friends back home. They would be pretty mad if you forgot!

About the columnist: Maria Wheeler is a Belgian Canadian who has lived in Paris since 2011. She loves family, travel, colours and beautiful sights. Along with her husband Tim and lab Raven she has recently been exploring Ontario in their travel trailer. They hope to make it to the West Coast later this year.