Last Sunday it was date time with my husband ! We went to Antwerp, just a 15 minute drive from where we live. We go to Anwerp often and mostly to the historic part of town. But this time we headed to Het Eilandje.

Het Eilandje is the name of the part of town built around the two oldest harbor docks in Antwerp : Bonaparte Dock and Willem Dock. Old buildings are demolished or renovated, new buildings are built, roads are renewed,…  This neighbourhood is completely being restyled and has lots on offer !

We first went to the The Red Star Line Museum, a relatively new museum telling the story of the shipping company, the city of Antwerp and its harbor, but above all, the emigrant’s stories. The buildings themselves are also part of the collection. They were restored to their original condition and add to the nostalgic feel you get visiting this museum. It’s really worth it spending a couple of hours in this beautiful museum !

After our visit to this museum, we went to Jardim, a pop-up garden a bit further up the road. We enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, sipping a cocktail, listening to lounge music whilst planning our upcoming Normandy trip.

To finish our date, we headed to the Godefriduskaai with the MAS as main attraction. The MAS is a museum that tells the story of the people of the city of Antwerp and the world. But it’s more than just a museum. It is a monument, a new city centre, a meeting place where there is always something to see and do. When in the neighbourhood of the MAS, make sure to get up on the roof as it gives a spectacular view over Antwerp.

There are a lot of bars, cafes, restaurants in the neighbourhood. This time we treated ourselves to delicious burgers from Ellis Gourmet Burger.  My husband chose the Ellis Special (with bacon) and I had the classic burger. We were served by really friendly staff and I can certainly recommend having a burger here !

We really enjoyed our outing and are already looking forward to our next date !

Love, Kathleen