6 Best Sights in Antwerp and the Northeast, Belgium

This ambitious museum, in a striking red sandstone and glass building next to Antwerp's old dock area, aims to place Antwerp's history into a world context. Five floors of exhibits explore themes such as trade and shipping, men and gods, here and elsewhere, and prestige and symbols, showcasing everything from pre-Columbian artifacts to gas masks from World War II. It's all capped off with a panoramic rooftop view (free to visit) and a Michelin three-star restaurant, ‘t Zilte. Note that most of the museum's documentation is not in English; for a translation, use your smartphone to read the QR codes placed next to many exhibits, or pick up an information booklet at the entrance to each room.

The city's diamond trading and smithing past gets a gloriously theatrical presentation in this interactive museum. Visitors are guided through six rooms by their audio "butler" Jerome, gawking at some rampant abuses of wealth, from a diamond-encrusted gold tennis racket to a king's ransom of jewels, silverware, and chinoiserie. Ensconced in all this glitz, however, is a serious history lesson in how a city was built on its ability to turn rough stones into polished jewels, as well as the fads that accompanied the industry, such as the "Egyptmania," fanned by Napoléon's campaigns in the late 18th century, or Japan's opening up to the West in the mid-1800s, enabling its aesthetic to influence everything from Art Nouveau to a sudden bourgeois craze for kimonos.

The Steen is more than 1,000 years old. A 9th-century waterfront fortress, it was built to protect the western frontier of the Holy Roman Empire. It was partially rebuilt 700 years later by Emperor Charles V. You can distinguish the darker, medieval masonry extending midway up the walls from the lighter upper level of 16th-century work. The only survivor of the original waterfront, the Steen was used as a prison for centuries. Today it houses Antwerp's visitor information center, as well as The Antwerp Story, a permanent exhibition that serves as a good introduction for anyone new to the city. Through a series of rooms, interactive multimedia displays give you an overview of Antwerp's people, industry, monuments, and its museums. You can also head up to the roof terrace for a panoramic view.

Perpetuating Hasselt’s slightly raffish distinction of having had jenever as its major industry, the museum occupies a building that was a commercial distillery from 1803 until 1971, and the original equipment is still in use and on display. On a tour of the installations, you’ll learn about the production process, while other exhibits include glassware and advertising posters. In the paneled tasting room you can sample jenever of various ages, flavors, and proofs from two dozen Belgian distilleries—your entry ticket includes one free drink.

To get up to speed on the latest clothing designers, head to MoMu for a fashion crash course. Inside the early-20th-century building you’ll find comprehensive exhibits, some highlighting the avant-garde work of contemporary Flemish designers. Rotating exhibits also make the most of the museum’s collections of clothing, accessories, and textiles dating back to the 18th century; you can ponder the workmanship of delicate antique lace alongside deconstructed blouses from the late 1990s.

The Gothic butcher's guild is Antwerp's oldest remaining public building and was once the only place in the city where meat could be sold. Over the centuries it has morphed from a guild hall into a refined music museum, focusing on 600 years of the musical life of the city.