Antwerp - Nightlife

Soak up the views in the medieval Old Town, let your hair down in Het Zuid or party Antwerp style in the city's nightclubs.

The ornate Grote Markt and Groenplaats squares are packed with a mixture of locals sipping Belgian beer inside traditional bars and tourists appreciating the view from pavement tables.

Packed bars, cocktails and live DJ sets are the order of the day in boho Het Zuid establishments. The heart of the action is around Walseekai and Graaf van Egmontstraat, where locals and visitors come for avant-garde live music and a vibrant clubbing scene.

Venture towards the northern ring road to Café d'Anvers on Verversrui, renowned for its house and techno nights. The surrounding area – the former docks – is gaining ground as a nightlife hotspot, with an interestingly seedy, underground edge. It's worth being aware that this is also Antwerp's red light district, so some of the back streets are less than salubrious.

Just north of Central Station, the city's Van Schoonhovenstraat is home to a cluster of gay bars and clubs. One of Belgium's leading gay clubs, Red and Blue, is located on Lange Schipperskapelstraat close to the northern ring road and the River Scheldt.

Bar opening hours vary considerably, with some opening at midday and others not until 6pm or even 9pm. Most stay open until 2am and some as late as 6am. Clubs open from late in the evening until dawn. The serious partying doesn't start until after midnight.

Explore the Het Zuid area of the city to the Impossible Five's raucous Eleven Hours in Antwerp; take in the beauty of the Cathedral of Our Lady as you listen to its bells on The Carillon of Antwerp Cathedral composed by Peter Benoit, George Bizet and others.