City Walking Routes in Antwerp
Antwerp is flat, so this is walking country, not mountain country. The rewarding routes here run along the river, around the big city parks, and across to the quiet left bank. Here are the best walks you can do without leaving town.
The Scheldt quays
The most Antwerp walk there is: follow the renovated Scheldt quays (Scheldekaaien) south from Het Steen along the water, with the old-town skyline on one side and the wide river on the other. It is flat, open, and stitches together several riverside stretches into an easy few kilometres. Best near sunset.
A Linkeroever loop by the free ferry
Cross to the left bank on the free Sint-Anna ferry or through the 1933 Sint-Annatunnel, then loop around the Galgenweel, a tidal lake, and along the Sint-Anna beach. The far bank gives the best view back at the city, and the whole circuit is easy and flat. With the premetro tunnel closed until roughly March 2027, the ferry and pedestrian tunnel are how you cross anyway.
Rivierenhof
In Deurne, northeast of the centre, Rivierenhof is a large provincial park laid out along the Grote Schijn stream, with kilometres of paths through woodland, water, and open lawns. It is the closest thing to a proper long walk inside the city, and easy to reach by tram or bus.
The Nachtegalen parks
South of the centre, the Nachtegalenpark links Den Brandt, Vogelenzang, and the Middelheim grounds into one big green belt. You can walk from formal gardens through the open-air Middelheim sculpture park in a single loop, all free.
Park Spoor Noord and Boekenbergpark
For a shorter leg-stretch, Park Spoor Noord, built on former railway yards near Eilandje, gives a flat, modern promenade close to the centre. Further out in Deurne, Boekenbergpark has wooded paths around a natural swimming pond.
Practical notes
None of these need special gear; comfortable shoes and a rain layer cover it, since Antwerp’s weather turns quickly. Trams and buses reach the outer parks on a single De Lijn ticket (around EUR 3, verify at delijn.be), and the river crossings are free.
Read more: the parks themselves are covered in our Antwerp parks and green spaces guide , and the wider city is in our Antwerp travel guide .