Antwerp has around 175 different nationalities. All these cultures have their own culinary traditions, and you can also taste many of them in our city. But Antwerp itself has many flavorful treasures, local products that are sometimes forgotten. This route will introduce you to some flavors of 't Stad.

Our starting point, Het Steen, is immediately linked to a regional product: the Roggeverdommeke. This rye bread with currants and raisins was distributed by the Dutch wool trader Pieter Pot in the fifteenth century to the damned in the dungeons of Het Steen. We leave the Steenplein behind and go through the sculpted lions with the coat of arms of Antwerp to the Suikerrui. This street owes its name to the dozens of sugar refineries that were established there in the sixteenth century. Not coincidentally, you can score a sweet treat here at Désiré de Lille (1). We walk to the Grote Markt and the town hall. Take a moment to admire the beautiful facades of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century guild houses.

There is no shortage of dining establishments at the Grote Markt. Den Engel is undoubtedly the most famous café. Regulars have been sitting at the bar since the morning. Directly opposite is restaurant De 7 Schaken (2) on the corner with the Braderijstraat, where a next tasting is served. Here, meat was roasted in the Middle Ages. Those who brought a piece of meat could wait in the nearby inns, and once the meat was ready, ‘meurg’ was called out. But since it sometimes took a while, hearty drinking ensued in the meantime. The term ‘meurg’ has since become synonymous with intoxicated. Those who are not ‘meurg’ continue their journey to the Oude Koornmarkt, where at the corner with the Hoogstraat at Philip’s Biscuits (3), you can taste a special version of the Antwerp Handje. Or you can wait a bit longer, as we will also pass the second location of this cookie baker during this walk. The dining establishments on the Oude Koornmarkt reflect the multiculturalism of the city. You will find restaurants with flavors from Italy, Turkey, Thailand, Croatia... and also pita bars.

Behind the gate with house number 16 lies the Vlaeykensgang. The name likely comes from a baker or waffle house that was here previously. What is certain is that several shoemakers were based here in the sixteenth century, who also rang the bells of the cathedral.

At the end of the Oude Koornmarkt, we turn left into Groenkerkhofstraat, referencing the cemetery that used to be located on Groenplaats. We leave that behind and walk along the Schoenmarkt, past the Bishop's Palace.

We turn right and walk through Schrijnwerkersstraat, where Désiré de Lille will reopen its doors again in mid-November. We are now in ‘the Wild sea’, one of the first shopping districts where cars were banned. The neighborhood owes its name to a bridge over a moat. The water could sometimes rage wildly here, resembling a stormy sea. From Schrijnwerkersstraat, we go straight to Korte Gasthuisstraat. Here you can also find many delicious things: pralines, ice creams, the Roggeverdommeke, and local products. Be sure to try the super tasty filet d’Anvers from butcher Scaldis (4).

At house numbers 23-25, we stop for a moment. Here lies ‘the Nieuwe Gaanderij’. It was the very first shopping arcade opened in Antwerp in 1954. For this, the sixteenth-century city palace in Renaissance style of the Florentine banker Gaspar Ducci was demolished. Further along, we are once again greeted by the smell of cookies from Philip’s Biscuits (3) from their location here in Korte Gasthuisstraat. The story of the Antwerp Handjes is well known, so we might as well taste them.

We are now in front of the so-called 'bijenkorf', a shopping center on Oudaan, whose future is still uncertain. We walk down Oudaan and then end up at the Kleine Markt. There stands a pillar with a pump and a statue of Mary, the patroness of Antwerp. Of course, with a lantern next to it. This way, the people of Antwerp bypassed the tax on lighting: if a Madonna was standing by, you didn't have to pay it. We conclude with a piece of culinary history behind the black gate at house number 7. Here once housed the cheese shop of the Warmenbol family. A memorial plaque still hangs in the courtyard. Recently, a new gastronomic spot opened here with Atelier Bien Soigné (5),