Port with or without a guide

You can visit the ports with a guide or on your own. Discover what Antwerp and Zeebrugge have to offer.

Free time & leisure Cycling Walking

Visit the ports on your own

In the ports, you explore many remarkable places on your own.

Visit the ports with a guide

You can easily explore the port by bicycle or by boat.

Visit the Port of Antwerp or Zeebrugge on your own

You can discover various unique spots on your own in the port. Did you know that a large part of the port of Antwerp is a nature reserve? For example, you can spot birds in the Kuifeend or the Verrebroek ponds. You can easily combine a visit to Zeebrugge with a day at the coast. Head out by yourself, with friends, with children or with the whole family and experience the port.

Cycling and walking

A holiday in your own country? The port is more than just ships or industry. You can cycle past imposing ships, walk through tranquil nature areas, get a breath of fresh air on the quay or discover cool street art. Or would you prefer to spot a lapwing or a swift? A perfect way to explore the port by yourself is by bike! Map out your route using connection points or choose one of the specially devised Havenland cycle routes in Antwerp.

Wilmarsdonk church tower

In the middle of the harbour, a lone church tower towers above the containers. That tower is a silent witness to the village of Wilmarsdonk, which originated in the 14th century and had to make way for the expansion of the port in the 1960s. Only the Gothic tower of St Laurentius Church still stands. Regular conservation works were carried out over the years, but a thorough renovation was imminent.

In April of 2023, renovation work began on the church tower. From new gold leaf on the cross to a new stone floor, everything was restored. Holes were plugged, dirt removed and broken stones repaired. Birds, such as swifts and black redstarts, and bats were also given homes in or around the tower. The area around the church was excavated to the original ground level.

Art on commission: ‘Wilmarsdonk Transfers’

Port of Antwerp-Bruges wanted to reinforce the symbolic value of the tower and therefore entrusted an ‘Art on commission’ to Bas Princen. The installation ‘Wilmarsdonk Transfers’, an interplay of illustrations and images, reflects the rich history of the polder villages and port development and zooms in on details of the restored church tower.

The art project and the restored church tower were festively inaugurated on 27 May 2024 in the presence of Minister Diependaele, Flemish Minister of Finance and Budget, Housing and Immovable Heritage, and Annick De Ridder, chairman of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

Please note: the site is not open to the public. The church tower and the art project are located on the operational concession of the company Trans Continental Logistics in the zone between Churchilldok and Zesde Havendok. Only at exceptional times can the church tower and art installation be visited. It is forbidden to enter the concession of Trans Continental Logistics without the express permission of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

Veelgestelde vragen

Havenland

Havenland is an initiative by various partners combining all recreational activities specifically in and around Antwerp.

On the Havenland website, you can find a handy interactive map showing places of interest. You can also find signposted walking or cycling routes, guided tours and a calendar with other fun activities.

Taking photos

Antwerp and Zeebrugge are unique destinations offering plenty of photogenic spots. If you take a trip to the port, don't forget to bring your camera and the map with all the hotspots for ship spotting. However, you can't simply take any photos you like. Look here to see the particular rules that apply when taking photos or filming in the port.

If you want to film with a drone, you need a licence and permission. You apply for this via the DronePortal.

Did you get some great snapshots? Share them on social media with #portofantwerpbruges.

Fotograferen en filmen in de haven van Antwerpen of Zeebrugge.

Fishing

You can go fishing in various spots in both and Zeebrugge and Antwerp. Purchase a fishing permit from the Nature and Forest Agency and make sure you only fish where it is permitted.

Vissen in de haven van Antwerpen of Zeebrugge met een visverlof.

Want to visit the port of Antwerp or Zeebrugge with a guide?

Would you rather explore the port with a guide? Both in Antwerp and Zeebrugge, the Port Authority plus various private actors offer guided tours, guided bike tours or guided tours.