Dog Friendly Antwerp

Antwerp may not be the first city that comes to mind when planning a trip to Belgium, but it is a great place to visit with a dog. Considered Belgium’s fashion capital, dog friendly Antwerp is full of trendy boutiques, and restaurants. The efficient De Lijn transportation system even allows dogs to ride for free.

Where to Stay

For my first visit to Antwerp, I decided to stay outside the city center and travel around by bus and on foot. Louis and I spent several nights at the dog friendly Antwerp B-Aparthotel Moretus hotel. The property charges a nominal daily fee of 10€ per pet. Just email or include the dog in your reservation, so they know in advance. A large fenced-in dog park conveniently located right around the corner.

There are several bus stops within easy walking distance of B-Aparthotel. By bus, it’s a short ride to the majestic Antwerp-Centraal station. Across from the station, is the Meir, Antwerp’s main shopping thoroughfare. The pedestrianized Meir is home to Antwerp’s famous diamond merchants and many dog friendly retail stores.

Shopping

Louis and I headed directly south on the Meir to Nationalestraat 16, Het Modepaleis. Translated as the Fashion Palace, Het Modepaleis is the flagship store of Dries Van Noten. Van Noten was a member of the “Antwerp Six”, a group of avant-garde designers who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the early 80s. You can learn more about the Antwerp Six at MoMu, the fashion museum located at Nationalestraat 28 but your pup will have to wait outside.

Dog Friendly Restaurants

Dogs are definitely allowed at Billie’s Beer Kafetetaria in Antwerp’s Old Town. The popular drinking hole bears the name of after the owner’s French Bulldog. Billie greeted Louie at the door, and even let him share his water. While Billie’s specializes in beer, they also serve up surprisingly good food at night. The Flemish stew was so good I wanted to lick the bowl!

Things to See in Antwerp

Billie’s isn’t the only canine-centric landmark in the Old Town. Across from the Cathedral, a large stone dog and child snuggle under a cobblestone “sheet”. The statue is inspired by the novel, A Dog in Flanders. The figures represent Nello, an orphan boy, and an abandoned dog named Patrasche, who become best friends.

If your dog seems to appreciate the Nello & Patrasche sculpture, You might want to take them to see the collection at Antwerp’s Middelheim Museum. The Middleheim is a dog friendly open-air sculpture park. There is no charge for admission so I recommend taking a stroll even if you aren’t interested in the art.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about some of the cool things you can do in dog friendly Antwerp. Here are some more places to check out in Belgium:

• Ardennes – https://dogfriendlytravel.com/dog-friendly-ardennes/
• Bruges – https://dogfriendlytravel.com/the-doghouse-bruges/