Plantin-Moretus Museum

The basics

Highlights of the Plantin-Moretus Museum include a library of 30,000 rare books, a priceless 15th-century 36-line Gutenberg Bible, and paintings by Belgian masters such as Rubens. The cultural significance of the museum means it's often featured on history tours of Antwerp, which tend to cover other heritage-rich attractions such as Grand-Place (Grote Markt)—famous for its mint-green, mythological statue—and the gorgeously Gothic Butcher’s Hall (Vleeshuis), now a music museum.

Things to know before you go

• The museum also has a quirky gift shop that sells books, designer vases, and even its own perfume.

• The museum is cashless, so you must pay for your admission ticket using a card or contactless payment method.

• Tickets come with your choice of free audio guide—one is the classic tour, and the other is more theatrical and uses actors' voices.

• Due to the historic nature of the building, the first floor and reading rooms aren’t accessible to travelers in wheelchairs.

How to get there

Thanks to its convenient location in the center of Antwerp, the Plantin-Moretus Museum is easy to reach on foot or by public transport—you can take tram Nos. 3, 5, 9, or 15 from the main train station. The closest DeWaterbus stop is Steenplein, a 10-minute walk to the museum.

When to get there

The museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday, mid-morning until early evening. It’s open on Easter Monday and Whit Monday but closed on all other Mondays throughout the year. It's the least crowded in the middle of the week.

Fascinating museums in Antwerp

The Plantin-Moretus Museum occupies prime real estate in Antwerp’s historical center—it’s within a short walk of Antwerp’s magnificent cathedral and a couple of other notable museums. The Museum Mayer van den Bergh boasts a collection of masterpieces from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, while MoMu (Antwerp’s fashion museum) traces style throughout the ages.