Grote Markt
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Great Market Square (Grote Markt) of AntwerpG.V. Bangkok
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Grote Markt - Antwerp, Antwerpen, BelgiumTripAdvisorTRIPWOWa
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GROTE MARKET ANTWERP || Strolling at Antwerp Grote Markt @jaynjoy vlo…Jay N Joy
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Antwerpen: Grote MarktTTT (Transport-Travel-Tourism) / SILVIU SINTEA
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Grote Markt AntwerpenAndre van goethem
Why go
- Brabo Fountain’s dramatic bronze figure
- The Town Hall’s Gothic and early Renaissance architecture
Interesting facts6
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Sculptor Willem van de Broeck, poet Willem van Haecht and painters Jan Metsys and Lambert van Noort contributed to the Town Hall.
Grote Markt (Antwerpen) - Wikipedia -
Other guild houses include Spaengien and de Spiegel.
Grote Markt (Antwerpen) - Wikipedia -
The square began as a forum just outside the early medieval settlement.
Grote Markt (Antwerpen) - Wikipedia -
Citizens built civic offices and guild houses around the open marketplace.
Grote Markt (Antwerpen) - Wikipedia -
De Valk guildhall stands at Grote Markt 11.
Grote Markt, Antwerp - Wikipedia -
Antwerp Jazz Club operates in the De Mouwe guildhall.
Grote Markt, Antwerp - Wikipedia
History
The square’s annual fairs attracted merchants from home and abroad.
- 1220Duke Hendrik I of Brabant gave the communal land to the city.
- 1310The square’s name appeared as Merct.
- 16th centuryThe square’s name changed to Grote Markt.
- 1561–1565The Renaissance Town Hall was built on the foundations of an older hall destroyed by fire, with Cornelis Floris De Vriendt leading the design.
- 1882–1891The Town Hall was renovated.
Show all
- 1887The Brabo Fountain was inaugurated, replacing a liberty tree.
Tips for your visit
- Buildings around the square contain souvenir shops, fashion salons and hotels.
- Tourist e-tuk-tuk tours start and finish here.
Best time to visit
- In winter, Christmas lights and a large tree decorate the square, which also hosts a Christmas market and ice rink.
Don't miss
- Brabo FountainJef Lambeaux’s sculpture illustrates the local legend of Silvius Brabo defeating Druon Antigoon, a giant who demanded tolls from merchants arriving by water.At the square’s centre, in front of the Town Hall.
- Renaissance Town HallThe building measures about 80 metres along the square’s west side.West side of Grote Markt.
- Sint-Joris guildhallLook for Sint-Joris at Grote Markt 7, one of the square’s surviving 16th-century guild buildings.Grote Markt 7.
How to get there
- On footThe square is within walking distance of the Scheldt. The harbour area lies about 250 metres west.
Sources: Grote Markt, Antwerp - Wikipedia · Antwerp - Wikivoyage (see) · Grote Markt (Antwerpen) - Wikipedia · Grand-Place d'Anvers - Wikipedia · Grote Markt (Antwerpen) - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
Eat and drink nearby
Where to stay nearby
Questions and answers
Are there places to eat or have a drink at Grote Markt?
Restaurants and cafés with terraces line the square; ice-cream parlours also occupy surrounding buildings.
Are all the guildhall façades original?
Most were reconstructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries using paintings of the square; Sint-Joris retains a 16th-century façade.
Can you go inside the Town Hall or guildhalls?
Interior access and opening hours are not confirmed here; the façades can be viewed from the square.
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