What should I pack for Antwerp?

Shoes matter more than anything else you put in the bag. The entire historic core, from the Grote Markt to the narrow Vlaeykensgang passage to the Meir shopping street, sits on cobblestones or century-old paving. Wet cobblestones feel like polished glass under smooth soles. After 3 hours of walking between Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal and the Rubenshuis, you'll feel every uneven stone through thin sneakers. Bring shoes with actual tread and ankle support. Flat leather soles are a bad idea here. The walk from Antwerp-Centraal station down to the waterfront near Museum aan de Stroom covers about 2.5 km of mixed terrain, and the Zurenborg neighborhood east of the station adds another kilometre of cracked Art Nouveau-era sidewalk. If you're visiting De Zoom-Kalmthoutse Heide nature reserve, 30 minutes north by bus, bring separate trail shoes. The sandy heath paths stay soggy for days after rain.

Rain in Antwerp is not a maybe. The city gets precipitation on roughly 200 days per year, and June alone tends to see a dozen or more wet days. At the moment, it's 15.8°C with 94% humidity, which is fairly standard for mid-June. You'll want a packable rain jacket, not an umbrella. Wind funneling along the Scheldt near the Eilandje port district turns umbrellas inside out. Layering matters even in summer. Mornings near the Antwerp Zoo, which opened in 1843 and still operates next to Centraal Station, might start at 12°C. By mid-afternoon on the Meir, reflected heat off the stone can push perceived temperature past 22°C. A light merino base layer, a cotton or linen mid-layer, and the rain shell handle most June and September days. Winter visitors need a proper wool coat. December through February averages hover around 3-5°C, and the damp cold near the Scheldt feels colder than the number suggests.

Belgium runs on Type E plugs at 230V, 50Hz. The two round pins look similar to the Type C Europlug, and a basic Type C adapter will physically fit most Belgian outlets. But if your device has a grounding prong, you need the Type E. Check your hair tools before packing. Most modern laptops and phone chargers handle 100-240V automatically, but older hair dryers rated for 110V only will burn out on Belgian current. Hotels around the Meir and Groenplaats tend to have wall-mounted dryers anyway. Pack a portable charger rated at 10,000 mAh or higher. Free Wi-Fi at Centraal Station and the MAS cafe tends to be patchy, so you'll lean on mobile data and Google Maps navigating between the Rubenshuis and KMSKA. That drains a phone battery by early afternoon on a full museum day.

Skip packing toiletries and over-the-counter meds. Kruidvat, the Dutch drugstore chain with at least 3 locations within a 10-minute walk of Centraal Station, sells sunscreen for €4-6 and ibuprofen for under €3. HEMA on the Meir has compact umbrellas for about €3.50 and decent travel accessories. Belgian pharmacies, marked by a green neon cross, carry stronger medications without a prescription than you'd find in the US. Certain antihistamines and anti-inflammatories sit on open shelves here. Mind you, Belgian drugstores lean heavily toward spray deodorant rather than sticks. If you're loyal to a particular brand, bring it from home. Chocolate is the one thing to buy here, not pack. Leonidas on Huidevettersstraat near the cathedral sells fresh pralines for roughly €25 per kilo, about half the price of the same box at Brussels Airport.