Photos: Torsade de Pointes, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bobo Boom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: Torsade de Pointes, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bobo Boom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Our Lady's Cathedral, one Rubens at a time
Your local guide
Lotte Peeters
View profile
Highlights
- The tallest spire in the Low Countries
- A Rubens panel, described in detail
- Two centuries to build, explained
- Guild houses across the square
- Antwerp's best known landmark, up close
About this tour
This session moves from the cathedral's tall spire to one of its four Rubens paintings and back out to the square in front. You see the exterior first, then hear a detailed description of the artwork from just inside the doorway, before finishing among the guild houses that watched the building rise over two centuries. It is a focused look at Antwerp's best known landmark.
We start with a sound check outside, since the square can be busy with trams. I describe the Rubens panel carefully from where filming is allowed, then step back outside for the final stop and your questions. A short reading list on the cathedral and its paintings follows by message afterwards.
It suits anyone with an interest in Flemish painting or Gothic architecture. It also works well before visiting the cathedral yourself, as background for what is inside.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 6 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Antwerp before heading out.
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Cathedral exterior 17 min
The camera takes in the tallest spire in the Low Countries, and I explain how the cathedral took nearly two centuries to complete.
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Cathedral interior, Rubens panel 17 min
From just inside the doorway you see one of the four Rubens paintings the cathedral holds, and I describe the brushwork in detail since filming it up close is not permitted.
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Cathedral square 17 min
We step back into the square, and I point out the guild houses opposite that once faced the building site for two hundred years.
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Your questions 11 min
Time to ask anything about Antwerp: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 5 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Belgian waffles and Het Zuid, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Brussels time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Antwerp, showing you Cathedral exterior and Cathedral interior, Rubens panel live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Antwerp live with my phone.
Times shown in Brussels time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
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Verified booking
Decent
Interesting content but we felt rushed and the start was late.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Tue 3 Nov · 9 seats left From 28,00 €
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