cathedral
Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp
Belgium's tallest Gothic building housing masterpieces by Rubens, with a UNESCO-listed 123-metre tower visible across Flanders.
4 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeBelgiumFlanders
Merksem
Flanders, Belgium · Europe
About Merksem
Merksem works well as a base: 5 minutes from Schoten, 4km from Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp.
Merksem is in Flanders, Belgium, with about 44,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Schoten, about 4 km away.
Merksem (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɛr(ə)ksɛm]; former spelling: Merxem) is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It has 47,525 inhabitants as of 2025.
It was a separate municipality until 1983. On 1 January 1983, it was absorbed into the municipality of Greater AntwerpRead more
whereby Merksem became one of the 9 districts.
Where to Stay in Merksem
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Merksem?
Within an hour or so of Merksem: Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp (4 km), Antwerp Zoo (4 km), Antwerpen-Centraal (4 km), Plantin-Moretus Museum (5 km).
Are there any good drives near Merksem?
The nearest famous roads are Brouwersdam, Koninklijke Baan Coast Road and Chimay Street Circuit.
Where is Merksem?
Merksem is in Flanders, Belgium, about 4 km from Schoten.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 44,435
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Flanders
- Timezone
- Europe/Brussels
- Coordinates
- 51.2462, 4.4490
Tags
Worth the detour from Merksem
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Antwerp Zoo
Historic Belgian zoo next to the central train station, one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1843.
4 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Antwerpen-Centraal
A cathedral-like railway station of marble, gilt and glass, repeatedly voted one of the most beautiful in the world.
4 km · about 5 min drive
museum
Plantin-Moretus Museum
The world's oldest surviving printing house, run by the Plantin family in Antwerp from 1576 to 1867 and the only museum on the UNESCO World Heritage list: complete with the two oldest printing presses in existence and a Gutenberg Bible.
5 km · about 10 min drive
cathedral
St. Rumbold's Tower
Climb 538 steps up Mechelen's unfinished Gothic tower for a sky-walk panorama reaching as far as Antwerp and Brussels.
24 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Atomium
Futuristic building in Brussels shaped like an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, built for the 1958 World Expo.
40 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Leuven Town Hall
A lacework masterpiece of late-Gothic stone, crusted with statues and pinnacles in Belgium's great university city.
44 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Grand-Place
Opulent central square in Brussels surrounded by ornate guildhalls and the Gothic town hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
45 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Merksem
- 47 kmWestern Scheldt TunnelAt 6.6 km the longest road tunnel in the Netherlands, diving under the busy Western Scheldt shipping lane to link Zeeland with Zeelandic Flanders since 2003.
- 47 kmWesterscheldetunnelTolled 6.6-kilometre road tunnel under the Western Scheldt linking Zeelandic Flanders to Zuid-Beveland, replacing two ferries.
- 56 kmZeeland BridgeElegant 5 km bridge over the Oosterschelde estuary, the longest in the Netherlands when opened in 1965. Its endless procession of arches makes one of the country's most photogenic drives.
- 68 kmOosterscheldekeringThe colossal storm-surge barrier crossing the Oosterschelde, the showpiece of Holland's Delta Works flood defences.
- 70 kmBrouwersdamDelta Works dam carrying the N57 between two Zeeland islands, with the North Sea on one side, the Grevelingen lagoon on the other, and kitesurfers filling the sky.
- 74 kmErasmusbrugRotterdam's swan-necked cable-stayed bridge soars over the Maas, a striking modern icon glowing over the river at night.
Driving in Belgium
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.74/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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