In 1555 a French bookbinder called Christophe Plantin set up a printing press in Antwerp, then one of the richest cities in Europe, and his business became the largest printing house of its time, printing Bibles, atlases, scientific works and books in many languages. His son in law, Jan Moretus, and the Moretus family carried on the business for three centuries, and their home and workshops on the Vrijdagmarkt, preserved almost intact, are now a museum. It holds the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world, a huge collection of type, woodblocks and copper plates, a library and portraits painted by Rubens, a friend of the family. In 2005 it became the first museum listed as a World Heritage Site.
The house is a beautiful example of a merchant's home, with a courtyard, panelled rooms, leather wallpaper and a printing room full of presses. The archives of the business, also preserved, are listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World register.
Antwerp itself is a lively city on the Scheldt, with a great Gothic cathedral, Rubens's house, a diamond district, fashion designers and an excellent food and beer scene. The old town around the Grote Markt is full of guild houses and cafés.
Riding in Antwerp is city riding, with heavy traffic, tunnels under the Scheldt, tram lines and cobbles. The city has a low emission zone, and the ring road is often congested. Parking a bike in the centre is easier than parking a car, but be aware of restrictions. Flanders beyond the city is flat, and the roads are busy, but there are pleasant routes along the Scheldt and toward the Kempen.
Antwerp can see to fuel and lunch. Try the local beer, De Koninck, served in a bolleke glass, Antwerpse handjes, biscuits shaped like hands from the city legend, and stoofvlees with frites.