Zurenborg

Zurenborg is the kind of neighbourhood that makes architecture enthusiasts plan a trip. Laid out in the 1890s and saved from demolition by community campaigns, its streets, above all the fabled Cogels-Osylei, are a riot of Art Nouveau, neo-Renaissance and eclectic facades unmatched anywhere in Belgium. Daily life gathers on Dageraadplaats, a tree-shaded square ringed by terraces, brown cafes and bistros that locals treat as a communal living room. Flat, quiet and intensely walkable, the quarter is split administratively between Antwerpen and Berchem but feels like one tight-knit village of creatives, academics and settled families. For investors, Zurenborg offers scarcity and resilience: protected, beautiful homes in permanent demand. Yields are moderate rather than spectacular, and heritage rules can add to renovation budgets, but few Antwerp addresses resell as readily or hold value as dependably.

Zurenborg in Antwerp, Antwerp Province, Belgium