Plantin-Moretus Museum

The Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp is one of those rare places where history, craftsmanship, and atmosphere blend so harmoniously that you instantly feel transported into another era. It is not simply a museum — it is a living memory of the golden age of printing, a beautifully preserved home and workplace that tells the story of how books helped shape European culture. Visiting this museum feels like stepping directly into the 16th and 17th centuries, where every object, every room, and every courtyard whispers about the remarkable legacy of the Plantin and Moretus family. From the moment you walk inside, the building envelops you with its authentic charm. The creaking wooden floors, the warm glow of old interiors, and the peaceful inner courtyards create a sense of intimacy and timelessness. The museum still looks and feels like the actual home and workshop it once was, rather than a modern reinterpretation. This authenticity is a large part of its magic. You can’t help but imagine the sound of workers operating the presses, the rustle of manuscripts being prepared, or the intense concentration of scholars proofreading new editions. One of the highlights of the museum is undoubtedly the historic printing presses, the oldest surviving ones in the world. Seeing them up close is awe-inspiring — these machines were responsible for producing some of the most influential books of their time. They stand proudly as silent witnesses to centuries of innovation, creativity, and hard work. Equally impressive are the original typefaces, tools, and the extensive archive of materials that reveal how meticulous and complex the printing process once was. The library is another breathtaking treasure. Stepping inside feels like entering a sanctuary for knowledge lovers. Towering shelves filled with centuries-old books surround you, while the soft light enhances the sense of history embedded in every page. It is easy to imagine scholars and humanists of the past turning those very pages, contributing to the exchange of ideas that shaped Europe. The library alone makes the visit unforgettable. The museum is exceptionally well curated. Exhibits are informative without being overwhelming, offering a perfect balance for both casual visitors and those deeply interested in history, typography, or literature. Many displays are interactive or visually engaging, making the experience enjoyable even for children and families. The staff deserves special mention — they are friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the heritage they help preserve. It is no surprise that the Plantin-Moretus Museum is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its preservation is extraordinary, and its cultural significance is immeasurable. Walking through these rooms, you gain a deep appreciation for the artistry, precision, and dedication required to produce a single printed book centuries ago. A visit to the Plantin-Moretus Museum leaves you enriched, inspired, and full of admiration for the people who dedicated their lives to spreading knowledge. It is a place where history feels tangible, where craftsmanship comes alive, and where every corner invites you to slow down and absorb the beauty of the past. If you are in Antwerp, this museum is not just recommended — it is essential. It will stay with you long after you leave, offering memories and impressions that are as meaningful as they are unforgettable.

Definitely the best museum in the city! Set in a historical house, with almost all rooms open aside from the top floor, the museum explores the family of book makers and printers who built and lived here for many years. The museum takes around 3 hours to complete and has a free map + audio tour (many languages available. Crucially, there are NO screens or cheap exhibits which rely on ipads/ films/ digital galleries! Most other museums in Antwerp are plagued by having more screens than real content, but that is not the case here. There are a wide variety of objects on display from the family's collection, including paintings (some original Rubens!), statues, religious objects (see photo of personal altar), historical books, maps, print making equipment, and more. Much of the original character and furniture of the house has been meticulously preserved, including original leather wallpaper. It is a very impressive and thoughtfully presented collection. There is a courtyard with a pretty garden, free toilets, and a cute gift shop selling prints of historical pieces from the museum collection and stationary.

As a person who studied printmaking in College, this was a must visit! I think it’s well preserved and exhibited. Audio guide was helpful. It takes 2-3 hours to look through but you can go outside and come back inside with the wristband. You can also see a lot of text-book European grumpy old men as staff here haha (I liked it) Young girls were attentive and friendly.

Absolutely stunning museum! One of the highlights of my trip to Antwerp. The history of printing comes alive in the most beautiful and authentic setting. The old presses, books, and interiors are so well preserved — it feels like walking through time. A must-visit for anyone who loves books, history, or design.

Loved the hidden garden, calm and delicate. This part is free of charge. Be careful not to go into the exhibition, because otherwise someone will come and throw you out — even if you're just trying to take a quick look on the basement to get an idea of whether the visit is worth it, given the extremely vague explanation from the ticket seller about what this museum is actually about.

When you love books (real books, not the digital kind), then you must visit Plantin - Moretus. The Plantin–Moretus Museum (Dutch: Plantin-Moretusmuseum) is a printing museum in Antwerp, Belgium which focuses on the work of the 16th-century printers Christophe Plantin and Jan Moretus. It is located in their former residence and printing establishment, the Plantin Press, at the Vrijdagmarkt (Friday Market) in Antwerp, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005

I loved this museum. I even wrote a blog about it after my visit. The smell of paper, the creaking of wooden floors, the smell of ink… it was all magical to me. They also have a beautiful garden. Everything makes you feel like you are in another dimension.

Must-see museum hosting the oldest printing enterprise existing. The journey through the private house of the founders of the company takes us through a fascinating journey where we discover the central role that this place had in the scientific, humanistic and political development of Europe. Among the amazing pieces collected here: some original books dating centuries, the two oldest printing presses with 400 years of history and 2 portraits signed by Rubens.

If there was a single thing I was looking forward to during my trip to Antwerp, it was this museum. For my money, these are the best types of museums. But to each their own, I'm a nerd so I love this stuff. Actually I got kinda lucky, because the museum is closed certain days, and I was only here certain days, and thought I could visit a different day, but it ended up being today. My absolute favorite part was watching Rudi give a printing demonstration on a Gutenberg replica. I walked into the demo about halfway through a presentation he was giving to a group of German ladies. I only picked up on about half of it, but stuck around until the end, and by that time there was a small group of English speakers, and he did it again! Wonderful presentation. I do have a pre-existing interest in printing, so I knew a lot of the information, but was happy to hear it again, and really excited that he was offering some of the pages that he printed onto! As for the rest of the museum, you'll get to see a lot of examples of printing, lots of actual equipment, and shelves and shelves of leather bound books. Cannot recommend this museum enough. Unfortunately they are a bit ableist, so wheelchairs are pretty much out of the question (as far as I could see) and those with a cane or crutches will have moderate difficulty due to the amount of small sets of stairs throughout the museum.

This is a wonderful historic museum. Its main focus is printing, but there are numerous Peter Paul Rubens paintings (plus a few copies) and it's also a home from 400 years ago. I had no expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It makes history interesting. There were printing demonstrations and the 2 oldest printing presses in the world. There were also thousands of rare books.

If you are visiting Brussels, take the quick train ride to visit this fascinating museum which is the only one in the world with a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The museum is the former residence and offices of a prominent Antwerp family that made a significant portion of their I come from printing scientific and ecclesiastical texts. When the business died out with the 9th generation, the mayor of Antwerp had the foresight to buy all of its contents (business and personal) so that it could be turned into a museum more than 150 years ago. It has 32 rooms, complete with furniture, books, paintings, tapestries, printing dies, and the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world. If you are into books, fonts, history, or other nerdy things, this is not to be missed. The docent was extremely passionate and very helpful.

Sparse house but cool videos on the printing presses and how they crafted individual letters then arranged and packed the letters into the templates for the pages they needed to print.....and then of course how they used the press to roll the paper through Very time consuming process and have to hand it to those in the profession for having the patience and expertise to create all those publications from start to finish These are the things I never thought about & exactly how much there is to be thankful for, to those who made it possible to share news, stories, manuscripts and the great masterpieces

This is one of the best museums I've ever been to. They do such a nice job of laying out the family history while showing how print really changed the world and how this particular print house spread the knowledge of science, geography, religion, medicine and more. I had planned to spend an hour in there, and end up spending 3! It was just so good.

I'm really glad I got to see this museum! The house was much bigger, more interesting, and less crowded than Rubenshuis.

This is a wonderful museum. I might have had a moment in the larger library. My roommate actually teared up. It happened. If you're a fan of books you're going to be a BIG fan of the Plantin-Moretus Museum. The museum is the former residence and printing establishment of, you guessed it, Plantijn and Moretus. The museum houses the two oldest printing presses in the world (yes, world) and has a huge collection of the original typographical material and printing tools, which are stunning to see. The main library is absolutely fantastic and contains some 25,000 volumes, and you can even visit the original shop where the books were sold to customers. Not to mention that the entire place is a gorgeously preserved representation of a 16th and 17th century residence, with leather walls and a collection of original paintings by Pieter Paul Rubens. If you are, by chance, in Antwerp this museum is magnificent and shouldn't be missed.

Perhaps a bit steep at 8€ a head, but this is a really unique and impressive museum that you shouldn't miss. The Moretus family of merchants made Shakespeare look like a pauper; these folks had some serious cash back in the day. It's absolutely fascinating to get such an intimiate look at something so significant as the spread of the printed word. From techniques to technology, the whole museum is well-designed, laid out and full of interesting things explained in ways that make them interesting. From two of the world's oldest printing presses, to antique wood and copper plates, to copies of tomes like Mercator's atlas and way too many bibles, this place is chock full of historical artifacts. Also, let me just say how crazy ridiculous it is that so many rooms in the house are wallpapered with friggin' guilded leather, which sounds (and is) obnoxiously expensive. "Oh, you have a leather couch? How quaint. My ENTIRE HOME is wrapped in luxurious leather hides." Eat that, royals!

Splendid! Absolutely worth going out of your way. It's the remains -- a complex of buildings from the 16th & 17th centuries -- of what was at one time the largest printing company in Europe. In business for over 300 years.

In the interest of time and attention span, I'll keep the geek-out to a minimum about how much I LOVE this museum. That being said, this is one of my favorite museums in Europe. It is widely considered the most comprehensive collection of print materials and print shop records in the world. And it's absolutely amazing. The building itself--the Plaintin and Moretus workshops and home--is phenomenal with its original, embossed leather walls, creeky wood floors, and low beamed ceilings. It is truly a step back in time and gave me an excellent sense of what Antwerp was like when it was the world capital of all things printed. Make time for this UNESCO World Heritage site; it's a must-see!

Nice museum, but boring for kids. The personnel of the shop is ridiculously rude.