Turnhout Turnhout Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Turnhout anchors the Flemish Kempen region with a compact historic center radiating from the Grote Markt, where the Castle of the Dukes of Brabant — now a courthouse — sets the architectural tone. The town earned its royal charter in 1212 and retains medieval street patterns alongside Art Nouveau façades on streets like the Gasthuisstraat. Playing card manufacturing made Turnhout an industrial center from the 18th century onward; the National Museum of the Playing Card documents this heritage in a converted factory.

The dining scene clusters around the Grote Markt and pedestrianized shopping streets, with Belgian brasseries serving regional classics like Kempense stoverij and seasonal white asparagus from nearby Mol. The Begijnhof, a UNESCO-listed beguinage founded in the 14th century, offers contemplative walks before dinner. Day trips reach Antwerp in forty minutes by train, making Turnhout a quieter base for exploring the wider province.