Het Steen

Beautiful fortress and surely a great place for pictures during day time Sadly i visited it during night and on the last day of my trip in Antwerp Didnt get a chance to go inside but took a walk around the location. I believe the tourism office is located inside.

Place is free. You can climb the towel. Not very high but gives you a great view of the river and the city-ish. Considiring it's free it's definitely worth a visit. There is a tourist shop & info inside too.

Het Steen offers another lovely vantage point over the city, especially if you’re looking to soak in Antwerp’s historic charm with a scenic backdrop. It’s situated right by the water, so you’ll often spot cruise ships docking or departing nearby—which can add to the atmosphere or feel a bit crowded depending on timing. If you visit outside those busy moments, it’s a peaceful and picturesque spot that’s definitely worth a quick stop while exploring the city.

A free little piece of Antwerp history to visit. Nice look out place from the top. Not a huge amount else unless you pay for the exhibit. The souvenir store is mysteriously the most expensive we saw our eamount else unless

Incredibly well preserved castle with a bar, information center and interactive children's exhibits inside. The bar definitely has a unique atmosphere unlike anything else in the area. Sculpture art is a bit wild haha. Right off the banks of the Scheldt river and very close to the MAS museum.

Very nice castle with a great view of the port. It also includes many other facilities inside, including a tourist information center where tourists can buy some postcards and some places to rest and enjoy the view. There is also a great panoramic view on the top of the castle to see the view and take some photos. Most of the castle is free to visit but for a specific exhibition inside you need a ticket. I visited here 2 times and generally it was not so crowded but on holidays it might get crowded, especially the entrance.

A medieval fortress with a great interact guide to Antwerp. The views from the top were good and would be great with a sunny day which we didn’t have.

You can go on the top of the fortress. Where you will find a beautiful 360-degree view of Antwerp. Also you can enter the information center and find more information about the city.

This castle is a short walk from the Antwerp train station! We visited on 10/3/24. It's really nice because you can walk around the castle and roof for free. It was a little weird because we expected a very old inside and a old time vibe but the biggest area inside of the castle that's open to the public is a gift shop. It was still a blast to see and I'm glad we went!

Seriously, you have to love a good old medieval castle. Okay, maybe it isn't strictly a medieval castle, but it still looks like one. Actually, the official title is a gate house, namely because it was used to collect tolls from boats that would stop off in Antwerp as they travelled up the Scheld. The castle was also a prison because, well, what better place to put prisoners than in a cold and dank medieval castle. Apparently it is now a museum, but I didn't get to check out the museum because, well, I couldn't find out where the entrance was located. Still, I did get a change to wander around the castle, which is always something that I love doing, especially since there aren't all that many castles in Australia.

When visiting Antwerp why not check out old medieval castles you can enter for free. Granted-- it is fairly renovated inside and not medieval as much, but makes for a nice workshop and cafe plus studio space for kids. However, the outside is still all that medieval glory plus gloomy European river scenery to boot with adjacent pier to stroll down and to top it off the God of Youth & Fertility also welcoming you at Het Steen's gates. From the central station, it's in easy walking distance as well. We ended up strolling over to it on a rainy day and when the cold became too much we went inside for some hot tea. At the entrance you're met with a massive hour glass (and Semini) which welcomes you to turn it over to restart time or do some sort of activity with it, but I'd rather not break anything and didn't touch it... But on the upside it's a bit fairytale-esque with the set up. There are also a few workshops and more of the odd tent structures inside. The cafe was very charming and well lit. A play area set to the side for kids and lots of seating. We each got something to warm up and relaxed by one of the windows. While it was a bit odd to see such modern interiors to a very old building, it was also just a lot of fun to wander into. Unless you're a big history or architecture buff--- or there for the classes/workshops, I can't imagine wanting to day trip to this castle, but if you are in Antwerp and near the pier it's a nice pit stop and it's not too often, I suppose, that you get to say you're having tea in a medieval castle.

This rock structure looks rather cool from the outside. But it's currently all fenced off due to construction. Het Steen is being turned into a visitor center with cruise terminals. This repurposing of a historic site in such a way sounds rather hideous!

Het Steen or Steen Castle is a medieval fortress in Antwerp near the pier. If you're exploring Antwerp by foot, it is really hard to miss and definitely worth checking out. The castle was built in the middle ages and it is one of Antwerp's oldest buildings. The statue of Semini (the Scandinavian God of youth and fertility) will greet you at the front. Go ahead--take some photos. Bonus: At the back of the castle, you'll also find a plaque to commemorate us Canadians for their efforts in Flanders.