Het Steen

The castle/fort itself is beautiful on the outside. However, on the inside almost everything is modern. You can't really visit the old part of the castle. There is also no information at all about the history of this beautiful building. It was really a let down for me as a historian.

The Steen is Antwerp’s baby castle — small, old (like 800+ years old!), and full of charm. Once a medieval fortress, now it’s a cool visitor center with fun exhibits and killer rooftop views of the river. You won’t get lost inside (unless you're really bad with directions), but it's a perfect spot to kick off your Antwerp adventure. History with a view? Yes, please.

Nice place to visit. You can find here information office and from the top is nice viewpoint for all river. Situated on the river in the city center, the famous medieval fortress is the oldest building in Antwerp.

Explored Het Steen today, Antwerp’s oldest surviving building and a true gateway to the city’s history. This medieval fortress, once part of the old city walls, overlooks the Scheldt River and has stood here for centuries. Walking through its stone arches, I could almost imagine the life of the port city in earlier times. With its mix of legend, history, and stunning riverside views, Het Steen is a spot that beautifully connects Antwerp’s past with its present charm.

Amawaterway's AmaStella crew and staff treated us cruisers the night when St Nicholas brings presents to those who have been good during the year. They asked us follow their tradition and leave our shoes outside of our cabin door and we found these nice chocolate bars 🍫🍫 as a surprise gift. Nice gesture, AmaWaterways 🛳💜🫶 Loved cruising with you!

There is a beautiful and striking castle by the water, perfect for a visit. The riverside atmosphere is refreshing and scenic, making it an ideal spot to relax and unwind.

It is the first place I visited in Antwerp and 15 min away from the Train station. It draw my attention that it has been used for many reasons back then: you can read the text I shared.

The old city gate and the remaining old city wall! You can see its former glory but you do appreciate that it still exists for the new generation or tourists to enjoy it.

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.