Het Steen

Interesting place although we didn’t go inside. We strolled around the surrounding neighborhood and observe the histories and the mixture of modern architectures.

Just amazing. If you are in Belgium you need to make the trip to see Het Steen! The tourist center is full of great info in multiple languages. Make the walk up the steps to the rooftop for amazing 360 views.

Modernized castle, while the outerwalls indicate a historic building. Inaide is a modern building that also acts as a tourist information and panoramic view spot.

This beautiful castle has alot to see. You can access most of it for free including the rooftop, where you can have amazing views over the city. The staff are very helpful and attentive.

Het Steen is what remains of the city's ancient fortress. Its architecture is beautiful, and it now houses a tourist center. Inside, you'll find not only the typical tourist shop but also spaces dedicated to the city's history and terraces where you can experience the views of the city and the river. Plus, it's all completely free, so definitely worth a visit!

It is a magnificent castle with a lot of history.

Great place to get some nice views, I would highly recommend the offline bar if there is space.

Great panoramic view of the river and tourist attractions. A city souvenir shop on the ground floor with many varieties of Antwerpen gift items.

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.