Steen Castle

Steen Castle is the oldest building in Antwerp, part of a former castle on the right bank of the Scheldt. If you want to visit historical sights, you should not miss out on this special place. The castle was built at the beginning of the 13th century. In the 16th century it was thoroughly rebuilt under Charles V and was given the name 's Heeren Steen. You can still see the additions of Charles V: the sandstone superstructure has a lighter colour than the substructure consisting of Tournai stone. In the 19th century most of the complex was demolished for the widening of the Scheldt and the straightening of the quays.

Above the entrance is a statue representing the God of Fertility. Originally the statue had an erect penis, but it was cut off by the Jesuits in the 16th century. During this time, many heretics were executed at Steen Castle.

In front of the entrance of Steen Castle is the statue of Lange Wapper. He was a giant who could make himself as small as a mouse and in the middle of the night appeared to frighten the people of Antwerp. He had it mostly for drunks.

Between 1952 and 2008 the National Maritime Museum was located in Steen Castle. The museum gave a fascinating insight into the shipping history of Belgium, Northern France and the Netherlands.