Getting away from the Grote Markt which was a beautiful part of the old town center of Antwerp, we came upon the River Scheld. While the river itself wasn’t very interesting, what was interesting is the presence what appears to be a castle. This is the Het Steen. It isn’t really a castle but rather a fortress. Back when Antwerp was the busiest port in Europe, it served to protect the city from invaders. As much of the city of Antwerp is relatively new, it is not really surprising to know that the Het Steen is the oldest building in Antwerp.
The Het Steen was built in the middle ages and Antwerp was a booming port city. I surprised to see it in good condition after all these years. There is a bridge looking thing which brings visitors to the fort. This place wasn’t part of my list at all and I thought it was a pleasant surprise to run into this. The fortress isn’t very large and it one just need a few minutes to go around the entire thing. The castle didn’t seem to be open and it probably doesn’t accept visitors. I did notice some posters on the wall and it seems that they hold events here once in a while.
[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/HetSteen.kmz} zoom=19]