Antwerp: Maritime Museum

'Steen' is the Dutch word for 'stone'. In Antwerp the 'Steen' is the name of the little castle that can be seen at the entrance of the city centre, on the border of the river Scheldt.
The castle is called that way because it was one of the earliest buildings in Antwerp constructed with stones (at a time when most houses were still built with wood).

The Antwerp Steen has been renovated numerous times. It was probably built as a part of the fortification around the city in the 13th century.
The Steen was used as a prison from 1549 until 1823. As from 1862 it was used as the Archaeological Museum. It was again renovated in 1889-1890 and a Neo-gothic wing was added to the building. Since 1952 The National Navigation Museum is housed here. Next to the castle are the large storage halls of the 19th century harbour. Here can be seen numerous vessels and boats which belong to the Maritime Museum.