Habitation on the bend in the river goes back to the Gallo-Roman period (2nd and 3rd  century  A.D.).  A fortification was built on the “aanwerp” or mound round the 7th century.  From the 10th century onwards a small trading post developed.  It was strengthened by an earth wall and a ditch, the Burchtgracht.  At the end of the 10th century Antwerp became a border province of the German empire of Otto  I.  The border was the river Scheldt.  The county of Flanders lay at the other side.  Antwerp was to protect the Scheldt but it never had its own castle.  What was called the fortress remained a population center enclosed by a wall.  There were buildings for the civic and military government, a chapel (later Sint-Walburgis) and houses for the most prominent families.  It wasn’t until the 12th century that the fortress gained a stone wall.

“Steen” is the Dutch word for “stone”. The building on the border of the river Scheldt was called that way because it was one of the earliest buildings constructed with stones (at a time when most houses were still built with wood).  It was part of a fortification on the mound  around the year  1200, which makes it the oldest building in Antwerp.
In 1520, during the reign of Charles V, the castle was renovated.  The chapel which forms a loggia above the entrance dates from this period.  It bears the coat of arms of the emperor and his motto “Plus Oultre”.
At the entrance a relief statue can be seen of a man with spread out legs.  This statue used to have a very large penis and was venerated by numerous women looking for a cure against infertility.  The Jesuits found the statue too obscene in the 17 th century … and off went the decoration of the statue.
The crucifix opposite the entrance recalls the time when the Steen was a prison   (from 1549 till 1823) : it marks the spot where those condemned to death murmured their last prayers. From 1862 it was used as an archaeological  museum.
The fortification was largely demolished in the 19 th century to allow the quays of the river Scheldt to be straightened.  It was then renovated and a neo-gothic wing was added.  You can go for a riverside stroll along the raised esplanades near the Steen or under the “hangars”, cast iron sheds, once an economic necessity, now a decorative shield between Antwerp and the Scheldt. These places have retained something of the 19th century atmosphere of the port. Few ships are charged or discharged here these days but interesting vessels, like cruise, sailing or war ships still frequently berth here.
What remains now serves as the National Maritime Museum.  Its fascinating collection comprises old and modern ship models, maps and maritime instruments.  There are also a number of ships on the dry land alongside the Steen.
Influenced not least by the renewed interest in living in the city bold examples of modern architecture have sprung.  Particularly now that the port activities have taken themselves right away from the historical heart there are plans to inject new life into the old port  area and to link life between the city and the river.  The sometimes spectacular new development of renovation projects provide a foretaste.

Lange Wapper.

The entrance to the Steen is guarded by the Lange Wapper,  a statue that represents a legendary person, the Antwerp version of the boogie man.  He terrified children and drunks.