At the start of the 2023 Easter holidays, the City of Antwerp kicked off the new experience programme in and around Het Steen. The program includes four new theme walks about the history of Antwerp, a real marzipan competition, a visit to a puppet theater and new works of art to admire. 

Het Steen is still the ideal operating base for a visit to Antwerp and with this program the city is further focusing on the experience for visitors and Antwerp residents.

Weekly theme walks

Every weekend until the end of August, visitors can join one of the four new themed walks, put together by professional Antwerp guides.

During the game walk ‘Fables of legends‘, participants have to try to figure out the lies of the guide. 

If you want to know more about the dark past of the castle, you can opt for the exciting ghost walk ‘Errant souls‘. 

There is also the historical walk ‘DNA of the city‘ along the past and present of Antwerp and finally there is also a fascinating tour through The Antwerp Story: ‘800 years of world class‘.

All tours are available in Dutch and English. You can register in advance or on site at the Visitor Center and the walks are accessible to both individuals and groups. All info and reservation via www.hetsteen.be. ​

Marzipan contest

On the second floor of Het Steen, the Expo Marzipan will run until April 24, set up by Antwerpen Koekenstad in collaboration with Massepain Sleeubus. The Antwerp company is 100 years old this year. During the mini-exhibition, visitors can learn more about the history, manufacture and applications of Antwerp marzipan.

Until April 21, anyone who wants to participate in a real modeling competition in marzipan, completely in theme ‘Beestig Lekker‘ of this year’s Heritage Day. Participants buy the expo box in the Antwerp City Shop with a 5 euro discount, model their own animal at home and send a photo of their creation to the competition address. 

A jury of well-known Antwerp pastry chefs then assesses the entries. The winner will be announced on Heritage Day on Sunday 23 April and rewarded with a nice prize. All details about this competition can be found at: http://www.antwerpenkoekenstad.be.

Watch art

Het Steen will soon also show some works of art with an Antwerp link. For example, the painting ‘A lady on the Fish Market in Antwerp‘ by Adriaen Van Utrecht and Marten Pepijn from the Rubens House will be on display in the reading room from mid-April. Het Steen is the ideal place to show this 17th-century market scene, because the old fish market where fish used to be sold was close to the castle.

During the Antwerp Art Weekend, from 18 to 21 May, a number of modern works of art specially designed for Het Steen will also be given a place in the same room until the start of the summer holidays.

Puppet theater Mirantibus

Twice a day during the Whitsun weekend, the Mirantibus puppet theater will perform a moving performance about the Antwerp story ‘Nello and Patrasche‘ on 28 and 29 May. ​

Koen Kennis (N-VA), Alderman for Tourism: “Het Steen has put itself on the map as a visitor center in barely a year and a half, and that is quite an achievement when you know that it was empty for years. Now it is buzzing with life.”