Experience

Open Monuments Day 2024: En route through Antwerp

Posted by Timothy on

The 36th Open Monuments Day will take place on Sunday 8 September 2024. The theme ‘En route!‘ is an opportunity for Antwerp to focus on the Scheldt River. During this edition, visitors will discover more about the history of Antwerp and how the Scheldt is connected to many monuments in the city. All locations are free to visit, but sometimes reservations must be made in advance.

The full Antwerp programme can be found at www.openmonumentendagantwerpen.be. Well-known classics and heritage gems to be discovered will open their doors throughout greater Antwerp, from the historic city centre to the districts.

En route!

With the theme ‘En route!’, Open Monument Day 2024 will focus on connections. The city has chosen to put one of its most important and historical connections in the spotlight: the Scheldt.

The Scheldt, the port and the city are inextricably linked. This connection can still be found today in Antwerp’s heritage. More than 70 locations open their doors for a look behind the scenes. 

Everyone can immerse themselves in the maritime history of the Scheldt city on Open Monument Day. Sail a bit in a heritage boat from the Museum Aan de Stroom (Museum At the Stream, MAS) to the Droogdokken site, climb a harbour crane or visit the Red Star Line Museum. 

A brief preview of the programme

  • Learn all about the life of the skippers in the Rhine and Inland Shipping Museum on the Droogdokken site.
  • Sail with the one and only bottle of adventurer and inventor Fons Oerlemans.
  • Listen to the passionate volunteers of warehouse De Argentin who tell the story of the port heritage in Antwerp.
  • Visit the Antwerp Brewing Company and discover its link with the Scheldt.
  • Visit the last remnant of the disappeared polder village of Wilmarsdonk.
  • Walk around the Droogdokken site and discover the passion for maritime heritage.
  • The Bourla looks like an old pirate ship in some places. Get to know the ship techniques in the Bourlaschouwburg.
  • Take the ferry, visit the mill ‘t Veertje and discover Sint-Anneke Plage.

Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA): “The Scheldt is the lifeblood of our city and its prosperity. Antwerp is therefore the ‘Queen of the Scheldt’, as Karel Ledeganck wrote in his poem. The sight of our beautiful river fills the hearts of all Antwerp residents with pride and makes them beat faster. But the Scheldt is much more than a river. The Scheldt is also an ideal, a dream and a symbol that has been given a new meaning by generations of Antwerp residents over the centuries. From the time that Antwerp was the most important port of the Spanish empire, to the period when emigrants left here to seek a better life in the New World: the Scheldt is the common thread in the story of our city. I would like to invite all Antwerp residents and visitors to come and discover that story during Open Monument Day.”

Practical

The digital brochure is the ideal starting point for those who want to participate in Antwerp Open Monument Day, it can be found at www.openmonumentendagantwerpen.be. 

The participating locations briefly tell about their rich past. The brochure also contains a handy map to quickly find the places that are close to each other, and a lot of practical information.

All monuments can be visited free of charge, but some must be reserved in advance.

Art and museums in Antwerp