Museum aan de Stroom

On the northern edge of the old city, built on the once abandoned old docks, the Museum Aan de Stroom (Museum at the River) or MAS is Antwerp’s newest museum built in 2010 as a modern tower, a sort of gigantic warehouse of piled history completely in tune with the surroundings of this district.

The imposing 62-meter-high block of red sandstone, corrugated glass, and steel was created with the aspiration to succeed another iconic building that stood in the same spot from 1568 until it was destroyed by a fire in 1893, the seat of the Hanseatic League known as Hansahuis or Oosterhuis.

Today the 20.000 square meters, ten-story award-wining building, houses various public and private collections, exhibits, and artifacts that unfold the city’s historical course through a linear, spiral route that approaches present times as the guest ascends its gigantic spiral staircase to the top.

The collection boasts over 500,000 museum pieces. Permanent and temporary exhibitions offer a refreshing look at the city and centuries of contact with the world. At the top, on the tenth floor, you’ll enjoy a 360-degree panorama of the city, the port, and the river. The area around the docks is also worth exploring especially if you are looking for a good restaurant after you visit the museum, as the area is packed with places that offer quality food. More