The Scheldt (Schelde) is the river that made Antwerp: a wide, tidal waterway that flows past the old town on its way to the North Sea and gives the city one of the largest ports in Europe. In the centre of Antwerp there is no bridge across it. To reach the other bank on foot, you go down a wooden escalator and walk through a tunnel 572 metres long, under the riverbed.
The Scheldt in Antwerp at a glance
- Where: along the west side of Antwerp's old town, with the quays (Scheldekaaien) running from the Zuid district past Het Steen to the Eilandje docks.
- River: about 435 kilometres long from its source in northern France to the North Sea; Antwerp is the largest city on its banks.
- What it is today: a busy shipping route to the port, with riverside promenades on the right bank and a quieter beach and park area on the left bank (Linkeroever).
- Time needed: 30 minutes for the quays and Het Steen, an hour if you walk through the tunnel and back.
Open river, closed river
In the Roman era the river was called Scaldis, and for centuries it formed a border between the western and eastern parts of the Frankish lands, later France and the Holy Roman Empire. By the early 16th century Antwerp had become the leading port of Western Europe, with goods and money from across the world arriving by the Scheldt. Everything changed in 1585, when Spanish troops retook the city. The Dutch Republic, which controlled the river mouth, closed the Scheldt to shipping, and trade moved to Amsterdam and Middelburg. Antwerp declined for two centuries.
The river was reopened in 1792, during the French Revolutionary wars, and Napoleon later invested in the port. After Belgian independence in 1830, a treaty guaranteed ships access to Belgian ports, though the Netherlands charged a toll on passing vessels until 1863. In the autumn of 1944 Antwerp was in Allied hands but German forces still held the estuary; in the Battle of the Scheldt, the First Canadian Army cleared it so that supply convoys could reach the port by November 1944.
What to look for
- Het Steen: the medieval riverside castle, the oldest building in Antwerp, now a visitor centre, with a statue of the giant Lange Wapper at its gate.
- The Sint-Annatunnel: the pedestrian tunnel opened in 1933, with its original wooden escalators going down more than 30 metres below the river.
- The view from Linkeroever: the best panorama of Antwerp's skyline, with the cathedral spire rising above the quays.
- The tides: the Scheldt is tidal at Antwerp, so the water level along the quay walls rises and falls noticeably during the day.
- Large ships and barges heading to and from the port, often passing close to the quays.
The legend of Brabo and the giant's hand
Antwerp's best-known legend is about the Scheldt. A giant called Druon Antigoon is said to have controlled the river and demanded a toll from every passing ship, cutting off the hand of any captain who refused. A Roman soldier named Silvius Brabo fought and killed him, then cut off the giant's own hand and threw it into the river. According to the story, this hand-throwing, hand werpen, gave Antwerp its name. Historians prefer other explanations, but you will see the hand everywhere: in the city's coat of arms, in chocolates and on the Brabo Fountain on the Grote Markt.
Tips for your visit
- Walk through the Sint-Annatunnel to the left bank in the late afternoon and come back after sunset, when the skyline is lit up.
- Bring a jacket: the quays are open to the wind coming up the river.
- Combine the river with the Grote Markt and the cathedral, which are only a few minutes' walk inland from Het Steen.
Nearby
- Grote Markt: the main square with the Brabo Fountain and the Renaissance city hall.
- Cathedral of Our Lady: the largest Gothic church in the Low Countries, with altarpieces by Rubens.
- MAS (Museum aan de Stroom): the museum tower on the Eilandje, with a free rooftop view over the river and the port.
- Vleeshuis: the medieval butchers' guild hall in red brick and stone, close to the quays.
See Antwerp with World City Trail
Our Antwerp scavenger hunt turns the city into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around three hours, with about 44 minutes of walking. It includes places such as Antwerpen-Centraal station, the Cathedral of Our Lady and the City Hall.
If you prefer a different format, Antwerp also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Antwerp scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Antwerp →
Play the outdoor escape game in Antwerp →
Facts checked in October 2026.