Discover MAS, Antwerp's emblematic museum

Opened on 14 May 2011, the Museum aan de Stroom was built on the banks of the Bonaparte Basin in the former port of Antwerp. For the modest sum of 50 million euros, the MAS was designed by the Rotterdam architects ** Neutilings-Riedijk Architecten**. The face is made of Indian red sandstone and glass, culminating in a 62-metre-high tower. The project, launched by the city in 1998 to revitalise the Eilandje district, is a masterpiece of architectural and design techniques. Referring to the old warehouses of Antwerp, it is an enormous showcase, offering an exceptional view of the city and its surroundings from the roof in a panoramic room.

In the province of Antwerp, in the district of Eilandje, which in Flemish means "district surrounded by water", the museum is built on a site steeped in history. It was thefirst

district to be built outside the Spanish walls in the 16th

century, and the museum is located on the site of the city's former economic headquarters. Until 1934, the buildings on the Quai du Rhin, where the Red Star Line shipping company was based in the port, were used as a medical and administrative centre. Following the company's bankruptcy that same year, the complex was initially converted, but was eventually closed down. And so the history of the shipping company fell into oblivion. Over the years, the district lost its splendour and its economic importance for the city of Antwerp. Eilandje gradually became depopulated and the port was replaced. The museum project was quickly established to rehabilitate the district and pay tribute to its glorious past in the history of the city and Belgium.

Arguably the city's most interesting museum, the MAS boasts superb maritime, ethnographic and folklore collections. If you want to immerse yourself in the history of Antwerp and beyond, you couldn't do better than immerse yourself in this beautiful Flemish museum. It boasts a permanent collection of almost 470,000 objects, arranged thematically in different rooms. The MAS museum has 9 floors (5 of which are permanent), and there are also structures on the river that form part of the museum. The museum's floors have been designed and stacked to form a 60-metre spiral. The top floor even houses a Michelin-starred restaurant offering a beautiful view of the Scheldt, the great European river that flows through 3 countries - France, Belgium and the Netherlands - before emptying into the North Sea.

There are 5 permanent collections between the 4th and 8th floors of the museum. The first collection, entitled "Fiesta", takes you back to cultural traditions around the world, from "dia de los muertos" in Mexico to Antwerp's "Pride ", taking you on a journey through the world of festivities. The museum also features an exhibition on harbour cranes, which is the largest collection of harbour cranes in the world. You'll also find the collection of Paul and Dora Janssen-Arts, which includes almost 400 pre-Columbian objects. You'll find pieces of gold, textiles, precious stones such as jades and shells that are renowned the world over. The pieces in this fabulous collection come from over 40 different cultures, from Alaska to Chile. Each floor tells a different story about the city of Antwerp, its port and its links with the rest of the world. For the little ones, the "Is anyone home?" exhibition is a colourful and sparkling display of how we want to protect our homes. Some would say that MAS is much more than a museum, but an impressive warehouse in the heart of the city. You'll find people like the sewer crocodile, the unwanted spider and the philosopher professor. This exhibition invites families to rethink their homes in a completely new way. As part of the exhibition, the museum provides a treasure hunt booklet, ideal for keeping younger visitors interested and amused.

The other floors are devoted to temporary exhibitions. From photography exhibitions to objets d'art and paintings, temporary exhibitions are generally on show in the museum for 2 or 3 years, giving you time to plan your trip around a temporary exhibition that interests you.