It’s that time again. Santa arrives in Antwerp this afternoon. As usual, many children are eager to attend the entrance of the holy man. This year, Saint Nicholas and his Pieten will move into Het Steen in the cookie city.
December 6 is still a while away, but according to good tradition, Sinterklaas sets foot in Antwerp a few weeks earlier. He will therefore moor today around 2 p.m. with his steamboat in Antwerp against the pontoon at Steenplein.
© BELGIUM
Bart Peeters and Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever will greet Sinterklaas there and officially welcome him. As tradition requires, Saint Nicholas and his helpers march in procession to the Grote Markt and the saintly man addresses the children from the balcony of the town hall. The Ketnet band and wrappers provide animation, while there is also a live broadcast on various VRT networks.
Het Steen becomes Saint Nicholas’ Castle
New this year is that Santa Claus will move into Het Steen for the next three weeks, until December 6. There are guided tours tailored to the little ones in the castle, where Saint Nicholas resides for so long and has set up his parcel rooms.
Het Steen in Antwerp. Sinterklaas will stay there for three weeks. — © Patrick De Roo
“Het Steen will be partly transformed into the Castle of Saint Nicholas,” says Antwerp tourism councilor Koen Kennis (N-VA). “We are very happy about that, because cookies are still important in the Koekenstad. When children register for this special visit to Het Steen, they will be introduced to Santa’s logistics, including through his parcel room. How does that good man manage to deliver all those gifts to the children in such a short time? I am happy that Saint Nicholas, following the increasing number of Spanish tourists, has chosen to stay in Antwerp. From the towers of Het Steen, the Pieten will be able to check the condition of Antwerp’s roofs.”
Big party
The arrival of Saint Nicholas will be a big celebration, like every year. Between 1 and 2 p.m., Kaatje, Viktor and Kamiel and De KetnetBand will provide a lot of ambiance on the stage on the Grote Markt.
Even those who cannot be there can follow the arrival of Sinterklaas. VRT 1, Ketnet and VRT MAX broadcast the arrival of Sinterklaas live from 1:30 PM. Ketnet wrappers Sarah Mouhamou and Thomas De Smet present the broadcast and closely follow the arrival and journey of Sinterklaas.
