The Port of Antwerp [ 3 ] is the port of the city of Antwerp , Belgium. It is located in Flanders , mainly in the province of Antwerp , but also partially in East Flanders. It is a seaport in the heart of Europe accessible to capesize ships. It is Europe's second-largest seaport, after that of Rotterdam. Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt.
The estuary is navigable by ships of more than , Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. Like the Port of Hamburg , the Port of Antwerp's inland location provides a more central location in Europe than the majority of North Sea ports. Antwerp's docks are connected to the hinterland by rail, road, and river and canal waterways. As a result, the port of Antwerp has become one of Europe's largest seaports, ranking second behind Rotterdam by total freight shipped. Antwerp's potential as a seaport was recognized by Napoleon Bonaparte ; he ordered the construction of Antwerp's first lock and dock in When the Belgian Revolution broke out in , there was a well-founded fear that the Dutch would blockade the Scheldt again but, in the event, they contented themselves with levying a stiff toll.
Fortunately, the young Belgium had friends in Britain and particularly in the person of Lord Palmerston , who believed the existence of Belgium would be beneficial to Britain, and that, in consequence, it was important to make sure that the newly born state was economically viable. With his support, the Belgian government was able to redeem the Dutch Toll in By that time, the Kattendijk Dock had been completed in and the all important Iron Rhine Railway to the Ruhr had been finished in Antwerp then experienced a second golden age and by eight docks had been constructed.
The opening of the Royers Lock , commenced in , meant that ships drawing up to 31 feet 9. Such was the situation at the outbreak of the First World War in The British, and Winston Churchill , then First Lord of the Admiralty , in particular were well aware of the Port of Antwerp's strategic importance, so much so that Churchill arrived in Antwerp on 4 October to take charge of the defence of the city and its port. The port and facilities were relatively undamaged and no major reconstruction work was required.
However the port could not be used until 28 November, after the estuary approaches were cleared by the Battle of the Scheldt. Walcheren was the key that allowed use of the port, located further upstream on the right bank of the southern estuary of the river. Walcheren was attacked by Canadian and British forces and on 8 November all German resistance on the island had been overrun.
