Rich history, grand future
You can find Fiera in the Schippersbeurs, an iconic building with a great legacy. As a side aisle of the monumental Handelsbeurs, it has always been a place where people and products came together.Welcome to a beautiful piece of Antwerp history.
The Schippersbeurs has always been a place where people and products came together.
Mother of all fairs
The Schippersbeurs was built in the 19th century. For years it served as an arrival point for international boatsmen, after which their goods were traded in the adjoining Handelsbeurs. This iconic building has four grand entrances (Twaalfmaandenstraat, Borzestraat, Korte Klarenstraat and Israëlietenstraat).
The Handelsbeurs was designed much earlier, in 1531. It thrived in the Golden Age and inspired many other European stock exchange buildings. The fairs of Amsterdam, London and Lille were modelled after her. For centuries The Handelsbeurs served as Antwerp’s economic and cultural heart.
The Schippersbeurs has always been a place of activity, discovery and taste. That’s what Fiera stands for today: tasteful encounters, in a beautiful setting.
A beautiful piece of Antwerp’s history
Over the years, the Handelsbeurs became the beating commercial heart of the Sinjorenstad. From all corners of the world, merchants came down with the most exotic products. But it didn’t always go that well. Trade collapsed, the building was destroyed twice by fire and was damaged during the Second World War. One thorough renovation later, the Handelsbeurs is now back in full glory.
