Practical information
On this page, you'll find some essential information to plan your trip to Hydro 2026.
Location of the venue
The Waagnatie venue is located at Rijnkaai 150, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Getting to Antwerp
... by public transport
The city's monumental central Antwerp-Central station receives frequent domestic and international arrivals. See the SNCB website for more information.
There's plenty of options for getting to Antwerp form different directions using several coach lines (e.g. FlixBus, Flibco, AirportExpress, ...).
... by airplane
The major airport in Belgium is Brussels Airport (Zaventem), which is well connected with Antwerp through public transport (30 min by train). Other airports in the region as well connected too (e.g. Amsterdam-Schiphol at about 75 min).
... by car
Reaching Antwerp by car can be challenging depending on the time of the day and the travel direction. Please take time margins into account. Please note that Antwerp has a Low Emission Zone. You can check whether your car is allowed in the LEZ. If not, you can buy a temporary permission. Be aware that, if you drive into the LEZ without permission, you may be fined.
The limited parking at the venue is reserved for staff and exhibitors. For regular participants, we refer to public parkings in the vicinity of the Waagnatie venue:
- Parking Sluisstraat: free and closeby, but limited in spaces and popular
- Public car parks (e.g. Montevideo Parking, Hangar 26, Q-Park Godefriduskaai).
- Parking on the street (limited in time and expensive - website only in Dutch)
- Park & Ride: wel connected to the city center, cheap and outside the LEZ.
Hotels
The Hydro 2026 conference has not made block bookings at hotels. Antwerp offers a wide range of hotels in the vicinity of the Waagnatie in all price categories.
Beyond the conference
If you plan to extend your stay in Antwerp, be sure to visit the city’s website. Whether you're interested in art, history, shopping, gastronomy, or Belgium’s famous beer culture, there’s plenty to discover.
Of particular interest to the Hydro 2026 crowd is the free and nearby temporary exhibition called "Even poolshoogte nemen", on navigation instruments through the ages. Other highlights related to hydrography or maritime history in general are the MAS and the Red Star line Museum. Take note of the historic harbour crane collection around the Waagnatie venue. It is the largest collection of harbour cranes in the world.