Prelude to Crisis 2024

While I already covered the visit to the actual show of Crisis 2024 in Antwerp, I'd like to give an additional insight on a few bits around it, just like I did in the past. And pardon the delay, the trip to Berlin and preparing for the Battle for Uulda postponed the release of this article.

As usual I travel to Antwerp by car, but as I drive an EV now it requires a bit more planning. But Belgium has a proper grid of ev charger stations, so that was not an issue. Others, especially the British got there by train or plane, as you can get to Brussels quite easily and then grab a connection train from there to Antwerp (and arrive at a very impressive central station).

Crisis always had a special meaning for me, for multiple reasons. It was the biggest wargaming event in continental europe and hosted in Antwerp. I know the city, as I'd travel to once a year with my parents for a trade show since I was a young lad, and stayed at Campanile (that's no longer around) and later the Crown Plaza near the expo. But as that hotel is too far outside of the city for a visit to Crisis, so when I started visiting Antwerp on my own, we usually stay in a hotel close to central station (for example the Mercure or Holiday Inn, as it has lots of parking spaces nearby and you got quickly towards the old town as well as didn't have it that far to the old venue in the harbour area. But this time, I went for the Theatre Hotel, more in centre of the city, as the others from our party of wargamers stayed there as well.

The choice of hotel depends a bit on your group and needs. The Theatre Hotel would properly fit for travelling with kids as well, as the rooms are spacious and you can even book a family suite. Breakfast there had a good choice of different items, including proper bread (from German standards) and various spreads and cold cuts, along with sweet baked goods.

Parking so close in the city can be a bit tricky. Some of the parking lots are a bit older, have steep entries and narrow parking spaces, so if you travel by car and have a station wagon check out what works for you beforehand. Parking is usually around 20-25 EURs per day, but I got a pretty good deal at Horta only 5 minutes way from the hotel and paid 24 Euro for the entire weekend, along with a lot of charging points right there in the parking lot. Just make sure to read the additional information at the parking lot, as there is a huge market on sunday in the city, and some of the parking exits are blocked during that hours (so you can't enter or leave the garage during that time).

Especially the availability of the charging points in the parking lot was amazing, as this is pure pain Germany so often.

It was really nice this time of the year, as due to the change of dates, the show was hold two month earlier and it was quite different visiting the city in a warm early September, compared to November. People made use of the various cafes in the old town, sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine and moderate temperature.

We grabbed a few drinks near the hotel, at the Oud Arsenaal, very decent prices for a good selection of beers. And with various restaurants and bistros nearby, we build a foundation for the evening.

But Crisis was not hosted at Waagnatie anymore and moved from the north of Antwerp to St Niklaas, just in the suburbs and around 15 minutes away. As we stayed so close to central station (15 minute walk), I decided to not grab the car but go there by train. And the Belgian train is superb, I paid less than 10 euros for a day ticket (you can easily book it by their app) and it was 2 stops from Antwerp Central Station to St. Niklaas, and the venue was 300m away from the train station in that city. Trains went about every 20 to 30 minutes both ways, and not driving there by car would give me access to the great bar the Tinsoldiers had opened at Crisis.

On that Crisis weekend the city of Antwerp celebrated the 85th anniversary of the liberation, with the Bevrijdingsdagen, which meant a lot of Allied world war two equipment in the city, a parade, a festival in the inner city. Quite the proper addition to our weekend for a group of wargamers like us.

As it is around 3 hrs for me to get to Antwerp, I usually stay for the whole weekend from Friday to Saturday. You can plan your weekend in various way, from a rather men's tour through the pubs or family trip with some sight seeing, there is a lot to do. Especially as the city and areas around it cover museums and sights for various interests, so if you want to go to the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom), the Zoo Antwerpen and depending how flexibel you are go for various other things in a 1-1,5 hr radius from battlefield exhibitions to amusement parks.

So you see, Crisis is more than just the show for me. It is a whole weekend, it is visiting a wargaming show, meeting people I see not nearly often enough, having a good time and not just the question if I can grab some miniatures with a discount. And as the reboot of the show was well done, I'm already planning next years visit in my head.