All of the Best Things to Do in Mechelen, Belgium

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Mechelen isn’t a city that draws anywhere near as much attention as most other major cities in Flanders. Personally, I only learned of the city through friends in Belgium, and after visiting Mechelen myself, I can say that its low profile has nothing to do with a lack of attractions, scenery, or character. 

It appears that Mechelen once had a rough reputation, so it fell into the shadow of some of Belgium’s highlights. But my day trip to Mechelen from Ghent suggested that Mechelen is definitely worth visiting now, and there are more than enough things to do in Mechelen to keep you busy for a day or two. This city has everything you look for in a great Belgian destination: history, local stories, architecture, major landmarks, and indulgent food and drink. Mechelen has it all, so visit before everyone else does.

 

How to get to Mechelen

There’s really no reason not to visit Mechelen during a trip to Belgium, especially with how easy it is to reach.

The city is perfectly located between three major destinations – Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent – so getting there is a cinch. There are direct trains from all three, and the Belgian train network is easy to navigate.

By car, it won’t be much quicker, taking around 35 minutes.

Most people visit Mechelen by taking a convenient day trip from Brussels or other cities. But, there’s always the option to spend the night. Accommodation isn’t as plentiful as in more popular cities, but there are some choices in and around the city centre.

 

The City of Mechelen

Mechelen is almost perfectly located for visitors to Belgium. It sits neatly between two of the country’s most popular destinations, Brussels and Antwerp, and is just as easily reached from Ghent as well.

With such grand and important neighbours, it’s easy to imagine the city being overshadowed, but this wasn’t always the case. In fact, for quite some time during the Middle Ages, the cities of Antwerp and Mechelen were major trade rivals.

Later on, the city had close ties with the Dukes of Burgundy and the Habsburgs, in particular Margaret of Austria. As the governess of the Habsburg Netherlands, Margaret actually made Mechelen the region’s capital city for much of the 16th century.

As a high point in the city’s long history, this probably explains why many statues of Margaret of Austria can be found around modern Mechelen. Tragically, the city saw massive devastation and destruction in 1572 due to the Eighty Years’ War.

Mechelen’s most recent struggles stemmed from twin problems of crime and a diverse, but segregated, community. It was for his work combating these problems that Mayor Bart Sommers won Mayor of the Year in 2016. The mayor did this by recognising how important diversity and inclusion are within a community.

The city even actively sought to house people during the refugee crisis of the last few years. Learning about much of this before visiting was really uplifting and made me very conscious of the social dynamics in a way I’m not usually aware of.

 

Things to do in Mechelen

To make the most of your visit, you’ll need to know where to start in Mechelen. The following things to do in Mechelen will show you many city highlights, although the city may look different than my winter trip.

Exploring on your own lets you visit at your own pace. But you can also book a walking tour to start things off and get your bearings. Either way, these are the places to visit in Mechelen you don’t want to miss.

 

The Grote Markt and Town Hall

It wouldn’t be a European city without a main square; in the case of Mechelen, the Grote Markt is a perfect place to start a visit.

Far more spacious than most in Belgium, the wider square simply has more room around the sides for typical Belgian architecture.

It seems the square underwent some redevelopment to build a car park below, so it felt a bit empty before people started coming through. Worth mentioning is that the Tourism Information Centre is just off the square, in Hallestraat.

The main feature of Grote Markt is the magnificently Gothic Town Hall.

Besides its elaborate facade, one aspect of the Town Hall that really drew my attention was the arcade along its exterior. The Christmas lights hanging inside made for an irresistible spot to take photos. More on Mechelen’s Christmas lights at the bottom, too!

 

The Story of the Moon Extinguishers

Of Mechelen’s many landmarks, one that demands your attention is St Rumbold’s Cathedral and its grand tower.

As beautiful as the interior of this 13th-century cathedral is, talk always turns to the cathedral tower. Unfinished at a height of 97 metres with its flat top, this is one of Belgium’s UNESCO-recognised belfries. But it also happens to be the source of the nickname for Mechelen residents – the Maneblussers.

The story goes that one night a long time ago, the tower was covered by a cloud, aglow with moonlight.

Seeing this, a local believed the tower was in fact on fire. Yelling and shouting about a fire, the alarm quickly spread as everyone rushed to try to save the beloved tower. This hysterical moment earned the residents the nickname Maneblussers, or Moon Extinguishers.

The people from Mechelen are so fond of their nickname that all sorts of foods and souvenirs are made in the shape of the crescent moon. Perhaps the most popular are the moon-shaped chocolates from the Vanderbeek & Godiva Bakery. Made with delicious flavours like marzipan, rum, and chocolate, they’re Belgian chocolate at its quirkiest and most delicious.

Now back to St Rumbold’s Tower. 513 steps lead you to its summit, the highest point in the city.

Along the way, you can step into several chambers to learn more about the tower and catch your breath. Here you’ll find the massive bronze bells used in the bell tower and the crane that was able to carry them.

The roof of the tower features a skywalk, from which you can look out across the rooftops of Mechelen. Apparently, on a clear day, you can even see as far as the Atomium in Brussels. Entry to the tower is open daily in the afternoon and costs 8€ for adults.

 

Schoenmarkt and IJzerenleen

Almost directly adjacent to Grote Markt is another square that may actually rival it for architectural wonder.

IJzerenleen is lined with some truly fantastically designed houses that have been restored in recent years. Once the fish market, it’s now home to some of the city’s most popular businesses.

Neighbouring Schoenmarkt is where you find the statue of Margaret of Austria, as well as the mighty Schepenhuis. Hosting an art museum, you don’t need to enter this building to admire its unusual shape and isolated spot.

 

The legend behind a town monument

Visit Mechelen and you’re bound to find yourself looking at a bizarre statue in the Main Square or in Reuzenopsinjoor Park.

It features a statue of a man on his back, limbs out as if he’s falling. In the case of the park, the ground has been shaped to reflect a sheet beneath him, as if it has been used to toss him into the air. Sounds innocent enough, right, almost funny?

Well, look across the park and you’ll see a statue of a woman looking disapprovingly over at the man. It turns out the pair are husband and wife, and when the husband gets drunk, he beats his wife. Right now, he is being punished for it by the community and not having a laugh as first thought. Instead, he’s being catapulted into the air and left to crash to earth as punishment.

This statue to punishing spousal abuse is the local legend of ‘t Opsinjoorke.

 

Dijle Riverfront

Either side of the city centre, like a moat, flows the Dijle River.

While it may not be the quintessential Belgian canal, the waterfront along the Dijle is no less beautiful. In recent years, the city has added a floating footpath along the river called the Diljepad, letting you admire the scenery up close. In warmer months, boat tours allow you to see even more of Mechelen’s waterways. For winter, however, they put in a small ice-skating rink over the river

One particularly scenic spot on the riverfront is the Haverwerf. Here you find charming old buildings that have retained their medieval architecture. It was here that goods, particularly oats and grain, were unloaded at the wharf.

The three houses on the right, seen below, date from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They come with curious names, “St Josef’s House”, “The Little Devils”, and “Little Paradise” from left to right.

These names each come from little reliefs and architectural details found on the front of the houses.

 

Large and Small Beguinages

A new obsession of mine when visiting destinations in Belgium is finding the local beguinages.

Since they’re unique to this corner of Europe, they offer something special to see. They also vary significantly from one city to the next. For instance, the Groot Begijnhof or Large Beguinage of Mechelen has a working-class, borderline-industrial feel in parts.

This could be due to the neighbouring brewery. However, duck down some of the little alleys and you come across little houses that are the definition of charming. The doors of the Groot Begijnhof at this time of year were decorated with little wreaths, adding a nice festive edge to the district.

Several blocks away, you can also find the Klein Begijnhof or Small Beguinage.

The contrast between the two is really quite clear, as the Small Beguinage feels much better restored and somehow upscale. As mentioned in other posts, a beguinage was a community for religious women who were unmarried or widowed and seeking companionship.

 

Hof van Busleyden

Somewhere I was unable to visit, but it is worth mentioning, is the museum at the Hof van Busleyden.

Quite a grand building in its own right, the former court now features art and history focusing on regional court culture from the 15th to the 17th century. I was disappointed my visit was before the museum opened, not that I had time, but it is something I plan on experiencing next time.

 

Kazerne Dossin Holocaust Museum

Before visiting Mechelen, the one recommendation I kept getting was that I had to visit the Kazerne Dossin Holocaust Museum.

Housed inside a modern building, this three-storey museum has been built opposite the site of a WWII transit camp. It was from here that local and fleeing Jewish and Romani people were sent east to Nazi concentration camps.

Horrifyingly, over 25,000 Jewish men, women, and children were deported from Mechelen. Each level of this museum approaches different stages, titled ‘Masses’, ‘Fear’, and ‘Death’. These roughly relate to the time periods, leading up to and including WWII and the Holocaust.

While the museum touched on quite a few topics that I was already familiar with, it does a good job of showing both the wider, international events as well as the local ones. As one would hope, the museum approaches the subject without any sugar-coating, tackling issues of anti-Semitism and rampant nationalism in Belgium prior to the German invasion.

The museum shows quite clearly both collaboration and resistance from individuals during this awful period of history.

One collection that really caught my attention was the propaganda posters, as I hadn’t seen so many before in one place. Especially haunting is the audio-visual area where you can watch video after video of accounts given by Holocaust survivors

I spent quite some time in the Kazerne Dossin during my afternoon in Mechelen, but I know that I could have easily spent several hours absorbing all the information and interviews there.

While somber, I have to highly recommend this museum. Entry for the permanent exhibits is 10€ for adults.

 

Gouden Carolus Beer

Now to something less sobering, literally. In Belgium, every city, town and what feels like every village, has its own beer and in Mechelen the favourite (but not only) brew is Gouden Carolus.

Still brewed in the Het Anker Brewery since 1471, the beer is named after the golden coins used during the reign of Emperor Charles V. The emperor was said to be quite fond of the beer, having spent time in Mechelen growing up.

The history of the brewery is closely tied to the neighbouring beguinage, as the brewery sits on the former site of a hospital there. Brewing prospered in the neighbourhood after a decision was made to lift taxation on beer brewed by those living in the beguinage.

The long heritage of the Het Anker Brewery makes it one of the oldest in Belgium. Visitors today can tour the brewery as well as dine in its brasserie. Short on time, I decided to have a quick lunch there and naturally a beer.

So beloved is Gouden Carolus beer that it even finds its way into the local food. Both at the Het Anker Brewery as well as the Schockaert cheese shop, you can find Brewer’s Cheese. This cheese is made with Gouden Carolus Trippel beer and is pretty damn tasty.

If cheese isn’t your thing, surely you can’t say no to apple pie? At the bar Sava, why not indulge with a coffee and a slice of apple pie spiked with, you guessed it, Gouden Carolus beer. More than the cheese, you can definitely taste clear hints of the beer, but it works well with the apple. Simply put, in Mechelen, you can’t escape the local beer.

 

Mechelen Christmas Lights

Belgium is certainly a place that does Christmas Lights well, and even though I visited Mechelen in the New Year, the lights were still up.

I’m clearly glad they were, though, as even given how pretty the city is during the day, it looks even better illuminated in the dark. Below are just some of the places previously shown during the day, because frankly, I like the photos.

 

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Will you consider visiting Mechelen on your next trip to Belgium? Have you visited before, if so what was your experience like? Where else have you been in Flanders? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

*Disclosure: I received a free ticket from Visit Mechelen to St. Rumbold’s Tower, as well as vouchers for samples of local foods mentioned. As always, opinions are my own.

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.