is located in the southern part of Antwerp Province, centrally located between Brussels and Antwerp. It is the second largest City within the Antwerp Province and fifth within Flanders. The river Dyle (Dijle) runs through Mechelen and continues through Brussels to Wallonia.
Being centrally located, Mechelen is an easy hop, skip and a jump from Brussels Airport – (about 11 minutes), two hours by train to Amsterdam, Holland or three hours to Frankfurt, Germany. It is an ideal town for a short weekend stay or even a longer duration with plenty to see and do. Below are a few places of interest to visit, whether for a couple of hours or the whole day (highly recommended for Planckendael). Mechelen provides the new and old and is indeed a Town to visit.
– St Rumbolds Tower (Sint Romboutskathedraal)
A historic Cathedral which is over 600 years old. It is one of the 56 Belfries which are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage listing (with 33 of them being in Belgium). Additionally the Town Hall is also listed and indeed a worthwhile visit.
Address details:
Sint Romboutskathedraal, Onder den Toren 12, 2800 Mechelen
– Planckendael
This is not just a zoo, nor an animal park. Planckendael takes you on a journey across multiple continents, opportunity to see from a bird’s eye perspective and even have the opportunity to feed the beautiful Lorikeets. Highly recommended for a day visit. Information in English is available.
Contact details:
T +32 15 41 49 21
E info@planckendael.be
A shuttle bus is also available from behind Mechelen Train Station.
– Het Anker
The local brewery from Mechelen provides a great selection of fruity, blonde and brown beers to suit your own taste buds. A more detailed review can be found here regarding Het Anker.
Contact details:
T +32 15 28 71 41
E info@hetanker.be
W http://www.hetanker.be
Address details:
Brouwerij Het Anker, Guido Gezellelaan 49, 2800 Mechelen
– Dyle (Dijle) Walk
Experience a different view of the Canals and Rivers in Mechelen and visit the Dyle Walk. The grey line within the blue shows the route of the walk. There are various starting points, yet I would recommend either near the Vismarkt or near the bridge at the top of the Bruul. A fabulous viewing point to see the older style buildings and water life of Mechelen. Keep an eye out for the odd fish as well. This route is also accessible for people with wheel chairs (just be aware of the ramps as they can be steep).
Carillon
You cannot miss the unique ringing of bells coming from the Royal Carillon School of Mechelen and also the beautiful Sint Romboutskathedraal. Mechelen acquired a Hemony-carillon in 1679. By the end of the 17th century, Mechelen had the largest and heaviest carillon in the world. In addition with the support and passion of Jef Denyn (1862-1941), Mechelen became the centre of the renaissance of the carillon art at the end of the 19th century.
Mechelen Carillon City offers guided tours in cooperation with the teachers, alumni and students of the Royal Carillon School of Mechelen. If you wish to attend a guided tour either visit or contact the Tourist Centre in Mechelen.
Contact details:
Toerisme Mechelen, Hallestraat 2-4-6, 2800 Mechelen (located just off to the right of the Grote Markt near Bruul)
E toerisme@mechelen.be
The above is just a small selection of what Mechelen can offer visitors and also local Mechelaars.
Don’t forget, if you are a coffee fan, than the Cafe Culture of Mechelen is a must to partake in. With a wide range of independent or chain cafe’s – the local food, drink and “Mechelen” style is not to be missed! I have listed a few reviews throughout the website.
Please do get in touch as I would be happy to share news about Mechelen and surrounding areas.