You want to visit a beautiful city in Belgium, but want to avoid big crowds? You live in Belgium and want to do some sightseeing in your own country? Visit Mechelen! Let's have a look at what there is to see and do here.
For starters, Mechelen is a city in the province of Antwerp in Belgium. The Dyle (Dutch: Dijle) flows through the city, which is why it's often referred to as the "Dijlestad". It's one of Flanders' most underrated historic cities. Located between Antwerp and Brussels, Mechelen is one of the most convenient cities in terms of location.
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| St. Rumbold's Cathedral |
When to go
The summer months (from June to September)
are ideal for a citytrip to Mechelen. When the sun is shining, it's lovely to
explore a new city and you can wander from early in the morning until late in
the evening.
Mechelen is not a very big city so I'd
recommend planning one day here for a comfortable visit.
How to get there from the airport
Brussels Airport is the nearest airport.
It's very easy to get from Brussels Airport to Mechelen by train. It only takes
10 minutes and costs around €18 for a return ticket. In weekends (from Friday
19:00 to Sunday) it’s only €16. The bus (line 282, 681 or 682) is also an
option. This takes about an hour, but if you buy a m-ticket, this costs less
than €4. Another option is taking a taxi, but I don't recommend this as it's
quite expensive.
Where to stay
I haven't stayed in a hotel in Mechelen,
so I can’t recommend one from experience.
Hotel Elisabeth is just a 20-minute walk
away from the train station and has great ratings. It’s €70 for one room for
one night. Breakfast is availible for an extra charge.
Hotel Elisabeth: Goswin de Stassartstraat
26-28, 2800 Mechelen
Transportation
In Mechelen, everything can be reached on foot. There are also some places where you can rent a bike or a scooter:
- Fietspunt Mechelen (recommended)
- 't Atelier vzw
- Blue-bike
Budget
Most of the countries in Europe have the
Euro as their currency. You’ll probably spend around €30 euros on food
if you get some lunch and have dinner in an average restaurant. There are lots
of options in Mechelen, from tapas to hamburgers, but also vegan (Funky Jungle has
lots of vegan options).
If you walk everywhere, buy some souvenirs
and we exclude the price for the hotel. I think you’d probably spend maximum 70
euros for a nice day in Mechelen.
Things to see and do
Here’s a list of 10 places you should
visit in Mechelen. I made this list with Lize, a friend of mine who studies in
Mechelen. She knows the city and recommended these beautiful spots.
1) St. Rumbold’s Cathedral and Tower
Number 1 is ofcourse the St. Rumbold’s Cathedral. Located
on the Grote Markt, you can hardly miss this beautiful cathedral. From the top
of the Tower you have a panoramic view over the whole city. The entrance fee is
€8 for adults and €3 for children and young adults (4-26 yrs).
2) Kazerne Dossin
*closed on
Wednesdays
During World War II, Mechelen was the
centre of deportation to Auschwitz. Nearly 26,000 people were deported from the
city. Against this background, Kazerne Dossin celebrates the brave few who
stood up against the oppression.
3) Museum Hof van Busleyden
*closed on
Wednesdays
The museum is relatively new, as it only
opened its doors in 2018. The collection consists of busts, like the bust of Hercules,
paintings, Poupées de Malines and more.
Margeret was given in marriage three(!)
times. Her first husband left her because he found a better match. The second
one died after a few months of marriage. And Philibert of Savoy, the love of
her life, died three years after their wedding. The 24 year-old Margaret
dressed as a widow ever after and refused to remarry.
This palace was the first renaissance
building in the Low Countries and it has a charming garden. Even if history
doesn’t interest you, it’s nice to walk through the garden and the architecture
is lovely.
5) Dyle Path
A walk alongside the water in the heart of
the city is a unique and relaxing experience, particularly if you walk over the
floating part of the Dyle Path.
6) Winter Garden of the Ursuline nuns
Entering the Winter Garden feels like a
never-ending spring. For €12 you can go on a two-hour guided tour in the winter
garden on Sunday.
7) Foodmarket: De Vleeshalle
The foodmarket has a wide range of
authentic and irresistible foods available in the former ‘Meat Hall’. It's a
special experience to do your shopping here!
8) Large Beguinage
Beguinages were small towns inside towns.
They had their own bakery, church and nursery home. Beguinages were founded in
the time of the crusades, because many of the men who left never returned. This
resulted in lots of widows and orphans.
Because of its typical Flemish character
and unique architecture, the Large Beguinage was declared a UNESCO world
heritage site.
9) Het Anker Brewery
On a tour in the brewery you will learn a
lot about the process and some more facts about beer. Did you know you can make
whisky from beer? A breweryvisit costs €9. If you'd also like to taste some
beer, the tastetour is a better option. This tour is €21. You can combine a
visit to the brewery with a visit to the Molenberg Distillery. The combiticket
is €17.
10) Vrijbroekpark
This park is a 20-minute walk from the
centre of Mechelen. Altough it's located just outside the city, it's still
worth a visit. Vrijbroekpark is about 65 hectares and it's the ideal place for
a walk, to enjoy on a terrace, to play sports or to admire the plant
collections.
Where to eat
Breakfast
-
The
Kind Coconut (Geitestraat 23, Mechelen) €
Taking care of your body and our beautiful
planet. That's what The Kind Coconut stands for!
-
Foom
(Sint-Katelijnestraat 2, Mechelen) €€
Breakfast, lunch, high tea
Lunch
-
Pintxos
(Nauwstraat 10, Mechelen) €€
Highly recommended for those who like to
eat tapas. In their dishes you can find influences from all over the world.
-
Bambu
Street Food (Huidevettersstraat 7, Mechelen) €
Authentic Vietnamese street food
-
Funky
Jungle (Onder-Den-Toren 7, Mechelen) €
Eating healthy does not have to be
expensive. (Vegan)
Dinner
-
Il
Cardinale (Sint-Romboutskerkhof 1, Mechelen) €€
Hands down the best hamburger restaurant
in Mechelen and the surrounding area.
-
The
Cellar (Sint-Romboutskerkhof 2, Mechelen) €€
“Wine is divine. Cheese is Christ”
Tips
I definitely recommend combining a visit to Mechelen with a visit to
Leuven. Read my blogpost about Leuven if you’re interested!
Mechelen is a safe city, but as in all cities just be careful for
pickpockets.
Nightlife
The area best known for its nightlife is the Vismarkt or old fish market.
Some good bars are De Gouden Vis and De Pekton.
Shopping
De Bruul is the busiest shopping street in Mechelen.
Tours
Check the top 10-list above for info on
tours and this website can also help: https://visit.mechelen.be/en/guided-tours.
Suggested books
If you plan on visiting more cities in Belgium, I’d recommend the Lonely Planet Belgium & Luxembourg travel guide. Also check out this website for more inspiration and information: https://visit.mechelen.be/en.
Special events
At the moment Mechelen doesn’t organise lots
of activities. The Saturday market does still take place in the city centre.
-
Saturday
Market
* Every Saturday
morning from 8am
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy
Mechelen!
Follow me on Instagram: @phietravels
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