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The magnificent cathedral alone would be reason enough to add Mechelen (Malines in French) to every Belgium holiday itinerary: it boasts one of the finest and most impressive towers in the entire country, as well as an exceptional vantage point for admiring a splendid vista.
Beyond the cathedral, there are other magnificent churches, Renaissance and Baroque palaces, interesting museums, an atmospheric walk along the river, and a visit to one of Belgium’s oldest breweries: Mechelen is certainly a worthy alternative to the more touristy Bruges. Perhaps slightly less picturesque, but decidedly quieter and more affordable.
It’s a city rich in history, yet also full of potential – so much so that the Financial Times named it one of the 10 European cities of the future. Situated in a strategic location close to all of Belgium’s major cities, Mechelen is a name that deserves to be added to your travel bucket list.
Mechelen really does have plenty to see: start with the best – here are the city’s most interesting tourist attractions.
Mechelen’s top attraction is its magnificent cathedral, known in Dutch as St-Romboutskathedraal (St Rumbold in English, more straightforward). Built in the 13th century in Gothic style, it was consecrated in 1312; between the 15th and 16th centuries, the imposing tower was added, becoming a symbol of civic power and remaining the city’s emblem today.
Used over the centuries as a bell tower, defensive tower, and city archive, the St Rumbold Tower is one of Belgium’s most famous and visited towers. At approximately 100 metres high, it has a panoramic terrace reached by climbing 517 steep steps – an effort many tourists are willing to make for a magnificent view over the city.
Don’t stop at the cathedral alone: Mechelen boasts numerous splendid churches to visit, architectural masterpieces housing precious artistic treasures, including paintings by Rubens, Bosch, and Bruegel.
The must-see churches in Mechelen include:
Housed within a splendid Renaissance palace in the heart of the city, the Hof van Busleyden Museum will transport you back to one of Flanders‘ greatest periods of splendour: the 15th and 16th centuries.
You’ll discover the treasures and secrets of Burgundian nobility, the cultural ferment of a new era of discoveries and inventions, artistic masterpieces, and prominent figures such as Hiëronymus van Busleyden, Margaret of Austria, Erasmus of Rotterdam, and Thomas More.
The ill-fated Margaret of Austria was married three times: her first marriage ended when her husband left her for another woman; the other two ended with her husbands’ deaths. Widowed for the second time at 24, she chose not to remarry, but instead carried out her duties as noble regent with seriousness and foresight.
An educated and intelligent woman, a great patroness of the arts, she lived in an elegant Renaissance palace in the centre of Mechelen from 1507, when she was appointed regent of the Netherlands, until 1530. You can visit the interior of Margaret of Austria’s Palace and its elegant gardens.
Kazerne Dossin is an old 18th-century military building that became tragically notorious as a “waiting room to death” for over 25,484 Jews and 352 Roma or Sinti people deported to Nazi German concentration camps. It is estimated that only 5% of them survived.
In this place of suffering, a modern museum of remembrance has been opened across five floors. The exhibition follows a strictly chronological order, divided into three themes (Masses, Fear, Death): the objective is to help visitors understand the spiral of increasing violence that ultimately led to genocide.
The museum also organises temporary exhibitions related to human rights, solidarity, and remembrance.
Mechelen is an essential stop for anyone passionate about Belgian beers: the historic Het Anker brewery, one of Belgium’s oldest, is based here.
The brewery’s most famous beer is Gouden Carolus, a multiple gold medallist at the World Beer Awards. You can taste it after a visit to Het Anker brewery in its bright tap room, or in one of the traditional pubs in the city centre.
A fascinating way to explore Mechelen is to take a boat trip along the Dyle river: during this relaxing city cruise, you can admire the city’s historic palaces from an unusual perspective and learn interesting facts and anecdotes.
Boat trips on the Dyle are organised daily from April to October inclusive, whilst in other months they typically run on Saturdays.
If boat trips aren’t your thing, you can opt for a peaceful walk along the river banks, taking advantage of the pedestrian paths that run parallel to the water. It’s an activity the residents of Mechelen love, and it’ll make you feel like a local!
Mechelen is an ideal destination for a family holiday, both for the range of services available and for the family-friendly attractions in the city and surrounding area. Here are three must-see attractions for children (and adults!) that shouldn’t be missed.
Mechelen’s Toy Museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of vintage toys. Within its galleries (totalling 7,000 sq metres), children of all ages can rediscover toys that seem to have just emerged from grandmother’s treasure chests: teddy bears, dolls, board games, toy cars, and much more.
Forget the romantic and vintage charm of the Toy Museum: the futuristic Technopolis is an interactive museum of cutting-edge design dedicated to science, technology, innovation, and creativity.
Inside this thrilling museum, you can carry out scientific experiments, explore avant-garde creations, and experience sensory activities of every kind. You can land an aeroplane, take a nap on a bed of nails, go cycling 5 metres above the ground… to name just a few examples!
For a break from the city and a day of family fun, you can visit ZOO Planckendael, located on the grounds of an ancient castle.
The zoo’s star is the young elephant Kai-Mook, born right here at Planckendael, but you can also see lions, penguins, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and many other animals.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Although less touristy than Bruges and Brussels, Mechelen offers a good choice of hotels and bed & breakfasts. Prices are significantly lower than in Belgium’s more famous destinations, making it easy to find quality accommodation at a good price, which makes Mechelen an excellent base for exploring the country.
Hotels are almost all recently built, modern, and comfortable; many are part of international chains that guarantee high standards of cleanliness and comfort.
If you’re looking for something more characterful, try a bed & breakfast; for something even more special, you can stay in a boat bed & breakfast, a barge moored along the river and converted into a romantic bed & breakfast.
The simplest and most economical way to reach Mechelen from the UK is to fly to Brussels.
The recommended airport is Brussels Airport: from the railway station inside the airport, you can take a direct train that will get you to Mechelen in just 11 minutes, or a bus. The second option is more economical but slower.
If you land at Charleroi, an airport served by many low-cost airlines, you’ll need to first take a bus to Charleroi-South station and then a train to Mechelen. Allow around an hour and a half to reach your destination.
Prefer the freedom of a car rental? Mechelen can be reached in around 25 minutes from Brussels Airport and in an hour from Charleroi. If you’re already in Belgium, you can take advantage of the excellent rail connections: Brussels, Leuven, and Antwerp are around 20 minutes by train from Mechelen. The city has two railway stations, Mechelen Central and Mechelen-Nekkerspoel, both within walking distance of the city centre.
What's the weather at Mechelen? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Mechelen for the next few days.
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