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Secrets of · Scavenger hunt

Secrets of Mechelen Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

Players explore Groot Begijnhof Mechelen during a City Game in Mechelen.Players explore Palace of Margaret of Austria during a City Game in Mechelen.Players explore IJzerenleen during a City Game in Mechelen.Players explore Grote Markt and Saint Rumbold’s Tower during a City Game in Mechelen.Players explore Haverwerf historic houses during a City Game in Mechelen.
  • 1.5–2 hours
  • 1–4 players per team
  • On your own phone, no app
  • Language of the game: English +31
  • Start any time within 12 months
  • Free cancellation until you start

Mechlen's magic. Dive into Mechelen's blend of medieval lanes and vibrant culture as you help a flamboyant performer recover his glittering Golden Parade Cape, blown loose by wind, chaos, and a very suspicious pigeon.

Secrets of Mechelen is a self-guided scavenger hunt you play on your own phone, at your own pace, with the streets themselves as the board.

Because it is GPS-based, the game always knows which corner you are on and gives you that corner's riddle, puzzle or photograph. The answers are never on the phone; they are out in Mechelen, in front of anyone who bothers to look. What sticks afterwards is the part nobody tells you on a tour.

Grote Markt & Margaret of Austria Statue, Schepenhuis (Aldermen's House) and Jef Denynplein are on the route, and the stretches between them matter just as much: everything you are looking for is in plain sight and ignored by everyone else.

Hof van Busleyden Museum and Church of the Beguinage (Begijnhofkerk) are on the route as well, and the group stops walking past things somewhere along the way and starts reading them.

A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Mechelen, With Riddles Instead of a Guide

Everything a self-guided tour of Mechelen gives you, minus the narration. The route is real and so is the history behind it — but you get at it by solving rather than listening, and nobody is standing at the front of a group. You walk, you look, you work it out. Intermediate difficulty, so most things fall and the rest makes for a decent argument. Riddles, code-breaking, and photographs you would not have taken.

Planning a Fun Scavenger Hunt in Mechelen?

This is one, and it takes about a minute to set up: book a date, open the link in your browser and start whenever you are ready. There is nothing to print, nothing to hide in advance and no list to write — the route, the riddles and the photo tasks are already built around Mechelen — 3 to 4 km on foot, about two hours — and one ticket covers a group of up to four on a single phone for €19.95. If you were about to spend an evening making one yourself, this is the version where somebody else did the work.

Who It Suits: Adults, Teams and Families in Mechelen

Adults. Nothing about this resembles a printable list of things to find. It runs at intermediate difficulty, the riddles want things read properly rather than glanced at, and two hours passes without anyone checking their phone for other reasons.

Teams. A corporate scavenger hunt that needs no facilitator, no room booking and no scheduled start. Buy one ticket per four people, send the teams into Mechelen on the same route, and compare who found what. Running several groups at once is what turns it into a competition.

Couples and friends. A self-guided walking tour that does not involve following an umbrella. You set the pace, stop where you want, and end up knowing things about Mechelen that most people who live there do not.

Families. Children walk it without trouble and are usually the fastest at the photo tasks. The riddles are the part you solve together, which is what makes it work for a group with a wide spread of ages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Secrets exploration game work?

It runs in your phone's browser through the link in the email. After booking you get a link, walk to the starting point in Mechelen and begin. The game reads your location, gives you that spot's riddle, puzzle or photo task, and unlocks the next one when you have it.

Is this a walking tour or a game?

Both, deliberately. On distance and route it is a walking tour of Mechelen; on content it is a puzzle. The history arrives through the riddles rather than through a guide, and there is nobody to follow.

What do we need to bring?

A phone with battery and shoes that handle 3 to 4 km. You get a link when you book and open the game in your browser when you get there — no printing, no hiding things in advance, no kit to collect from anyone.

How long does it take?

Roughly two hours across 3 to 4 km of walking. Nothing counts down. The date is set at booking and the hour is yours, so a group that stops for lunch just finishes later.

How many people can play on one ticket?

€19.95 buys one ticket, one phone and one to four people around it. Larger groups split across two tickets and end up competing, which most of them prefer.

Is it hard?

The difficulty is intermediate. The riddles need looking and lateral thinking rather than local knowledge, and nothing is so obscure that a group gets stuck for good.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes — the 3 to 4 km is no obstacle and the photo tasks are where younger players get ahead. The riddles sit at intermediate, so families tend to solve them as a group, which is the intended way round.

Do we need to book a time slot?

Not a slot, just a date. When you start on that date is entirely up to you, and there is nowhere to assemble and nobody to find.

What happens if it rains?

Rain is a pause, not a problem. Duck inside, let it pass, and carry on from the stop you were at — nothing is counting down.

Will we actually learn something about Mechelen?

It is the whole design. Every riddle sits on something real — the history of Mechelen, the people in it, the details nobody points out — so you come away with more than a visitor normally does. If a plot appeals more than a route, the other city games in Mechelen have one.

More City Games: city games across Belgium · Secrets of Brussels

  1. Grote Markt & Margaret of Austria StatueGrote Markt, 2800 Mechelen
  2. Schepenhuis (Aldermen's House)Grote Markt 5, 2800 Mechelen
  3. Jef DenynpleinJef Denynplein, 2800 Mechelen
  4. Hof van Busleyden MuseumFrederik de Merodestraat 65, 2800 Mechelen
  5. Church of the Beguinage (Begijnhofkerk)Cellebroedersstraat 10, 2800 Mechelen
  6. Haverwerf HousesHaverwerf, 2800 Mechelen
  7. Vismarkt (Fish Market)Vismarkt, 2800 Mechelen
  8. De Groote Zalm HouseZoutwerf 5, 2800 Mechelen
Show all 15 stops
  1. Church of Our Lady Across the DijleOnze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat, 2800 Mechelen
  2. Kruidtuin (Botanical Garden)Bruul 129, 2800 Mechelen
  3. Korenmarkt SquareKorenmarkt, 2800 Mechelen
  4. Brusselpoort (Brussels Gate)Hoogstraat 80, 2800 Mechelen
  5. Viewpoint of BrusselpoortVan Beethovenpad, 2800 Mechelen
  6. Hof van Savoye (Palace of Margaret of York)Keizerstraat 1, 2800 Mechelen
  7. St. John's Church (Sint-Janskerk)Sint-Janskerkhof 1, 2800 Mechelen

How it works

  1. BookYour ticket arrives by email.
  2. Go to the startThe start point is in your email. Any day within 12 months.
  3. PlayOpen the link on one phone per team and press start.

What players in other cities say

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

  • ★★★★★

    Wir (Mein Mann, unsere 9-jährige Tochter und ich) haben heute ganz spontan das Spiel "Moordmysterie Düsseldorf" gebucht und gespielt. Die Buchung verlief schnell und reibungslos. Es hat super viel Spaß gemacht! Die Story, die Rätsel, das Konzept, die Route, die Gestaltung der App... richtig gut!!! Das Spiel würde ich vor allem Familien mit Kindern empfehlen. Für Erwachsene waren die Rätsel (meiner Meinung nach) zu einfach. Aber trotzdem wegen der schönen Route durch Düsseldorf, der Story, den lustigen Anweisungen zwischendurch eine schöne Aktion, die man zusammen machen kann.

    Lingling Z.October 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Had great fun playing secrets of Haarlem!

    Martin M.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Game in Amsterdam was fun!

    Enzo L.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Had So much fun playing while exploring the city

    Philip C.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    I had a fantastic experience with CityGame! The concept is creative, engaging, and a great way to explore a city in a completely new way. The games are well-designed, combining puzzles, storytelling, and adventure so you’re constantly discovering something interesting around every corner. What I especially love is how CityGame turns a normal walk through the city into an interactive experience. It’s perfect for friends, families, or team outings, and it makes sightseeing much more exciting than the usual tours. Everything was easy to use, the challenges were fun and clever, and it really encouraged us to look closer at the city and its hidden details. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a unique and memorable way to explore!

    Jessica S.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    This is an interesting way to conduct a self-guided Amsterdam city tour. It used the GPS on your phone to guide you to stops on a route. There are mini quizzes once you arrive at the stops on the path. The quizzes draw your attention to features in front of you or to a brief history of the place. In many cases, we visited a spot that would not have been obvious as a regular passer by. The tour as a whole was interesting to us as newcomers, but I would have liked more information on many locations we visited - a few links outside of the app for each place would have been helpful. Beyond that, the interface was a bit clunky and sometimes awkward to navigate. We definitely don't regret trying this out and feel like we got our money's worth on the experience.

    JaibhijaiJune 2024 · via google
How we check reviews

These reviews were left by players on Google and other review sites and are copied from there as they are, with their source.

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