Mechelen sits exactly between Brussels and Antwerp, twenty minutes from each, and most people pass straight through it. For a few decades in the early sixteenth century it was the seat of government of the Low Countries, Margaret of Austria ruled the Habsburg Netherlands from here and raised the future emperor Charles V in this town. Then the court moved to Brussels, and Mechelen has been quietly getting on with things ever since.
The Sint-Rombouts tower
The cathedral tower dominates everything, and it is unfinished. The plan was for something far taller; the money ran out and it was left flat-topped, which is why it looks like a tower waiting for its spire. You can climb it, just over five hundred steps, to a glass skywalk at the top, from which on a clear day you can see the Atomium in Brussels and the cathedral in Antwerp at the same time. It is the best thing to do in the city.
The moon extinguishers
In 1687 a man coming home late saw a red glow behind the tower windows and raised the alarm. The whole town turned out with buckets to put out a fire that was actually the moon shining through the openings. Neighbouring cities have not let it go since, and Mechelen has adopted the insult: its people are the maneblussers, the moon extinguishers, and they will tell you the story themselves.
The Grote Markt and the unfinished palace
The market square is bordered on one side by a building that is two things at once: the medieval cloth hall, and next to it the shell of a grand palace begun for the Great Council and never completed. It stood unfinished for four hundred years before being finished in a modern interpretation. Look at where the old stops and the new begins.
Kazerne Dossin
Between 1942 and 1944, more than twenty-five thousand Jews and Roma were held in a barracks in Mechelen and deported from here to Auschwitz. The site is now a memorial and museum, dealing both with what happened here and with how ordinary societies arrive at it. It is a serious, carefully made place. Give it proper time, and do not treat it as one stop among several on a sightseeing day.
The beguinage
Mechelen's Great Beguinage is part of the UNESCO listing of Flemish beguinages: a quarter of small brick houses, walled gardens and narrow streets where lay religious women lived in community from the Middle Ages onwards. It is residential now, and utterly quiet five minutes from the market square.
The river and the water
The Dijle runs through the centre, partly hidden behind buildings, and the small boats that go along it show you a side of Mechelen you cannot see from the street, back walls, old wharfs and bridges you would otherwise walk over without noticing. The Vismarkt, the old fish market square, is where the city eats and drinks in the evening.
For families
The toy museum is one of the largest in Europe and works for adults as well as children. Just outside town, Planckendael is a zoo with a lot of space, and the science centre next door is built for hands and children who need to touch things.
Seeing the city on foot
Mechelen's centre is small, dense and full of buildings whose stories are not obvious, the unfinished palace, the courtyards, the water. A city game gives you a route of puzzles that connects them and explains each stop as you reach it, which works well with a group and gives children a reason to keep going.
Not sure how it works? Read how to play first.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mechelen worth visiting?
Yes. It has the historic centre of a much larger city at a fraction of the crowds, and it is twenty minutes from both Brussels and Antwerp.
How long do I need in Mechelen?
A day covers the tower, the market square, the beguinage and the river. Two days if you want Kazerne Dossin the time it deserves, plus the museums.
Can you climb the Sint-Rombouts tower?
Yes, on foot, just over five hundred steps to a skywalk at the top. There is no lift, and it is not a short climb.
Why are people from Mechelen called moon extinguishers?
Because in 1687 the town turned out to put out a fire in the cathedral tower that turned out to be moonlight. The nickname stuck, and the city now uses it itself.
Is Mechelen good with children?
Very. The toy museum, the science centre and the zoo just outside town make an easy family weekend, and the centre is small enough to walk.
Does Mechelen work for a group outing?
Well. It is compact, well connected between two big cities, and has plenty of places to eat afterwards. See the options for companies and groups.
Climb the tower first
Go up before you do anything else, you will see how small the old centre is and where everything sits. Want help choosing the right game for your group? Get in touch. Coming from the north? Our guide to the best squares in Maastricht covers another old town on the same route.
