10 Essentials: what to see and do in Mechelen (Belgium) in 1 or 2 days

Maybe not as well known as her sisters Witches y Ghent, Mechelen It is one of those beautiful cities of the Flanders region that you can visit in a trip to belgium.

I had been wanting for a long time visit Mechelen, a city that in Flemish is called Mechelen, and recently I have had the opportunity to travel to see the new museum Hof ​​Van Busleyden.

Mechelen is part of the World Heritage for the Unesco, within the framework of the declaration of the flemish beguinages and the bell towers as places to protect.

In order to plan a visit to your trip to belgium, this city has the advantage that it is located just over half an hour from the Belgian capital, making it an ideal city to make a day trip from Brussels.

Curiosities of the history of Mechelen

Mechelen It is a city with a long history that has been marked by its importance during the time of the Burgundian Netherlands during the 15th century.

At that time, from 1384 to 1477, several territories of the current Netherlands they joined the French duchy of Burgundy.

Previously, it was an independent city-state that had no link with the other cities of the Netherlands, and with a certain dependence on the Holy German Empire.

After burgundy period, the city experienced a period of great prosperity from 1507 to 1530, a time in which Margaret of Austria settled in the city when it was named Governor of the Netherlands.

At that time, the sciences and arts prospered, as it marked the beginning of the Renacimiento, at the same time that Margaret of Austria He was in charge of the education of who later became the emperor Charles V of Germany and I of Spain.

What to see on the Mechelen sightseeing tour

The axis of your Mechelen sightseeing tour going to see your historical Center, where during a walk you will be able to see the places of greatest interest, which I will indicate to you below.

Grand Square of Mechelen

La Large square It is the heart of the city Mechelen, where you have the most characteristic images of it, always with the presence of the tower of the cathedral of San Romuldo, which rises above the buildings on the west side of said plaza.

With a very wide completely pedestrian esplanade, in the Large square  you can see buildings with beautiful facades of different styles, from Renaissance a rococo, in front of which are located numerous terraces of bars and restaurants.

On the opposite side of the cathedral you find three buildings in the style brabantine gothic that make up a beautiful architectural complex.

Mechelen Town Hall

This is the Mechelen Town Hall (Huis Van de Mechelar), which is configured with the buildings of the Palace of the Great Council. the Cloth Hall (Lakenhal) And the Belfroi.

This last one is the bell tower built in 1320 and now located among the other buildings, which is part of the World Heritage.

The quoted Palace of the Great Council It is a building built since 1526 in late gothic to house the supreme court of the Burgundy Netherlands.

At the time the building was not completed, which was done in 1919 based on the XNUMXth century project plans.

Currently there is the headquarters of the Mechelen tourist office.

For its part, the Cloth Hall It is the oldest building in said complex, as it was built in the 14th century with the function of being a covered market to house commercial activities.

St. Romuld's Cathedral 

This large building, one of the main monuments of Mechelen, began to be built in the 13th century in the aforementioned style brabantine gothic, but throughout its history it suffered various vicissitudes, such as a fire in its roof, which is why it has undergone various renovations.

In fact, Tower of San Romuldo It was completed in the year 1520.

When you enter the interior of the Mechelen Cathedral It is when you really realize its enormous dimensions, and in fact its central nave was the tallest in the 14th century.

Its length is 118 meters and inside you can see the characteristic Gothic structure but with various decorative elements of style. baroque, like those of the altar and the choir.

It was in 1580 when the Calvinists arrived and destroyed all the altars and sculptures, and when the Catholics returned, the cathedral was already decorated in the aforementioned style. baroque.

Inside you will also be struck by a large pulpit from the 18th century that comes from a monastery.

Climb the Tower of San Romuldo 

For its part, cathedral tower In its time it was built with the purpose of being the highest that existed, with 167 meters, but in the end it remained at 96 meters.

The carillon with 49 bells, and here you can consult the information for climb the Tower of San Romuldo, which you can do every day from 13:18 p.m. to 10:XNUMX p.m., except on Saturdays when it is from XNUMX:XNUMX a.m.

El price of admission It is generally 8 euros and I can tell you that you will have to climb 514 steps.

Margaret of Austria's Palace 

As we have already mentioned, a key figure in the history of Mechelen es Margaret of Austria, and a reflection of this is the sculpture that you can see in front of the cathedral, which was installed in the 19th century when it became fashionable in Belgian cities to pay tribute to their heroes.

Now, in your Mechelen visit You can also see the façade and the central garden of the Margaret of Austria's Palace.

Built in the 16th century, it was the first building outside of Italy to be designed in Renaissance style.

In the 17th and 18th centuries it was the headquarters of the Senior Council, Supreme Court of the Southern Netherlands, and currently this building houses the Court of Justice de la ciudad.

Its interior cannot be visited, although I will tell you that nothing remains of the original building's decoration, which is all from the 19th century.

Greater Beguinage 

In your walk through the historic center of Mechelen You can also enter the Greater Beguinage, which arose in the mid-1.500th century when the one outside the city walls was destroyed, and where up to XNUMX came to live. beguines.

Likewise you will also be able to see the Little Beguinage which was already created in the 100th century in the inner area of ​​the city, where about XNUMX lived beguines.

Also known as beguinages, is a type of neighborhood characteristic of the flamenco citiesand Leuven Beguinage or the Witches.

If you don't know them, I will tell you that it was the place where widowed women or women who could not find a husband gathered, to live piously, but without the vows of nuns' convents.

The beguinages They are places of great tranquility that maintain the charm of past centuries, and that are protected as World Heritage.

Van Busleyden Palace Museum 

A way to get into the history of the time of burgundy period that was lived in Mechelen is visiting the new museum Hof ​​Van Busleyden, which is based in the great palatial building of the humanist and art collector, Jerome Van Busleyden.

Opened in June of this year 2018, with a modern design and interactive screens you will visit various rooms in which various aspects of that era are addressed.

So, for example, you will see rooms dedicated to alabaster art or polychrome sculptures.

But what should really lead you to visit this museum is the possibility of seeing what is known as Intimate Gardens, altarpieces-wardrobe with scenes of Calvary which are unique pieces made in the 16th century with great artistic finesse.

Dyle Channel 

Mechelen is also one of the Belgian cities where you find some canals through which you can walk or sail by boat.

These channels are what form the Dyle River, which crosses the historic center of the city.

You have a path that allows you to walk along its shore, and you also have the option of taking a boat ride on the Dyle.

Mechelen excursion from Brussels

If instead of traveling on your own from Brussels you prefer to visit this Flemish city in an organized group, you have the option of signing up for a excursion to Mechelen, which is done with guide in Spanish.

With a duration of six hours, you will depart from the Grand Place of Brussels to take the train to Mechelen, where you will travel on a walking tour the most prominent places of this flamenco city.

Here you have the information about the Mechelen excursion from Brussels in Spanish.

Map: how to get to Mechelen from Brussels

A Mechelen can be reached by train directly from Brussels airport in just 20 minutes.

And from the Belgian capital you will arrive in just over half an hour by car and 23 minutes by train, making it an ideal city for a day trip from Brussels.