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Under the curatorship of Gijs Vanhee, this time in collaboration with Jonas Tuch, ten walls have been given a new lease of life. Sozyone filled Korte Schipstraat with an explosion of colour, while El Tipo, Iota and others used the neighbourhoods outside the city centre as their canvas.
See it with your own eyes and you will understand why. Sozyone - The Social House Street art fans know Sozyone’s murals as busy, gigantic colour bombs – a detailed medley of bold shapes and lines.
- Climb to the Top of St. Rumbold’s Tower. The Saint Rumbold’s Tower is the symbol of Mechelen and dominates the skyline. Look up from anywhere in the city, and you are bound to see it.
- Visit the Beautiful Grote Markt and its Weekly Market. The historic Grote Markt, or market square, has been Mechelen’s centrepiece for centuries. Bookended by St. Rumbold’s Cathedral at one and the town hall at the other, the square is surrounded by 18th century Renaissance and 18th century Rococo buildings on all sides, many of them with typical step-gabled Belgian roofs.
- Get Lost in the City’s Picturesque Beguines. Beguinages were founded around the time of the crusades when many men did not return home from war, leaving their wives as widows and their children as orphans.
- Visit the Winter Garden. The creators of Mechelen’s Beguines weren’t the only pioneering women to create a lasting legacy in the city. Located 10-15 minutes outside the city, The School of the Ursuline Nuns was founded as a boarding school for well-off girls at the end of the nineteenth century.
- 1 – Climb St Rumbold’s Tower
- 2 – Wander in Awe at The Hof Van Busleyden Museum
- 3 – Beer Tasting at The Het Anker Brewery
- 4 – Understand Holocaust Impact at Kazerne Dossin
- 5 – Walk The Dyle Path from Havenwerf to The Botanical Gardens
- 6 – Discover Hidden Ruben’s in The Church Over The River
- 7 – Visit The Predikheren Library
- 8 – Take in Some Backstreets on A Muurt Walking Tour
- 9 – Dine at The Converted Hangout de Vleeshalle
- Where to Stay in Mechelen
Throughout its history, St Rumbold’s Cathedralhas weathered every storm thrown at it. In the 16th century, religious conflicts saw precious items plundered mercilessly like the machinations of a messy divorce. During the 17th century, Calvinist rule stripped the building of any hints of its Catholic roots. Later, in the 20th century, the Second Wor...
Archduchess Margaret of Austria had a successful royal career. She was Duchess of Savoy, Princess of Asturia and regent of the Low Countries. Under her watch, Mechelen became a flourishing renaissance capital and a hotbed of intellectual progress. In the early 16th century influential thinkers flocked to Margaret’s capital, including humanist Hiëro...
It’s the wee hours of January 27, 1687. An inn on Grote Markt is buzzing with winter hubbub. The chatter of 17th-century politics fills the congenial space. Belgium beer is flowing freely. With creamy foam still stuck to his nose, a Mechelenian looks up from his beer and sees the unfinished tower of St Rumbold’s through the mist, enveloped in flame...
After the German invasion on 10 May 1940, the Belgian state of law collapsed. The sentiment swiftly moved from defeatism to enthusiasm – proactively identifying Jews for deportation by the Nazis. Between 1942 and 1944, 25,484 Jews and 352 gypsies were processed at the Dossin Barracks in preparation for deportation to Auschwitz. These barracks are n...
With so many interesting historical sights and interesting museums in Mechelen, it’s easy to forget one of the main sweeteners of this pint-sized Belgian treasure: it’s beautiful. A stroll along the Dyle path is a great way to discover some interesting architecture. Peek at unique houses. Amble through the 13th-century commercial hub. Enjoy a quiet...
While many of Mechelen’s sights are centred around the old town, Our Lady across the Dyle is well worth crossing the Dyle for. Built in the 14th and 15th centuries, it’s an imposing blend of gothic architecture with a modern patch-up. The church was badly damaged by the German invasion in the First World War, then by allied bombing in the second. R...
Belgium has a reputation for re-purposing old buildings which previous generations had fallen out of love with and. The Predikheren library is one of the finest. It started life as a Dominican monastery in 1650. But throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, it was mainly used for military purposes before being abandoned in 1975. Over the last few yea...
Mechelen Muurt is a project by street artist Gijs Vanhee who invited 10 international artists to make their mark on the city walls. They’ve done so with a vibrant splash of colour that brightens up the back streets and creates a great walking tour outside the picturesque centre. To visit all 10 murals, pick up a map from the Visitor Information Cen...
Continuing the theme of repurposing old buildings that have lost their lustre, De Vleeshalle is another freshly cut diamond in Mechelen. De Vleeshalle was the old meat market since 1881. It spent years as an industrial wasteland and a brief period as the unemployment benefit office. Today, De Vleeshalle is the coolest place to grab a bite to eat in...
The historical centre of Mechelen is compact. Most accommodation options skirt close to the road that circles the old town. There are a couple of common hotel chains near the river, but you’re probably looking for something with a bit more character, an Airbnb could be a good idea. Otherwise, here are some hotels we love in Mechelen.
- Learn about the Maneblusser legend. First things first, time to learn why the inhabitants of Mechelen are called Maneblussers (extinguishers of the moon), and moon-shaped cookies & chocolates can be found in many stores around the city.
- Explore the medieval beguinage of Mechelen. Welcome to the most quaint part of the city – think European fairytale! This is one of my personal highlights of all the things to do in Mechelen.
- Climb the Sint Romboutstoren. The Sint Romboutstoren can practically be seen from every corner of the city, it towers over every building in the historical center and serves as a welcome beacon guiding lost travelers on their Mechelen city trip.
- Wander over to De Haverwerf & take a boat cruise. Paris has it’s Rue Crémieux, London has Notting Hill, and Mechelen has the Haverwerf. The three beautifully colored houses date back to the 16th century and have stood the test of time remarkably well.
Aug 22, 2020 · Mechelen Muurt – A series of 10 street art murals throughout Mechelen that were coordinated by artist Gijs Vanhee. Museum Hof von Busleyden – Explore the history of Mechelen from the Renaissance forward Speelgoed Museum – The “Toy Museum” sharing the history of toys and popular culture items from around the world.
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Sep 22, 2024 · The Mechelen Art Map lists the great art, ideas, culture and creativity made by Mechelen for Mechelen, programmed by the city’s art galleries, museums, artist-led projects, visual art initiatives and independent curators.
