This is Mechelen
AMSTERDAM (NL) 180 km 1h55min by Thalys (*) 2h10min
ANTWERP 25 km
LONDON (GB) 350 km 1h55min by Eurostar (*) 4h10min
20min 25min
BRUGES 120 km 1h30min 1h20min
MECHELEN
GHENT 75 km 50min 50min
COLOGNE (D) 220 km
LEUVEN 25 km BRUSSELS 25 km 20min 25min
LILLE (F) 145 km
1h50min by Thalys (*) 2h20min
25min 35min
35min by Eurostar (*) 1h30min
FRANKFURT (D) 415 km 4h05min by Thalys and ICE (*) 3h50min
LUXEMBURG (L) 230 km 3h05min 2h10min
PARIS (F) 335 km
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220 km 230 km
AM ST CO ERDA M( LO G N LUX NE (D L) EM ) BU RG (L)
(*) via Brussels-Midi
180 km
(F) LIL 145 km
LE
ES BR 120 km
UG
T EN GH 75 km
AN T BR WERP U LEU SSEL VE S N 25 km
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1h20min by Thalys (*) 3h10min
Mechelen, how to get there Mechelen is situated in the heart of Flanders, mid-way between Antwerp and Brussels and just 15 minutes’ drive from Brussels airport. Whether you are travelling by plane, train or car, the location is ideal.
Hidden gem Authentic and full of surprises. That’s Mechelen. Hospitable and honourable. That’s the people of Mechelen. ‘Mechelaars’, as the people of Mechelen are called, speak of their city with pride. Though you may hear the odd word of criticism, there is always an underlying warmth. Visitors are immediately struck by the genial atmosphere as they stroll past monuments redolent with age and history or cycle through parks and along riverbanks before resting their eyes on colourful inner courtyards and venerable churches.
3 The Mechelaar cherishes his city and its old retainers. He is proud of Gouden Carolus, the award-winning beer which has been brewed here for centuries. He is proud of Margaret, Charles V’s aunt, whose royal court put sixteenth-century Mechelen on the world map. He has a soft spot for traditional craftsmanship and authentic local products. And he relishes the city’s vibrant cultural life. Come to Mechelen and experience its urban charms for yourself!
World heritage 4
The people of Mechelen take pride in their more than 300 listed buildings and four mentions on the UNESCO world heritage list. The most famous of these has to be the impressive St Rumbold’s Tower. Count to 538 and you’ll have Mechelen at your feet! The skywalk at the very top of the tower affords breathtaking views. On the way up, you can stop and catch your breath in six magnificent rooms and admire from close to the tower clock and two carillons.
And with a spot of luck, you’ll be able to exchange a few words with the tower keeper. What better way to start your visit to Mechelen! The city centre boasts no fewer than eight historic churches, each with an intimate but very different interior. Stroll beneath Gothic arches, admire paintings by Rubens and Van Dyck and in your mind’s eye reach out and caress the baroque sculptures. The authentic winter garden in the village of Onze-LieveVrouw Waver – just outside the city – is an art-nouveau gem. Its iron and glass structure, fan-shaped palm trees and flowering rock-work are a veritable feast for the eye!
City in women’s hands Curious about the female aspects of Mechelen? Once you would have found them in the palaces of Margaret of York and Margaret of Austria. These days they live in more down-to-earth houses: women with an unusual job or an eccentric hobby or women who simply have a fascinating story to tell.
5 Over the centuries women have left their mark on the city and surrounding area, though it usually takes a practised eye to spot these vestiges. Allow us to guide you through the labyrinth of a city in women’s hands, treading in the footsteps of streetwalkers, maidservants and the sanctimonious, of domestic drudges, fishwives and nuns, women artists and ladies of rank. Be sure to bring your girlfriends with you!
Twixt art and handicraft 6
Tapestry-lovers the world over flock to Mechelen, for the city is home to a world-famous manufacturer. There are also family businesses handed down from one generation to the next and artisanal workshops which will open their doors specially for you, welcoming you into an authentic world where the master artist is your guide!
On the edge of the beguinage you’ll find het Anker, where the Gouden Carolus and the Maneblusser have been lovingly brewed for five generations. Do as Charles V did in the sixteenth century: allow the beer to roll over your tongue. Cheers! Mechelen lives up to its name as the hub of the market gardening region. In Sint-Katelijne-Waver, just outside Mechelen, you can sample various types of vegetables rescued from oblivion and marvel at revolutionary techniques for growing tomatoes and peppers.
Do as the Mechelaars do If you dream of a charming city surrounded by water and greenery, look no further! Lakes and meandering rivers embrace the historic centre. Parks, wildlife areas, fields and tomato greenhouses form the landscape where you cycle or walk.
7 Even in the city centre you’ll find peaceful places where you can sit and daydream undisturbed. Or why not do as the Mechelaars do and cycle round the city and stroll along the Dyle path. Blissful! In the evenings you can dine alongside the Mechelaars in convivial bistros and restaurants. The local chicken speciality known as ‘Mechelse Koekoek’, a pure bred local chicken, simply melts in the mouth! Then head for the old Fish Market where you’ll meet the locals in the typical bars and cafés.
And so to bed 8
Mechelen’s central location is the ideal base from which to explore Flanders. Whether your preference is for a boutique hotel, a homely B&B or a modern youth hostel, you’ll find just what you’re looking for in Mechelen. 1. Hotel 3 Paardekens ★★★ Begijnenstraat 3, 2800 Mechelen www.3paardekens.be | +32 15 34 27 13 (33 hotel rooms)
2. Amaryllis ★★★★ Hoogstraat 75, 2861 Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver www.bb-amaryllis.be | +32 15 75 75 40 (3 guest rooms)
3. Anna & Grace (Sauna De Bron) Tichelrij 1A, 2800 Mechelen www.saunadebron.be | +32 15 33 01 08 (2 guest rooms)
4. Atrium5 Schoutetstraat 10/1, 2800 Mechelen www.atrium5.be | +32 473 87 95 87
11. Hotel Egmont ★★★ Oude Brusselsestraat 50, 2800 Mechelen www.hotel-egmont.be | +32 15 42 13 99
(2 guest rooms)
(19 hotel rooms)
18. Holiday Inn Express Mechelen City Centre ★★★ Veemarkt 37C, 2800 Mechelen www.hiexpress.be | +32 15 44 84 20
24. Martin’s Patershof ★★★★ Karmelietenstraat 4, 2800 Mechelen www.martins-hotels.com | +32 15 46 46 46
31. The Patio Houses Hendrik Speecqvest 54, 2800 Mechelen www.thepatiohouses.be | +32 475 42 95 78
(79 hotel rooms)
(1 guest room)
25. Hotel Malcot ★★★ Leuvensesteenweg 236, 2800 Mechelen www.hotelmalcot.be | +32 15 45 10 00
32. B&B ’t Plein ★★★ Gijsbeekstraat 61, 2811 Hombeek www.tplein.be | +32 15 43 11 22
(10 hotel rooms)
(3 guest rooms)
26. Mercure Mechelen Vé ★★★★ Vismarkt 12-14, 2800 Mechelen www.hotelve.com | +32 15 20 07 55
33. The Red Spot Vijfhoek 14, 2800 Mechelen www.theredspot.be | +32 497 22 46 27
(36 hotel rooms)
(3 holiday suites)
27. Hotel Muske Pitter ★ Hanswijkstraat 70, 2800 Mechelen www.muskepitter.be | +32 15 43 63 03
34. B&B Da Vinci Landbouwstraat 102, 2800 Mechelen www.bedandbreakfastdavinci.tk +32 15 43 03 83
(69 hotel rooms)
5. B&Be Schuttersvest 29, 2800 Mechelen www.bnbe.be | +32 495 53 13 68
12. Estrixhof Hazestraat 10, 2800 Mechelen www.estrixhof.be | +32 15 41 52 62
(2 guest rooms)
(2 guest rooms)
6. Best Western Hotel Gulden Anker ★★★★ Brusselsesteenweg 2, 2800 Mechelen www.guldenanker.be | +32 15 42 25 35
13. B&B Fran Van Buggenhout Straatje Zonder Einde 3, 2800 Mechelen www.rentrooms.be | +32 15 20 97 21
(34 hotel rooms)
(2 guest rooms)
7. Hotel Carolus ★★★ Guido Gezellelaan 49, 2800 Mechelen www.hetanker.be | +32 15 28 71 41
14. B&B Frans Hals Frans Halsvest 99, 2800 Mechelen www.franshalsbb.be | +32 473 86 05 54
(22 hotel rooms)
(3 guest rooms and 1 studio)
8. Hotel Domein Montreal ★★★ Duivenstraat 56, 2800 Mechelen www.hotelmontrealbelgium.be | +32 15 20 40 77
15. De groene maan Rik Woutersstraat 19, 2800 Mechelen www.degroenemaan.be | +32 497 67 22 17
(19 hotel rooms)
(2 guest rooms)
9. Domein Roosendael Lange Zandstraat, 2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver www.roosendael.be | +32 15 29 41 30
16. Hier en nu Den Rooi 8, 2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver www.benbhierennu.be +32 15 32 14 01 | +32 478 27 60 65
(Youth hostel with 110 beds and 2 hikers’ cabins)
(5 guest rooms)
10. Dusk till dawn Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat 81, 2800 Mechelen www.dusktilldawn.be | +32 15 41 28 16 (2 guest rooms)
19. Jan Bol B&B Jan Bolstraat 23, 2800 Mechelen www.janbol.be +32 486 06 18 39 | +32 15 34 40 99 (2 guest rooms)
20. Guesthouse Komzo (Comfort) Stuivenbergbaan 240A, 2800 Mechelen www.komzo.be | +32 15 63 36 82 (4 guest rooms)
21. Refuge Lindenhof Marterstraat 1, 2800 Mechelen www.refugelindenhof.be | +32 15 2714 77 (3 guest rooms and holiday home for 8 people)
22. Lofthansa5 ★★★★ Hanswijk De Bercht 61/5, 2800 Mechelen www.lofthansa5.be | +32 475 48 59 04 (1 holiday home for 2 people)
23. B&B LunaLuna Jef Denynplein 6, 2800 Mechelen www.lunaluna.be | +32 486 29 67 98 (1 guest room)
17. Hotel Hobbit ★★★ Battelsesteenweg 455F, 2800 Mechelen www.hobbithotel.be | +32 15 27 20 27 (21 hotel rooms)
(4 hotel rooms)
(2 guest rooms)
28. De Nekker Sports and Leisure Centre Nekkerspoel-Borcht, 2800 Mechelen www.denekker.be | +32 15 55 70 05 (2 hikers’ cabins)
35. Hotel Den Wolsack ★★★ Wollemarkt 16, 2800 Mechelen www.denwolsack.com | +32 15 56 95 20 (22 hotel rooms)
29. NH Mechelen ★★★ Korenmarkt 22-24, 2800 Mechelen www.nh-hotels.com | +32 15 42 03 03 (43 hotel rooms)
36. De Zandpoort Youth Hostel Zandpoortvest 70, 2800 Mechelen www.mechelen-hostel.com | +32 15 27 85 39 (31 rooms (112 beds))
30. Novotel – Mechelen-Centrum ★★★ Van Beethovenstraat 1, 2800 Mechelen www.novotel.com | +32 15 40 49 50 (122 hotel rooms)
★ hotels | ★ guest-houses
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Events 10
Practical information
Hanswijk Procession
Mechelen hears voices
May 29th 2011 2,000 people dressed in historic costumes take part in this annual procession.
April 30th – May 28th 2011 Leading artists from home and abroad perform vocal music guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
› www.hanswijkprocessie.org
› www.festivalmechelen.be
So you’ve fallen for Mechelen’s charms and want to visit as part of a group, with your family or friends? Start your city trip at www.tourismmechelen.be Information and tips are also available from the Tourist Information Office in your own country or in Mechelen.
*In * the United Kingdom:
Rik Wouters
Contour
September 23rd 2011 – 2015 The fauvist artist will return to the city of his birth when the Schepenhuis Museum puts an exceptional collection of his paintings and sculptures on show.
August 27th – October 30th 2011 Rock music is given a central role in the fifth Biennial of the Moving Image headed up by curator Anthony Kiendl (CAN).
› www.mechelen.be
› www.contourmechelen.be
TOURISM FLANDERS – BRUSSELS Flanders House 1a Cavendish Square London W1G 0LD T +44 20 7307 7730 E info@visitflanders.co.uk W www.visitflanders.co.uk
*In * the United States: Tourist office for Flanders, Belgium New York Times Building 620 Eighth Avenue, 44th Floor New York, NY 10018 T +1 212 584-2336 E info@visitflanders.us W www.visitflanders.us
For a complete and up-to-date overview, please go to www.tourismmechelen.be Photographs and text: Tourism Mechelen / Promoting Mechelen vzw D/2011/10717/4 Publisher Frank Nobels, Hallestraat 2-4-6, 2800 Mechelen
*In * Mechelen: TOURISM MECHELEN Hallestraat 2-4-6 B- 2800 Mechelen T +32 70 22 00 08 E toerisme@mechelen.be W www.tourismmechelen.be Winter season: November 1st – March 31st Mondays to Fridays: 9.30-16.30 hrs Weekends and public holidays 9.30-15.30 hrs Summer season: April 1 – October 31st Mondays to Fridays: 9.30-17.30 hrs Weekends and public holidays 9.30-16.30 hrs
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Text: Tourism Mechelen / Promoting Mechelen vzw Publisher: Frank Nobels, Hallestraat 2-4-6, 2800 Mechelen IJK
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