Mechelen Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Mechelen [1] is a historically important city located on the river Dyle in the center of Flanders, one of the three regions in Belgium. It lies about halfway between Antwerp and Brussels and has approximately 75,000 inhabitants.
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Understand
Mechelen is developing into the center of non-profit or non-gouvernamental organisations for flanders. Some famous examples are Natuurpunt, AFS, the Red Cross, ... This is mainly because it's very easily reachable (by train or by highway) but not as expensive as Brussels.
Inhabitants are called "Maneblussers" (moon-firemen). The story goes that one day long time ago the moonlight was shining on the unfinished Romboutstoren and that some people thought it was burning. The whole city was mobilised to extinguish the fire but there was no fire to extinguish.
Get in
Mechelen is easily reached by train. From Brussels and Antwerp it takes about 25 minutes.
You can also reach by taking a bus from Antwerp.
Mechelen lies at the E19-highway.
Just outside the main train station you'll find a bus station with connections to many places in the vicinity.
Get around
The city center is about 15 minutes walk from the train station. Mechelen is a very compact city, so you can reach most places on foot. There are a few bus routes through and radiating from the city center in case you need them.
See
- St. Rumbold's Cathedral (Sint-Romboutskathedraal)
- The Museum of Toys (Speelgoedmuseum)
- The Market Square (Grote Markt) and the surrounding shopping streets Bruul and IJzerenleen.
- Planckendael Animal Park (Dierenpark Planckendael) http://www.planckendael.be
- Vrijbroek Park (Vrijbroekpark)
- Refuge of Tongerlo now there's the manifacture of De Wit in it. Which are royal manifacturers of tapistry. They conserve and create tapestries. There are guided visits. http://www.dewit.be/
Do
- Maanrock, on the Grote Markt and in the IJzerenleen. End of August. A 2-day free festival. http://www.maanrock.be/
Buy
Eat
Drink
- Brewery Het Anker. Features locally brewed Mechelse Bruynen and Gouden Carolus. http://www.hetanker.be/
- Guido Gezellelaan 49 (on the ringway around the city center).
- De Stille Genieter Café with 350 different kinds of beer, has the feel of a brown café not far from the Vismarkt.
Sleep
- Hotel Vé (opening foreseen July 2006), [2]. A stylish hotel located on one of the most ancient markets of Mechelen: the fish market. The hotel is constructed in a factory where they used to smoke fish. Impressive how they mixed the former destination of the building with the hotel-accommodation. During the weekends prices are very affordable!
- Bed and Breakfast LunaLuna, [3]. A very small-scale private initiative in the very center of the city (they have only one room!). If you are lucky you can book the very spacious suite and enjoy the silence and the view on the cathedral.
- Zandpoort Youth Hostel, Zandpoortvest, 27 85 39 (fax: 27.85.40), [4]. 20 min. from the main train station, 15 min. from the city center. 15-20€.
Contact
The city code for Mechelen is 15.
Stay safe
Mechelen had some problems with some youthgroups. There is no immediate threath if you stay on touristic routes, but certain neighbourhoods are to be avoided at night. The city used to have one of the highest criminality rates of Flanders. Since 2003 the city is reviving again.
Get out
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