Mechelen Things to Do

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The so-called Groen Waterke is a remain of the numerous little canals that centuries ago criss-crossed the city of Mechlin. Its name refers to the abundant water flora that tincts its surface in green.

The adjacent former Abbey of Saint Truiden adds to the romanticism of this enchanting corner of the city.

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This is another of Mechlin's Gothic churches, very similar in style to Our Lady Across the Dyle. And again, this one holds a triptych by Rubens (The Adoration of the Wise Kings), one of the most prolific painters ever, it seems.

Lovers of anecdotes will know that, according to legend, Mr Rubens was inspired by his own wife when painting the Madonna which appears in the triptych.

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Hiëronymus van Busleyden was an aristocrat with sound legal knowledge who became a counselor of the Great Council of Mechlin. His city palace is a splendid XVI century example of late Gothic civil architecture in Belgium.

The building has had many functions, including the headquarters of the city's Mount of Pity. Nowadays it hosts the Municipal Museum, which contains the city's art collections. It has recently been made subject to a careful restoration project.

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The Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-over-de-Dijlekerk, name under which it is known in Flemish, is a large Gothic church which suffered major damage in both world wars. The art jewels that it holds include a triptych by Rubens (The Miraculous Draught of Fishes).

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Mechlin is crossed by the Dyle river (the same one that flows through Leuven) and one of its branches splits Mechlin's old city in two asymetric halves. Its banks are lined with various renovated historical buildings like former breweries, and merchant houses that remind of the time when the river was a main way of trade for several products including salt and oat (so are still called the former wharves from where these items were shipped).

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To the other side of the Big Bridge, the Salt Wharf is lined with a few wooden buildings of great interest, including the XVI century house known as The Salmon (the former guildhouse of the fishmongers).

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the Grootbrug or Big Bridge was the first stone bridge over the Dyle in Mechlin. The current structure is no longer a Medieval bridge, but it is still the most beautiful of all the bridges in Mechlin.

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Next to one of the bridges over the Dyle, there are three historical buildings which are worth a few moments of scrutiny. They were built by rich merchants in the time when Mechlin knew its biggest prosperity.

The wooden house in the middle is known as the Little Devils (De Duiveltjes) is the oldest of them. The other two Barroque buildings are respectively known as the House of Saint Joseph and The Little Eden accordingly to the decorations displayed in their facades.