cathedral
St. Rumbold's Tower
Climb 538 steps up Mechelen's unfinished Gothic tower for a sky-walk panorama reaching as far as Antwerp and Brussels.
0 km · about 5 min drive
Flanders, Belgium · Europe
Mechelen works well as a base: 5 minutes from Hofstade, right by St. Rumbold's Tower.
Mechelen is a town located in Flanders, Belgium. With a population of 77,530, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Mechelen sits in Belgium, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Brussels time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Mechelen to your route.
Mechelen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɛxələ(n)] ; French: Malines [malin] ; historically known as Mechlin in English) is a city and municipality in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of NekkerspoelRead more
(adjacent) and Battel (a few kilometers away), as well as the villages of Walem, Heffen, Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen. The city is often referred to as the Dijlestad ("City on the Dyle") as the river Dyle (Dijle) flows through it.
Mechelen lies on the major urban and industrial axis Brussels–Antwerp, about 25 km (16 mi) from each city. Inhabitants find employment at Mechelen's southern industrial and northern office estates, as well as at offices or industry near the capital and Brussels Airport, or at industrial plants near Antwerp's seaport.
Mechelen is one of Flanders' prominent cities of historical art, with Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, and Leuven. It was notably a centre for artistic production during the Northern Renaissance, when painters, printmakers, illuminators and composers of polyphony were attracted by patrons such as Margaret of York, Margaret of Austria and Hieronymus van Busleyden.
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Mechelen offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Mechelen is located in Flanders, Belgium, Europe. The coordinates are 51.0257 latitude, 4.4776 longitude.
Mechelen has a population of approximately 77,530 people, making it a town in Belgium.
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8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cathedral
Climb 538 steps up Mechelen's unfinished Gothic tower for a sky-walk panorama reaching as far as Antwerp and Brussels.
0 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Futuristic building in Brussels shaped like an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, built for the 1958 World Expo.
17 km · about 20 min drive
museum
300 vehicles spanning a century of motoring displayed in the grand Cinquantenaire Palace arcade.
21 km · about 25 min drive
cathedral
Belgium's tallest Gothic building housing masterpieces by Rubens, with a UNESCO-listed 123-metre tower visible across Flanders.
22 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Opulent central square in Brussels surrounded by ornate guildhalls and the Gothic town hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
22 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Small bronze fountain sculpture of a urinating boy that has become a beloved symbol of Brussels since 1619.
22 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Historic Belgian zoo next to the central train station, one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1843.
22 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
A cathedral-like railway station of marble, gilt and glass, repeatedly voted one of the most beautiful in the world.
22 km · about 25 min drive
April to October
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