Mechelen
The Former Capital Of The Burgundian Netherlands, With St Rumbold'S Tower (A UNESCO Listed Belfry You Can Climb), A UNESCO Beguinage, A Carillon School And The Kazerne Dossin Holocaust Memorial · Mechelen, Antwerp Province
Mechelen (Malines in French) is a compact Flemish city halfway between Brussels and Antwerp, about 15-20 minutes by train from each. For a few decades around 1500 it was the capital of the Burgundian Netherlands, when Margaret of Austria kept her court here, and that brief golden age left a remarkable old town. Its landmark is the tower of St Rumbold's Cathedral, roughly 97 m high and about 538 steps to the top, UNESCO-listed among the belfries of Belgium and France, with a glass skywalk at the summit. The city is also home to the Royal Carillon School, the first of its kind, so the bells are played by real players. People come for the Grote Markt, the UNESCO-listed Great Beguinage, the boardwalk along the Dyle, Het Anker brewery and its Gouden Carolus beers, and Kazerne Dossin, the Holocaust memorial and museum in the barracks from which Jews and Roma were deported. The honest verdict: it is quieter and less showy than Bruges, far less crowded, and underrated - but the sights are spread thinly, and on a wet Monday much of it is shut.
The Grote Markt and St Rumbold's Cathedral, central Mechelen, halfway between Brussels and Antwerp, Mechelen, Antwerp Province, Belgium
The old town, the Grote Markt, the Great Beguinage lanes and the Dyle boardwalk are always open and free. St Rumbold's Cathedral is usually open daily; the tower climb runs on a timed-entry system, typically daily in summer with shorter hours and fewer slots in winter, and the last climb is well before closing - check the current schedule. Kazerne Dossin is reported to close one weekday (often said to be Wednesday) and on some holidays - confirm. Hof van Busleyden and the Toy Museum usually close on Mondays. Carillon concerts from the tower have traditionally been played on set days, more often in summer - confirm the times. Getting there: SNCB/NMBS trains from Brussels and Antwerp take about 15-20 minutes, and Brussels Airport is about 15 minutes away; the station is a 15-minute walk or a short De Lijn bus ride from the Grote Markt. Drivers should use a station or edge-of-centre car park; the centre is reported to have a low emission zone and a traffic plan - confirm the rules. Book the tower climb online in summer and Het Anker brewery tours ahead.