Belgium
Things to do in Mechelen
19 places13 stories1 routes
Sightlore has 19 places to explore in Mechelen, and 13 of them come with a 60-second story in 5 languages. Point your camera at a landmark to learn its name and story, and earn points and badges at the places you actually visit.
Mechelen's must-sees
The city's most important places. In the app you see how many you've visited and earn a badge when you've seen them all.
- 1
Museum Hof van Busleyden
Museum in Mechelen housed in the Hof van Busleyden city palace, home of the municipal museum since 1936.
- 2
Begijnhofkerk
Church of the beguinage of Mechelen, dedicated to Alexius of Edessa and Catherine of Alexandria; it replaced a temporary church consecrated in 1596.
- 3
Kazerne Dossin – Memorial
The Kazerne Dossin Holocaust memorial is the only part of the Kazerne Dossin: Memorial, Museum and Documentation Centre on Holocaust and Human Rights established within the former Mechelen transit camp of World War II, from which, in German-occupied Belgium, arrested Jews and…
- 4
Sint-Katelijnekerk
Roman Catholic Gothic church in Mechelen, built in the first half of the 14th century.
- 5
Church of Our Lady across the river Dijle
Gothic church on the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat in Mechelen; it is first recorded in 1236, when its parish was founded.
- 6
St. Rumbold's Cathedral
St. Rumbold's Cathedral is the Roman Catholic metropolitan archiepiscopal cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium, dedicated to Saint Rumbold, Christian missionary and martyr who founded an abbey nearby.
Read its story → - 7
Béguinage of Mechelen
Beguinage founded in the 13th century and located within the city walls since the late 16th century; small houses and alleys, on the UNESCO list.
- 8
Schepenhuis
The Schepenhuis (Aldermen's House) of Mechelen, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, is a building where the city's aldermen held their meetings in the Middle Ages.
- 9
Mechelen City Hall
Group of buildings on the east side of the Grote Markt in Mechelen – the Palace of the Great Council, the belfry and the cloth hall – used as the city hall since 1914.
- 10
Saint John's Church
Fifteenth-century Gothic church in Mechelen dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist; its 55.5-metre spire is ringed by four small turrets.
Discovery routes in Mechelen
Visit the stops in any order and tap "Check in" at each one; finish the route to earn points and its own badge.
Mechelen: from St. Rumbold's to Hanswijk
From Kazerne Dossin to the Great Beguinage and its church, St. Catherine's Church and the Hof van Busleyden, then St. John's Church and St. Rumbold's Cathedral, the Schepenhuis, the Grote Markt and the City Hall, and the churches of Leliëndaal, Our Lady across the Dijle and Hanswijk.
Places to visit
Historic sites
Schepenhuis
The Schepenhuis (Aldermen's House) of Mechelen, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, is a building where the city's aldermen held their meetings in the Middle Ages.
Grote Markt
Main square of Mechelen, about one hectare in size, where the city hall stands.
Mechelen City Hall
Group of buildings on the east side of the Grote Markt in Mechelen – the Palace of the Great Council, the belfry and the cloth hall – used as the city hall since 1914.
Mechelen-Zuid Water Tower
The Mechelen-Zuid water tower is a 143-metre-high (469 ft), combined water and telecommunications tower constructed in 1978. Since 1979, it has supplied the water to the city of Mechelen, Belgium, while also hosting television and telecommunications aerials.
Fort van Walem
19th-century fort in Walem, part of Mechelen, that formed part of the old ring of forts around Antwerp.
Museums
Kazerne Dossin – Memorial
The Kazerne Dossin Holocaust memorial is the only part of the Kazerne Dossin: Memorial, Museum and Documentation Centre on Holocaust and Human Rights established within the former Mechelen transit camp of World War II, from which, in German-occupied Belgium, arrested Jews and…
Museum Hof van Busleyden
Museum in Mechelen housed in the Hof van Busleyden city palace, home of the municipal museum since 1936.
Technopolis
Technopolis is a Flemish technology education centre located in Mechelen.
Places of worship
Béguinage of Mechelen
Beguinage founded in the 13th century and located within the city walls since the late 16th century; small houses and alleys, on the UNESCO list.
Begijnhofkerk
Church of the beguinage of Mechelen, dedicated to Alexius of Edessa and Catherine of Alexandria; it replaced a temporary church consecrated in 1596.
Sint-Katelijnekerk
Roman Catholic Gothic church in Mechelen, built in the first half of the 14th century.
Saint John's Church
Fifteenth-century Gothic church in Mechelen dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist; its 55.5-metre spire is ringed by four small turrets.
St. Rumbold's Cathedral
St. Rumbold's Cathedral is the Roman Catholic metropolitan archiepiscopal cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium, dedicated to Saint Rumbold, Christian missionary and martyr who founded an abbey nearby.
Church of Our Lady of Leliendaal, Mechelen
The Church of Our Lady of Leliendaal is a Roman Catholic church in Mechelen, Belgium, served by the Society of Jesus.
Church of Our Lady across the river Dijle
Gothic church on the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat in Mechelen; it is first recorded in 1236, when its parish was founded.
Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk
The Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk is a Roman Catholic basilica in Mechelen, Belgium.
Sint-Pieters-en-Pauluskerk
Baroque church on the Veemarkt in Mechelen, built between 1669 and 1694 to plans by the Jesuit Antoon Losson.
Monuments
Walembrug
Beam bridge over the Nete in Walem, part of Mechelen, carrying the N1 between Brussels and Antwerp.
Nature
Planckendael Zoo
Planckendael is a zoo, located on the grounds of Planckendael castle in the village district of Muizen, in Mechelen, Belgium.
Explore Mechelen with your camera
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