Marvelous Mechelen is perfectly positioned on the Brussels-Antwerp axis, about 25 km from each city. One of the Flanders’ most prominent artistic cities, during the Northern Renaissance, Mechelen was a center for artistic production, whose composers, printmakers, and painters benefited from the patronage of Margaret of York, Margaret of Austria, and Hieronymus van Busleyden.

The Belgian city of Mechelen was first settled on the banks of the Dyle during the Gallo-Roman period, and would later be inhabited by Germanic tribes, before being Christianized by St. Rumbold, a missionary after whom the famous Mechelen cathedral is named. In 1303, Antwerp lost its rights as a first seller of wool, oats and salt to Mechelen, leading to a bitter rivalry between the two cities that lasted well into the 1800s. A trading and crafting city, evidence of Mechelian trades in woollen cloth, tapestries, wood carvings, and Mechlin lace remain in Mechelen, many of which are still proudly produced today.

There’s a lot more to Mechelen than meets the eye. A guided bike tour of the city will uncover the myriad highlights and hidden gems of the ‘Dyle City’, including Saint Rumbold’s Cathedral, the Predikherenhuis, Kazerne Dossin, the Aldermen’s House, and Begijnhof. Take a specialized street art tour of the city, bike your way around its beer culture, or organize your next company away day with a specialized corporate tour. In a single day, you’ll discover on two wheels the staggering architecture and curious culture of this beautiful Belgian city, truly making the most of Mechelen!

Coming soon...