In many countries the ancient town of Mechelen would top the list of any visiting tourist. It played a major role in the epic early history of Flanders, its wealth and political power writ large in the medieval buildings concentrated in its historic centre. On a warm spring day, locals flood the streets and squares, to take advantage of its vibrant cafe and bar culture. It has some truly excellent museums and it is a friendly, relaxed place.
Yet, for all that, Mechelen plays second fiddle to its neighbours in Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp. Not, I suspect, that the people who live here care much about that. Plus, tucked away at one end of the Great Beguinage – itself worth strolling through – the Brouwerij Het Anker has been producing some of Belgium’s finest beers (stiff competition for that title) on the same spot for six centuries.
A tour of the brewery is well worth a couple of hours of anyone’s time, especially as you get to try their beers at the end. Their well known Gouden Carolus Tripel can be found in bars around town, but if you want to try something just a little bit special, the Imperial Dark and Imperial Blond are superb. In the early 20th century there were 30 breweries in Mechelen, Het Anker is the only survivor. Thank goodness.
We visited Mechelen when we first moved to Belgium in 2021. Inexplicably, given its abundance of attractions, this was our first return visit. From the station we made our way to the Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk. Tucked away out of the centre, this 1,250 year old baroque church has some of the finest wooden carved confessionals in the country, and boasts some interesting paintings.
We passed through a small park behind the church and headed for the Grote Markt. This is the epicentre of the historic centre, towered over by the 13th century St. Rumbold’s Cathedral, and surrounded by gabled houses. On one side is the glorious 14th century Cloth Hall, now the Town Hall, with its UNESCO listed Belfry. Cloth made Mechelen rich, and paid for its ancient buildings.
In the 15th century, when Flanders and the city were ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, who were descended from the French royal Valois family, the town was very prosperous. It was also a centre of Burgundian political life, a role it continued to play when wars and dynastic rivalries saw it pass in 1477 to the Austrian Habsburgs. This witnessed the arrival of one of medieval Europe’s most remarkable women: Margaret of Austria.
She had the title of Duchess of Savoy and was Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, which at the time included most of modern day The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium. Her palace, the Hof van Savoye, is near the Town Hall. This history is important, as you walk around the town its traces are everywhere. It was, after all, Charles the Bold, last Duke of Burgundy, who exempted Het Anker beer from excise duties and taxes.
Throughout this period, Mechelen was at the heart of European religious and cultural life. In the streets behind the cathedral are numerous religious buildings: the Archbishop’s residence with fabulous gardens, the refuge of the Abbey of Sint-Truiden, the Convent House of De Cellekens, and the Beguinage. Perhaps even more wonderful, is the Hof van Busleyden.
Now a museum, it was formerly home of humanist and patron of the arts, Hieronymus van Busleyden. The building is glorious, the more so when you learn that luminaries such as Sir Thomas More and Erasmus stayed here. More began writing Utopia while here. It’s also no surprise that the churches of Mechelen are home to several Flemish Masters. The Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-over-de-Dijle has not one but two Rubens.
We finished our tour of the town in the buzzing Vismarkt, where amongst the many bars and restaurants is the cosy Ankertje aan de Dijle. There was time for a glass of Gouden Carolus Tripel before the train back to Brussels … and what of the ‘moon extinguishers’? A derogatory nickname for the townsfolk, who back in the 17th century ‘fought a fire’ in the cathedral. The ‘fire’, it transpired, was the moon reflected in the windows.
