"Mechelen, where an emperor was raised " a Mechelen Travel Page by Pavlik_NL

Mechelen lays halfway the short distance between Antwerpen and Brussel, but does not fall in the shade of those larger brother and sister of hers. She competes, though with her 75.000 inhabitants, she is in size a lot smaller. She makes it up with history, monuments and gastronomy.
Most significant present is the Sint Rombouts tower (Rumbold) and the cathedral. Visible all over the town it is quite remarkable, with it's unfinished top (no point, just flat). It was built in the late medieval time in the blossoming periood of Mechelen (it even became the capitol of The Lowlands for a few decades). Margaretha van Oostenrijk (of Austria) ruled from here, but her son the famous and beloved Charles the Fifth moved back to Brussel again. Nowadays, Mechelen is still the religious centre of Flanders and Belgium. Here the Archbishop of Belgium is living.

Mechelen became a town already in early medieval times and was situated on the river Dijle, that was then an important means of transport. It was always a pleasant town that was in the centre of a fine agricultural area, producing vegetables, above all "witloof" (cichory). It is also a centre of shopping for the wide surroundings (even people from Antwerpen and Brussel once and a while get attracted to do some buying at the famous "Bruul" and "IJzerenleen" shoppingstreets).

Most splendid of Mechelen is for sure the fact that the town's centre is such lust for eyes. One monument after the other can be seen and enjoyed. There are several museums, beautiful facades, an authentic beguinage, various churches and ... a hospitable gastronomy that will make you lick your fingers. So, do not be one of these many visitors within Flanders that only go to Brussels, Antwerp and Brugge. Mechelen should be on the list and can easily be, as it is directly situated in between the two largest towns and is only a "hop" of the freeway.