Publication: Streetwise in Mechelen

STREETWISE IN MECHELEN

WHERE DO YOU BEGIN TO EXPLORE MECHELEN? In 800 or in 2014? On the Grote Markt or in St Rumbold’s Tower? The answer is, whenever and wherever you like! With this little book of walks you step straight into the story of Mechelen, Margaret of Austria’s city.

The booklet will be your companion on a walk through historical Mechelen, a companion that will feed you information about what you see as you go.

It will lead you to monuments steeped in history, through verdant parks and alongside tranquil watercourses. You will have a chance to admire art treasures in our historic churches and to enjoy the beauty of enclosed gardens.

When you need to recharge the batteries, head for a sun-drenched street café for a traditionally brewed glass of Gouden Carolus, the beer that has put Mechelen back on the world map.

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CONTENTS

History .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................2 Walk along Mechelen’s highlights............................................................................................................10 A few steps further through the Beguinage..................................................................... 34 A few steps further along the Dyle Path.................................................................................. 40 City map ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 45

KEY fully accessible access limited regrettably, not accessible

A ‘must see’ St Rumbold’s Tower Kazerne Dossin Aldermen’s House Palace of Margaret of Austria Dyle Path

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HISTORY

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An Irish missionary called Rumbold (Rumoldus) left his country to spread Christianity. His destination was the settlement of Mechelen. You will meet him in St Rumbold’s Cathedral, where 25 paintings tell the life of Rumbold in an early comic strip. He died between 580 and 655 and was venerated as St Rumbold. Pilgrims visited his tomb. And monks founded St Rumbold’s Abbey. A flourishing community grew up on the right bank of the River Dyle, near the site of what is today St Rumbold’s Cathedral.

We know from archaeological research on the Lamot site that there was a trading port on the left bank of the River Dyle, possibly belonging to a local ruler or to St Rumbold’s Abbey. By the end of the twelfth century there are no more references to it.

1452

1473

The first stone of the present-day St Rumbold’s Tower was laid.

The plan was to build a tower some 167 meters high but in the mid-sixteenth century when it had reached a height of just 97 meters, building work came to a standstill for various reasons.

The Burgundian duke Charles the Bold centralized power and founded the Parliament of Mechelen: a court of law which represented all the other courts of law in the Burgundian territories. Mechelen was a logical choice because of its central location and special status.

Mechelen, along with the region, formed a seigniory, which enjoyed autonomy from the large principalities nearby like the Duchy of Brabant and the Princebishopric of Liège. By choosing Mechelen the duke avoided conflict. Mechelen retained its autonomous status until the end of the eighteenth century. Under Charles V it became one of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands.

1288

1301

There are already references to the Schepenhuis or Aldermen’s Building House, which means it is one of the oldest stone town halls in Flanders. Until the second half of the fifteenth century it was the town hall and meeting place of the city tribunal; later the seat of the Great Council. It is now a municipal museum housing a sizeable collection of work by the artist Rik Wouters.

Duke Jan II of Brabant and Jan Berthout granted Mechelen a charter, prescribing the structure and organization of the city. For example, a twelveman bench of Burgomaster and Aldermen was set up. The charter determined the way the city was administered until 1795. But more happened in 1301: Mechelen was given the exclusive staple rights for grain, salt and fish, which was very good for the economy! Boats tied up here and offered their goods for sale. Only after three days could merchants offer their unsold wares elsewhere.

Other towns felt considerably disadvantaged

by Mechelen’s staple rights and were not happy about the situation.

1506

1530

Margaret of Austria, Charles the Bold’s granddaughter, was appointed regent of the Netherlands. Mechelen was the juridical and administrative centre. Margaret of Austria’s palace in Keizerstraat was a hive of activity: the most progressive artists of her day visited the court and the renaissance and humanism flourished.

The city became a magnet for rich families who settled in the city and demonstrated their power by building impressive residences. The Hof van Busleyden is a beautifully preserved example.

Five centuries later Margaret of Austria’s palace served as a court of law.

Mary of Hungary succeeded Margaret of Austria as regent of the Netherlands. Under her rule the court moved definitively to Brussels, which meant that Mechelen was no longer the political centre of the Netherlands.

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1554

1559

Rembert Dodoens, who was from Mechelen, published his ‘Cruydeboeck’, a herbal that was revolutionary because of the way it classified the plant kingdom. The book was translated into most European languages. There is even a Japanese version.

Did you know that Rembert Dodoens was the city surgeon, but also Emperor Maximilian II’s personal physician?

King Philip II of Spain made Mechelen the seat of an archbishopric and thus the ecclesiastical capital of the Southern Netherlands. This was a politically shrewd move: by having state and church borders converge, he increased his control. The first archbishop of Mechelen was Antonius Perrenot de Granvelle.

Later well-known archbishops included Matthias Hovius, Thomas-Philippus d’Alsace et du Boussu, Désiré-Joseph Mercier and Jozef Ernest Van Roey. Since 1961 it has been the archbishopric of Mechelen-Brussels. The current archbishop – who succeeded Godfried Danneels in 2010 – is André-Joseph Léonard.

1835 On May 5th the first train on the European mainland chugged its way along the Brussels-Mechelen line. A law dated May 1st 1834 made Mechelen the midpoint of Belgium’s future railway network. A milestone in front of the station commemorates this. The arrival of the train changed the city and a new district grew up around the station. In 1839 the Central Railway Engineering Works – known locally as ‘het Arsenaal’ – brought employment and a significant increase in the population.

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1687 Late in the evening, on January 27th and 28th 1687, St Rumbold’s Tower was shrouded in a wintry mist. A none too sober tippler stumbled out of an inn on the Grote Markt into the cold night. He suddenly noticed that the tower was ablaze and immediately raised the alarm. The whole city was thrown into a state of confusion.

The city council led by the burgomaster lost no time in organizing the fire-fighting campaign. Buckets of water were passed from hand to hand up the tower stairway, but even before they reached the top, the moon slipped through the haze and the glow disappeared …

The courageous citizens realized that the reddish misty glow they were trying to extinguish was the moon! “Don’t tell a soul,” they said. But the news soon spread abroad, earning the people of Mechelen the nickname ‘Maneblussers’ or ‘Moon Extinguishers’ – a nickname they bear to this day.

Maneblusser is the name of Mechelen’s city beer, this blonde beer is brewed at Het Anker brewery. It also inspired the ‘Maneblussertjes’ biscuits and pralines in the shape of a half-moon.

1914 The bombing raids at the beginning of the First World War certainly did not leave Mechelen unscathed. St Rumbold’s gigantic clock was badly damaged and many of the historic buildings along the IJzerenleen were destroyed.

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1940-1945

1960-1970

The Second World War was a sad chapter in the history of Mechelen. More than 25,000 Jews and gypsies were deported to Auschwitz from the Dossin barracks by the Nazis. In April 1944 the Allies carried out bombing raids on the Arsenaal, the station and the railway. Many people died and there was considerable material damage. Fortunately, on September 4th 1944 Mechelen was liberated by the British.

Belgium recruited workers for its coal mines.

Many Berbers from the north of Morocco came to Mechelen. These ‘temporary’ workers were needed for longer than anticipated and stayed on. Three generations have now lived in Mechelen.

Assyrian Turks from the Christian village of Hassana in the far south-east of Turkey also came to Mechelen. When their village was set on fire and destroyed, Belgium recognized its inhabitants as political refugees and they soon integrated.

1988

post-2000

As the European newcomer, KV Mechelen won the European Cup Winners’ Cup by beating the Dutch champions Ajax 1-0 in Strasbourg on May 11th. Football-mad Europe was stunned. Not a single Belgian team has since won a European football trophy.

Mechelen has rediscovered its heritage. The public space is being carefully modernized, guided by respect for history and heritage. Monuments have been sympathetically restored. Highlights include uncovering former brooks, installing the Skywalk on St Rumbold’s Tower and the newlydiscovered medieval wall paintings in St John’s Church.

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THE BURGUNDIAN DUKES Philip the Good (1396 -1467)

Margaret of York (1446-1503)

Philip the Fair (1478-1506)

Joanna the Mad (1479-1555)

Charles V (1500-1558)

Isabella of Portugal (1503-1539)

Philip II (1527-1598)

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Isabella of Portugal (1397-1472)

Charles the Bold (1433-1477)

Isabella of Bourbon (1436-1465)

Mary of Burgundy (1457-1482)

Margaret of Austria (1480-1530)

Maximilian I of Austria (1459-1519)

Charles VIII of France (1470-1498) John of Castile (n.n.-1499)

Emanuel Philibert II of Savoy (1480-1504)

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WALK ALONG MECHELEN’S HIGHLIGHTS Mechelen is best explored on foot. The walk, which takes in the main sights, begins on the Grote Markt and lasts approximately 60 minutes (2,4 km).

If you have more time and are feeling energetic, why not also follow one or both extensions? This will take you a total of about two and a half hours (5 km).

6 Grote Markt The Grote Markt, the central square in the historic centre, is dominated by St Rumbold’s Tower. You can see it wherever you are. On the other side of the square is the Town Hall, about which we will hear more later. Look at the houses round the Grote Markt. They are from different times and in different styles, including sixteenth-century renaissance and eighteenth-century rococo. In 2004 the Grote Markt was made a traffic-free zone and an underground car park was built. While work was being carried out, archaeological finds were discovered, including an old well and a thirteenth-century street which would have been lined with market stalls. These days a very lively market is held here every Saturday morning.

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r. ge pst Lan rstr. chi S e e Hall 7 o rtTown d Rid K Mechelen actually has three town halls: the old Schepenhuis, the Huis De tr. estr. ijsthe Haz Beyaert and present-day town hall. Behind the latter you also have the n r e 5 brand-new kk administrative centre called the ‘Huis van de Mechelaar’. But to Le return to the present-day town hall on the Grote Markt, it consists of two parts: the cloth hall with unfinished belfry and the Palace of the Great Council.

Why wasn’t the belfry ever finished? The cloth trade went into decline in the ein l P fourteenth century and there wasn’t the money to complete the building. For two hundred years the belfry was no more than a shell, until it was eventually Kruidtuin provided with a temporary roof in the sixteenth century.

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Visit the Town Hall

The interior of the Town Hall is well worth seeing. You can visit it in the company of a guide on the Historical City Walk. Further details are available from Tourism Mechelen.

8 Church of St Peter and Paul This beautiful, harmonious baroque church was originally dedicated by the Jesuits to St Ignatius and St Francis Xavier. After the abolition of the Jesuit Order, the parish of St Peter and Paul asked if they might make the Jesuit church their parish church because their own church had fallen into a state of disrepair. The transfer took place and officially the name of the church has since been ‘St Peter and St Paul on a visitation upon St Ignatius and St Francis Xavier’. It is abbreviated to the Church of St Peter and St Paul, or in Dutch Sint-Pieter-en-Paulkerk. The interior is richly decorated. The pulpit recalls missionary work carried out by St Francis Xavier in the four corners of the world.

At the time (end sixteenth century) there was still no awareness of Oceania, “the fifth continent”. Note how Europe is represented, with the horn of plenty and wisdom in the form of a book. The fourteen confessional boxes built into the wall are another fine example of Mechelen woodcarving.

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Lying and cheating Legend has it that the church had so many confessional boxes because it is located near the Veemarkt (Cattle Market) where lying and cheating were rife. However, the real reason was that the Church of St Peter and Paul was originally a pilgrimage church containing numerous relics. You were not allowed to touch them unless you were free from sin. Hence the large number of confessional boxes.

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e ang Ri Margaret’s life was turbulent from the outset. She was given in marriage no r. t s e Haz fewer than three times. The French crown prince sent her back at the age of eleven because he found a better match. Then the Spanish heir to the throne Don Juan died a few months after they were married. And Philibert of Savoy, the love of her life, died after three years of wedded bliss. The twenty-fouryear-old Margaret dressed as a widow ever after and refused to remarry.

Margaret was appointed regent of the Netherlands and settled in Mechelen in 1507. She took responsibility for raising (emperor) Charles and his sisters.

According to her contemporaries, she ran the country with tack and foresight.

Kruidtuin One of her greatest successes was the ‘Ladies’ Peace of Cambrai’, which 28 she engineered in 1529 through tough negotiation with Louise of Savoy, mother of the French king and sister of the late Philibert.

Dijle In the meantime the arts and sciences flourished at Margaret’s court.

Notable artists and philosophers stayed at the palace. Polyphonic music was the regent’s great passion. Her original gradual is preserved in Mechelen answijk and features on the list of ‘Flemish highlights’. cityHarchive straat

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between 1507 and 1530. Her residential palace was the Hof van Savoye (Court of Savoy), the first renaissance building in the Low Countries.

The renaissance spread fromMey here.

Note renaissance frontage sbru oud g the magnificent Berth and the charming garden.

From 1616 to 1796 the palace was home to the Great tr. s Council, the highest alg court of law in the Southern Netherlands. The façade still asb a l features Margaret’s coat of arms, alongside the coat of arms of Charles V and B a figure of Lady Justice (Justitia). Today the building is the court of law.

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Palace of Margaret of York 9 l s Bleof Austria’s palace you can see all that remains of Margaret dijle bor Opposite Margaret ek str of York’s palace. Originally aat the Bishop of Kamerrijk (Cambrai) resided in the building when he was in Mechelen.

Margaret chose the vast Court of Kamerrijk as part of her settlement when she became a widow. It is also known as the imperial court because Charles V resided here from 1500 to 1515. Just above the little door in the tower is her diamond-shaped escutcheon, alongside that of her spouse, Charles the Bold. The former reception hall of the palace in now Do ua ne the City Theatre (Stadsschouwburg). p c Voo

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King Edward IV of England offered his sister Margaret in marriage to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who had just been widowed. This arrangement suited Edward since it gave him a rich ally against France. Charles had a daughter from his previous marriage. Mary of Burgundy was just eleven years old when Margaret became her stepmother. The two got on very well together.

Charles was killed on the battlefield and his daughter Mary succeeded him. She was nineteen, young and inexperienced and found herself up against the rich and assertive Flemish cities which were striving for greater independence. Margaret advised and assisted her but was a thorn in the eye of the cities. Margaret was banished from the court and moved to the estate she had inherited from her husband in Mechelen.

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Ursuline Institute Evidence that other women, too, had a preference for progressive architecture is to be found 15 minutes by car from here. At the end of the nineteenth century the Ursuline nuns founded a ‘Pensionnat de demoiselles’ – a boarding school for the education of young ladies – in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver. That institute soon won international acclaim.

The diverse architectural styles were also international, ranging from neoclassicism to art nouveau. The winter garden was built in the latter style in 1900 to provide a reception area designed to impress the notable visitors to the school. The winter garden of the Ursuline Institute has survived intact. Visitors are invariably mesmerized by the magical play of light and colours on the impressive dome. We still do not know the name of the architect.

32 Toy Museum Continue 5 minutes (some 400 meters) in the same direction and you will come to the Toy Museum, which boasts one of the largest collections of toys in Europe. You’ll find toys from all over the world, from early toys to modern. There’s much more to a museum visit than just looking: you can play traditional games and relive historical events such as the Battle of Waterloo (precisely 200 years ago in 2015) as if you had been there in person. Which of these toys did you play with yourself? And would young children still do so today? The museum brings memories of childhood flooding back for young and old.

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10 ’t Schipke – The Little Boat Mechelen is home to a world-famous carillon school. It was the first of its kind in the world when it was founded by the carilloneur Jef Denyn in 1922.

Herbert Hoover, John D. Rockefeller Jr. and William Gorham Rice gave financial support to this school. It attracts students from all over the world looking to perfect the art of carillon playing.

The carillon school used to be housed in ‘t Schipke, a charming corner building in rococo style. Note the Belgian bluestone doorway and the slanting door. Owing to building work on the adjacent Hof van Busleyden, in 2013 the carillon school moved to a different address.

11 van Busleyden Court Numerous large town houses – ‘paleizen’ – were built in Mechelen in the sixteenth century. Hiëronymus van Busleyden, member of the Great Council, humanist and good friend of Erasmus, had architect Keldermans design a palatial home for him. From 1619 to the First World War the building was occupied by an organization known as the Berg van Barmhartigheid – or Mountain of Charity -, which loaned money to the poor on an interest-free basis. During the First World War the building was badly damaged, leaving only the walls standing. It was later rebuilt and became the municipal museum.

The Hof van Busleyden Museum is currently closed for building work.

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raa ertr. t ers The parish where is located was one of the SteSt John’s Church eff richest parishes B e in Mechelen because the 6 of the Great Council lived round about.

Schmembers en MGrocourt arkohighest t The Great Council was mthe of law in the Low Countries from the id G Leeghe a t rkte fifteenth century (first under 7 of Mechelen) and it remained 3 the name Parliament in existence until the French Revolution. Those elected to the t Council had Hallestr.

Zakstraa So the parish Begijne studied law at university and were appointed by the sovereign. straantwas not short of money. This is reflected in the wealth of treasures housed in St John’s Church.

Ge ite Paul Rubens’ famous baroque triptych. The Built in above the altar is Peter str 't Vlietje . beautifully executed panel Bla in the middle depicts ‘The adoration of the three B u o te Muntst rmafor wise men’. Behind the side w panels is a mechanism ther.paintings at rkt turning ho Bo 30 so that rzeall the nscenes ds regular intervals can be admired. The churchwardens’ Vi t r. tra sm 26 benches are particularly snoteworthy because of the exquisite woodcarving. at Sch ar aal kt This sponsors of the parish sat.

Na is where the wealthy s t r Meys aat Great Council29 sThe trauwrichest members of the were also responsible for building at . r t on the Sacrament Chapel in 1548. The chapel is as big as the original chancel 26 lgs ba and houses the tomb of the man who commissioned it (Lambertasde a L n l ge SChairman of the Great Council) and his wife. B Briaerde, theathen chip s t ra Zou tr.

27 twer f r. ge pst Lan rstr. chi S e de t Wall paintings Rid O Kor nz In 2008 the Flemish Heritage Institute chancedr. upon some . rfourteenth-century e C ijzest jst st ort -Lie wall paintings Haof er behind the organ-case, on the the tower of St John’s rni first floor ra e d v e e l j 5 a at at nb eChurch. kk are not fragments, but je a -Vr Ma rThese Le two large artworks depicting St ou st a ch Christopher and St George. we st ra n at lei 't P rt . rs ee H str O Kru een nz eg ev a i erh L L e iev .V brs e-V 19 31 Ge O-L ro Dijle -V u ro w Bruul

st r.

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13 Klapgat – Gossip Alley The Klapgat is an alleyway opposite the tower of St John’s Church. People tended to congregate here for a chat (‘klappen’) after Mass. They did this so regularly that the alleyway was dubbed Klapgat, or Gossip Alley. A statue of Christ kept a watchful eye on the prattlers from the Mount of Olives. In the little chapel next to the statue you can see a group sculpture behind railings. The faithful used to come here to pray in times of difficulty. They would offer up a coin, placing it in the built-in collection-box.

Human Rights Walk The Human Rights Walk visits lesser-known parts of Mechelen and reveals some unusual historical facts. Further details are available from Tourism Mechelen.

20

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Kazerne Dossin 29

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str. meters) from Barely 5 minutes (400 alg asb Bla here is Kazerne Dossin.

Memorial, hips rm t ra .

Zou Ka tr. str tw and Documentation Centre on S an 27 Museum er a t a f Zw tr. tra ge ips Holocaust and Rights. inc s Lan rstr. chHuman P en n de te S Korte Rid O Kor Sp nz ieg Kazerne Dossin is a very special place of . e r. els C ijestr ijst st ort -Lie tr.

Haz er ra e ern ld tje 5 at nb ve-V kk a aaremembrance je a Le for Belgium. As ‘SS Sammellager ch rou Mstra we Veluw estr st Mecheln’, the Dossin barracks was a waitingaa ra t at Mo ein Pl en r. room't for death for more than 25,000 Jews and ss st tr. r ee r t Ga H s Kruidtuin gypsies from Belgium and Northern France On drienz Mil een eg ze ev s en- sen rha Li 28 -Li str. .Ve during the ev brs e-V Second World War. A brand-new 31 Ge O-L st r ou Dijle -V ra r w at o museum has ebeen built to record the historical uw stra La ek t at ng aa er eN kh str of this place for present and iesignificance of ke uw Hanswi Ve jkstraat str aa St 33 future generations and to illustrate themes like t .-J ac ob Va str racism, exclusion and human rights. nB aa t en ed The combination of the a human rights theme en laa t F b n ves ecq and the historical storyHerof the. SpeHolocaust in t s e H cqv ee Belgium makes Kazerne Dossin Sp a project of Schuttersv H. est Schuttersv est European interest. K. Mercier The new museum was Ka na Plein al Arsenaalstr. and former designed by leading architect Le uv en Flemish Government Architect bOb Van -D ijle Reeth. naa

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There are many idyllic spots in Mechelen and Groen Waterke Ge is one of them. The brook owes ite duckweed which covers the its name to the str . surface ofB the water.

It is in fact the remains of lau term Muntstr. the Melaan brook covered over wh which wasBonot arkt B on 30 or filledorin here.

Enjoy the peace and quiet of d ze s t str closer. to the houses of refuge of this idyllic spot, aa Sch t aal and Tongerlo abbeys.

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If you want to see as much of Mechelen ve as possible, why rw er not Vgo a stroll ismfor26 f V. througharMechelen’s kt Na beguinages? sAllow trauwat 30 minutes (1,5 km).

26 34.

See page tr. ns

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C ijestr. lst when you Liehow the user jstr st orthink Haz er was on view there! r. rni t r d v e e l e a j 5 sent an angry One day the superior letter to the city e a t of the convent at nbmother kk je a -Vr Ma raa Le council, complaining ch ouabout st the boys who sailed in boats under her secrecies w firing at the bottoms of the es nuns with blowpipes! She was lucky: her complaint t was heard and soon thererawas on ’t Groen Waterke! at far less etraffic in Mo Pl en t . ' r t ss tr. rs ee H str O M een nz eg ev n- ilsen a i eL str Lie erh V . . s r ve b O e 31 -V G -Lro Dijle Vr uw ou est we La raat ng ke eN rkh ieu of Hanswij ws 22 kstraa tra at

21 Archbishop’s Palace On the Wollemarkt is a classical palace built for Cardinal Thomas Philippe d’Alsace in the eighteenth century. The building owes its Italian influences to an unknown, Italian architect. Characteristics of classicism are the sober structure of the façade, horizontalism and a U-shaped floor plan.

Originally there were two patrician houses here which served as the House of Refuge of Affligem Abbey. When the abbey was made part of the archbishopric, these buildings became the residence of the Mechelen archbishops.

23

1

St Rumbold’s Tower

Building work by the Keldermans family of architects on this imposing Mechelen monument began in 1452. Times and circumstances changed and as a result the tower was never completed. But this did not prevent the 97-metre tower becoming the symbol of Mechelen and a UNESCO world heritage site. The city’s most important documents used to be kept in this fortified tower, which was also the belfry. The bells in the tower served to tell the townspeople the time and to sound the alarm in the event of danger.

The tower also made a good vantage point: from here you could see the enemy arriving from a long way off.

24

Sint Jan kerks-hof

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at

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Hal str.what Zakstra egijnthe Legend has itBthat en-people of Mechelen were always late, arrivingleat s tr aatime”. t was called “Mechelen Sorry! Consequently in the eighteenth century they hung the largest timepiece in the world on the four sides Ge of St Rumbold’s Tower.

P er s o we ite Ben in London. They The gigantic clock-faces were larger than those of Big rf str . had to listen to the only indicated the hour. For the minutes in-between, people Ba Bocarillon uw there but the Ha carillon. And we still do that. The timepiece is no llonger termarkt Mun ho B 25 vplays er 30 ndis the strike between quarter of an hour. Unique tooMechelen rze we tunes every s V t r. ism seven-and-a-half-minutes. trathe ‘Mechels eachrfquarter, every Thatsis halfke’ – the 26 at ar oldest extant bells Sdate cha from the V. half’. The ‘Mechelen seventeenth century. kt alst Na 29 several r aafitted. strauw- and a new carillon em In 1981 the tower was restored Every week t str at aa carillon concerts t 26are held and every five years the carillon school organizes the Queen Fabiola international carillon competition.

Lan ge S chip m str . r a Zou t s n t w a 27 er a f r.

Zw pst chi S e t Skywalk here Owe come!

Kor Sp nz ieg You can visit the tower.

You will find that it has six rooms, each of which e . els C estr.

-L rij jstr st opurpose. tr.

Haz serves a different a working rni ra rte ieve In the tower detje you can admire e l 5 k n a aaclose ek Skywalk timepiece and twoatjcarillons to. Unique in Europe, Lthe e bac -Vrofrom M tra h- of the uw sGrote affords a panoramic view Markt, the city and surrounding es area and is a well-deserved reward tra for your exertions. at Mo ein Pl en t . ' r t ss tr. rs ee Ga H str O dri nz Mil een nz es en se eg ev a i e- ns L Lie erh tr.

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26

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23

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Bla Botermark u H wh 1 av Rumbold’s Cathedral was built in the thirteenth t century.

Bo on From the 25 St er 30 r d w z str parish eall outset and more impressive than the other er it was Vlarger s . ism 26 tra f at Sch archbishops’. churches and later ‘the church of the Originally ar V. on it became Ad a k a N l t strvast church on the site of the eg there was a triple-nave cruciform 29 aat cathedral. Only straauwem str a series of building campaigns after our city’s star at did the church become aa t 26 attraction.

In the religious wars in the sixteenth century Lan the church took some hard ge S knocks. Much of the old interior was lost to iconoclasms and plundering. ch p str r m Calvinist rule at the endr. of that century removed all ireferences to Catholic a a Zou K tr. st weweather. In the Second World S worship. But the church an had even more storms 27 tto a r War Mechelen was Zw bombed and in 1972 a huge ffire broke out. St Rumbold’sstr. p Cathedral withstood them all. chi te S van r o The Sinside of the cathedral is breathtaking.

You can admire Anthony O K p nz Dyck’siepainting ‘Christ onC the works by (among others) tr. ge e- Cross’, along iwith jlst r s L o Ha ie e r.

Michiel Coxcie, Gaspardstde Janssens. The real ernij ra rteCrayer ve and Abraham ld tje 5 k a n a k a tje bthe a a by Lucas Faydherbe which Vr altar showpiece, however, has to be Le ac high h- ouwMstr dates from 1665. e estr st aa ra t at Mo ein Pl en t . ' r t ss 22 Cultural square tr. rs eeCentre, thetr Academy, the Municipal Around the square are the Cultural Ga H s On dri nz Mil een Conservatory art. es en se and de Garage, space eg ze You will recognize ev for contemporary a i - ns h r L -right, Lie which is now e t the former monastery of the Friar Minors by the nave on the r.

V . s ve br 31 -V part of the Cultural Centre.

Ge O-L ro -V uw of the r On the left you see the Chapel of the Holy oGhost where the poorest est u w L raat poor came for help. Each parish had aits ek Holy Ghost Tables. Usually ngso-called e e N workers rkhwould give the people once a week, on Sundays, the poor-relief ieu of food and other help in kind, though they didwshave to hand over a token to raa proveS they had been to mass. The institutions tderived most of their income t t.Ja landed property received through gifts and legacies. This system from the co when times were hard, the income was low and despite the bs Vahad a weakness: tra nB at of needy, less help could be provided. Nowadays the chapel growing number en is partedof enDE MAAN puppet theatre. laa n 27

St Rumbold’s Cathedral

lee n Ijze ren

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tr. en s

Gu ld

Pelikaanstraatje

29

t

hips t ra

27

Varkensstraat

e ro de M

r-de

t

str aa en gij n Be

S str too aa ftje

traa

Bruul

Me laa n s hoek

on

Kr bruaang

H h e str oo rtsaa rnt

ete n

str .

t

r.

pst

chi

eS

t Kor

str.

alg

sb

a Bla

r.

Zou tw er f

nd

aa

ad lep f Dij er utw Zo

De Langhestr.

Lan ge S c

O

Sp

str

aals

Muntstr.

st el

. str

n aa

Zw

23 The Cells

26

rze

Sch

't Vli

Botermarkt

p Ka

e li

Ke

S strleu aa tel tje Kr aa ns tr.

M s oss strcahelpelatje -

t

rm Ka tr.

S

Lange Pennincstr.

sm 26 ar kt N straauwat

str .

ho

arkt Leerm

ge Lan rstr. de Rid

je

trt

t

Bruul

rkt

Ho og s

r.

a stra

eB ru s sel str.

tr. ofs

G Mo ulde uw n str .

sh er hu tt

G. Van egmontstraat

raa t

t

aa str iza

an

Pott i d straaet rij’ e st raat

tr.

rgs

est

nbe

oe

nla

Lo u

24 Melaan

Rav e

ns tra at

rt

a va

at

de

Gr

m

ne

Tes s

Ho

ge

Be

us se str lse aa po t ort

Waterstraat je

str

iza

Lo u

aa

og

Ni

str

eu

at

tra

Fa b r He

Sc

Every Mechelaar enjoys a stroll alongside the Melaan. De Melaan was one hutte of the city’s last brooks and was only filledScin inrsve 1913.

As part of the European st Schuttersve K. Mercier project ‘Water in Historic City Centers’, inst2007 this part of the Melaan was Ka na Plein al opened up again.

Why not take a moment to sit on one of the many benches Le uv and enjoy the pleasing quiescence of the water. en Ou d

es

t

we

at

Vi jfhoek

Ka p

uc

ijn en st r.

r.

n aa idl str

t ns

de

ie

r g st

chip

el ek

Korte Velu wes tr.

Poels tr.

eS

g Lan

Zi

PitzemBu

nz In the shadow ofiegeSt Rumbold’s is arij-unique historical monument. . e .

C Tower estr‘De lst jstr st ort -Lie Haz e r. rni ra e ld tje Cellekens’ was originally a charitable which took in 5 ke needy women a at nb ve-V institution k a aa je a Le r without a family to care for them. ch- ouweMstr Veluw estr st a r The three enclosed garden. The aa magnificent at wings form a U-shape around the n Mo t lei enmiddle and leftr. and right 't P are little houses with round convent building is in the ss st tr. r ee arched doors Gbuilt in 1854. Originally-Heach door access to two small str provided On drianz Mil en ve es ecupboard, eg The institution ze n- sen ie rooms with bed, chair Land table. derives its name rha -Li str e .V . ev brs e-V from these little ‘cells’.

31 Ge O-L ro Dijle -V ro ‘De Cellekens’ was empty for a long then theuwnew owners, artist est La timeuwbut raat ek ng er Mariette Teugels and her photographere Nhusband kh Herman Smet, restored the ieu of Hansw ws building. They were rewarded for their efforts tra with the Europa Nostra Prize. ijkstraat at St .-J You can see some of Mariette Teugels’ work in the new garden.

The artist ac o specializes Vin sculptures of animals and the human figure. str an bustsband a Ko ren ma

Kroonstraat

aa

Bo

30

Vi V.

ite

uw

at

Lange Heistraat

f

Ge Bla

Zakstraat

tHuideve tersstraat

er

r. st en

at

str

25 verw

ov

1 minute

ra c st ennin

em

Hallestr.

Leeghe

utersstraat

eg

Ha

th Be e

Ad

Per s o

7

3

ar

r.

rst

ffe

Be

ry

Heistr.

K Elleromm strabooge at -

r.

6 S machoen MGrote rkt ark t

m

n

he D. Bouc Reuzen straat straat

eg nw

t ergs

Begijne nstraat

S

S strcahee at r-

Ste e

aat bstr Dra

e rb

1

t

jle

traat

P Korte

24

aa

Ti Di che jle lrij

Kaardens ge m st ra at

22

Ve e

Ja Va rke De n ns Sm str ed aa tp lei t

o Rik W

en uiz

str

olstr. ho Sc

donckstr. tan

lh bbe

or

Minderbroedersgang

Si bou f m ho Rokerk

Fre de rik

23

Nieuw werk

Do

ab

Di

nberg Katte

tr.

Th

n-Tore

t

e nd

de

raa

J.D pleen in

Ni

eu

nst

O

atje

are

eer ‘t V

a Va

Br

H.

ee

Sp

e

Sp H.

er

ch

em

m

an

va

ar

e t ng aa La fstr o H

ss

t

t aa str ns

Koning Albertplein

e nstr.

tra

at

tra

at

rtd

ijk

28

ss

tra

D

s ijk

Va a

at

-B

St at ion

Ve

s lden

r a Be str

an

ho v

traat

-J

W .G ee

nt

k Kerc Van

Si

tss

tra

at

tio

lo

Co

tr.

ss

re yn

W . H er

aat

St a

m

as

tra at

A.

H. Consciencestraat

t

rst ra a

W. Ro sie

Le

t aa

Brusselsesteenweg

oo

h t op st aa oats were unloaded and traded here. Oats Originally used to be synonymous old Po str str aa rights to grain. Boats with grain and Mechelen had the exclusive staple t carrying grain had to tie up in Mechelen and offer the whole cargo for sale for three whole days.f OnlyGewhat the merchants did not sell in Mechelen could be o er de and taken elsewhere. nh the boats loaded back onto ke at g

str

ijle

Wharf 25 Oats rn

xie Co

Ge ud en ss

tr.

ijk

rtd

-D

Arsenaalstr.

MEC

You can’t fail to notice the three houses near the bridge. They date from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and are what draws people to the Haverwerf. The corner house is called Het Paradijske, Little Paradise. The reliefs above the windows depict the scenes ‘Earthly paradise’ and ‘The tree of knowledge of good and evil’. In the middle is De Duiveltjes, The Little Devils, one of the most beautiful wooden façades in the country. We know that it used to be called De Verloren Zoon, The Prodigal Son, because the story is depicted above the front door. Now it is named after the little devils which act as pillars. On the left is the house known as Sint-Jozef; in the middle is a relief of St Joseph with the Child Jesus. Enjoy the waterside!

26 Lamot site + Vismarkt (Fish Market) From the Haverwerf you have a good view of the former Lamot brewery, which was cleverly converted into a modern conference and heritage centre. It has given the area a real buzz and made it a hip and happening place.

Fish was first traded on the Vismarkt on the other side in 1531, after the fish merchants were expelled from the IJzerenleen because of complaints about the smell of fish. There are still a few fish shops on the square today.

The Vismarkt and the adjoining Nauwstraat are a hive of activity into the small hours. In the relaxed ‘brown cafés’, the stylish modern lounge bars and the trendy restaurants you will meet young and young-at-heart Mechelaars.

29

Boat trip along the Inner Dyle Leave by boat from Haverwerf, sail through the marina and the ‘turning dock’ and on through the historic centre, experiencing Mechelen from a different perspective! Along the way, you’ll pass (among other things) the Fish Market, the Large Bridge, the Botanical Garden and Fullers’ Mill and you’ll see how the people of Mechelen live in historic and modern waterside buildings. What heaven it must be to have a house on the Dyle!

The boat trips take place from April to September.

30

5

Dyle Footpath

The people of Mechelen like to enjoy their city and why not! A walk alongside the water in the heart of the city is a unique and relaxing experience, particularly if you walk over the floating part of the Dyle Path! The path leads past (and over) the Dyle, between Haverwerf and the Botanical Garden.

See a different side of Mechelen - the backs of the old houses! The many water birds make it atmospheric and fun for children too.

Ijze ren lee n

Bruul

Gr o br otug

S str too aa ftje

ns tr.

Gu ld e

je

t

ark

Ko ren m

trt

gs

Ho o

r.

stra

at

Kruidtuin

rgs tr.

Dijle

Waterstraat je

str

iza

gs tr

Lo u

aa

t

Ni eu w

e

A few steps further along the Dyle Path

28 Vi jfhoek

Ka p

uc

ijn en st

r.

r. st

Bruul

tra at

Be gij ne ns

s hoek H h e str oo rtsaa rnt

ete n

e li

De Langhestr.

Lange Pennincstr.

on

Kr bruaang

ns tr.

S strleu aa tel tje -

Kr aa

Ke

str.

Poels tr.

e

ge Lan rstr. de Rid

r g st

Kort e Velu we

stijn Augu

r. lst

Ha

PitzemBu

. zestr

chip eS

en

1 minute

d ie el ek Zi

Veluw estr aa t

tr.

as

str.

e r.

C ijijst st ort -Lie er ra e ern ld je 5 at nb ve-V kk aa at je a Le ch rou Mstra we st ra n at Mo lei en 't P r. t ss tr. rs e e r G H nst On drianz Mil ege es en se ze ev ae - ns Li -Li erh tr. .V ev brsO e-V e 31 G -Lro Vr uw ou est we La raat ng k e eN rkh ieu of ws tra at St .-J ac o bs Va t raa nB t en ed en laa n els

lg ba

Bla

chip

eS

t Kor

g Lan

nz

Meysbrug

str.

hips t ra

27

O

ieg

29

t

ad lep f Dij er utw Zo

Sp

Zou tw er f

t

pe Ka

n

aa

Zw

Lan ge S c

str .

aa

traa

t

at

. str

str

aals

at

rm Ka tr.

S

26

rze

Sch

Muntstr.

ark Leerm

M s oss strcahelpelatje -

t

r. st en

Kroonstraat

aa

ov

tra inc s P en n

sm 26 ar kt N straauwat

't Vlietje

Botermarkt

nd

Korte raat Ridderst

str

Vi V.

str .

ho

t aa

em

rf

Bo

30

Pott i d straaet rij’ e st raat

eB ru s sel str.

Ou d

G. Van egmontstraat

raa t

est

Tes s

G Mo ulde uw n str .

aa t

rsh

Sc

ijk

rtd

Schuttersv

Fa b r He

est

cqv

ee

Sp H.

33

st

ve ecq

e

Sp H.

en

tra

at

at

ns str a

tio

St a

at

tra

as

m

lo

Co

at

tra

ar

t

at

ra

st

jk

Di

at

ss

H. Consciencestraat

Ge

A.

tss

va

tra

m

an

m

ion ss

ch

ge

e t ng aa La fstr Ho

ho v

er

de

St at

-B

W . H er re

yn ss tr. an

er

W .G ee

-J

Ge

k Kerc Van

nt

f ho en rk aat Be str

t

W. Ro s

ijle

Si

ud

aa t -D

nor ho t st raa o t P s

aa str

Brusselsesteenweg

est Mercier Many Mechelaars regard K. the IJzerenleen as Plein Arsenaalstr.

Mechelen’s Champs Elysées. Fortunately there are fewer cars. The street boasts imposing façades, lovely shops and one of the oldest town halls in Flanders. The IJzerenleen was Le op old once a brook str linking the Dyle with the Koolvliet; a it was also theat site of the fish market. The name IJzerenleen derives from the iron railings erected alongside the brook, which are still there today, though the brook was covered over back in the Koning Albertplein sixteenth century. The fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth-century efaçades are not original. nstr.

MECHELEN Va suffered damage in the First World War, Having ar td ijk they were rebuilt following an architectural competition. xie Co

n

str

ve

ier

lL eu

ss tr.

aa

t

hu tte

Lo uiz as tr

t

us se str lse aa po t or

Br

30 IJzerenleen est

a Va Ka n

straa

ofs tr.

Gr o

Rav e

en str a

at

nbe

Ho o

Hanswijk If you want to see as much of Mechelen as possible, why not walk along the straat Dyle Path? Allow 45 minutes for this extension (1,8 km). See page 40.

Schuttersv

rechtstr.

str en stijn Augu

eg

ite

uw

Zakstraat

Huidevet tersstraat

Ad

25 verw e

Ge Bla

straat Wouters

Ha

th Be e

K Elleromm strabooge at -

Per s o

Ge

Leegheid

ry

tr. ergs

7

3

he D. Bouc Reuzen straat straat

e rb

t traa

at

S machoen MGrote rkt ark t

Hallestr.

Begijnen straat-

bs Dra

denstraat

rte

eg nw

jle Di

at

Ti Di che jle lrij

Inlet Cellar The vaulted-over inlet, located in the middle of the IJzerenleen, served as an air-raid shelter in the Second World War. On one of the entrances underground is a map of all the former inlets.

31

lee n

Be

Gr o br otug

en s

27

Gu ld

O

r.

pst

chi

eS

t Kor

je

trt

Ho og s

t

tr.

Pott i d straaet rij’ e st raat

t aa str ns

H. Consciencestraat

St at io

eB ru s sel str.

at tra as m lo Co

tra

at

at

m

va

ar

t

Koning Albertplein

e nstr.

s

rtd

ijk tio

ns s

tra

jk Di

Va a

at

t

a tra

St a

32

G. Van egmontstraat

raa

eu de ns str .

A. G tss

ge

W .G ee

de

tra

at

Ou d

G Mo ulde uw n str .

hu tt

Sc

tr. ss yn

ss

est

tr.

t

aa

sh ofs

str

er

iza

Lo u

er

e t ng aa La fstr Ho

m

an

W . H e

rre

ch

tra

ho v

er

t

rgs

Rav e

tra

ns

oe

Gr

at rst ra W. Ro sie

-B

Ge

lds

t aa

po

str

Le o

k Kerc Van

an

f ho en rk raat e B st

Tes s

at

nbe

Ho

Aldermen’s House

xie Co

or ho at ra st

-J

Waterstraat je

tr

as

og str aa

t

Lo uiz

e

uw

Vi jfhoek

Ka pu cij ne ns tr.

r.

ijle

nt

r.

a stra

t ns

de

ie

Bruul

rkt

Ko ren ma

el ek

-D

n-

Si

ge Lan rstr. de Rid

r g st

chip

Zi

PitzemBu

eS

g Lan

Shopping

3

n

as

Bla

nz e .

C ijestr. jstr st ort -Lie Haz er rni ra e ld je 5 ke at nb ve-V aaaat ek je a L r ch ou Mstr we st ra If you’re longing to hit the shops, the convivial Bruul, IJzerenleen/Guldenstraat and n at Mo lei en . triangle't Pis perfect (1,45 km). Some of the streets here Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat r ss st tr. r ee makestr for a pleasant shopping experience. High-street G are closed to traffic which s Kruidtuin -H On drianz Mil en ve en se and chic boutiques eschains eg ze astand shoulder to shoulder with traditional specialist 28 ie - ns L -Li erh tr. .V e ve brs shops: a cheese merchant, cigarette shop, handicrafts shop, milliner, 31 -V Ge O-L chocolatier, ro Dijle -V uw ro etc. Don’t miss the weekly market on Saturday on and around the Grote esmornings uw La traa ek ng t er eN Markt! kh ieu of Hanswijk ws straat tra at St 33 .-J ac ob Va str nB aa The Schepenhuis, or Aldermen’s House, is one of the most eyet en ed catching buildings in Mechelen. The earliest reference to it dates en laa a t b is reflected ves in fromn 1288. The Schepenhuis has a fascinating history andFHthis er ecq pe S est . v the building. First it was the town hall, later on the seat of the Great H Council cq ee p S Schuttersve and then the home of the municipal H. st collection and the city archive. The Schuttea rsve Schepenhuis has been municipal museum since 2000. st K. Mercier Plein Arsenaalstr.

stra at

ve

Var stra

Pelikaa straatje

Bruul

t

str aa gij n

en

Ijze ren

hips t ra

Meysbrug

MECHELEN

s Augu

S str too aa ftje

str.

lg ba

r.

tr.

H h e str oo rtsaa rnt

ete n

29

t

st el

De Langhestr.

Fre

Me la

s hoek on

Kr bruaang

S strleu aa tel tje an str .

Kr a

traa

p Ka

e li

t

ad lep f Dij er utw Zo

Sp1 minute ieg els tr.

Zou tw er f

str .

aa

aals

Lan ge S c

nd

Muntstr.

at

tr.

ns

aa

Zw

str

Sch

't Vlietje

Botermarkt

arkt Leerm

M s oss strcahelpelatje -

26

r. st en

rm Ka tr.

S

Lange Pennincstr.

O

ov

t

rze

ho

t aa

aa

str .

uw

rechtstr.

Korte traat Ridders

sm 26 ar kt N straauwat

V.

ite

Bo

30

Vi

rf

Ge Bla

Zakstraat

4

str en stijn Augu

str

Hallestr.

Ge

Leegheid

tHuideve tersstraat

25 verw e

7

3

tr.

ers

ry

em

Ha

th Be e

eg

Per s o

Begijne nstraat

6 S machoen MGrote rkt ark t

ff Be

utersstraat

eg nw

t

aat bstr Dra

.

S strcahee at r-

Ste e

he D. Bouc Reuzen straat straat

aa

Ti Di che jle lrij

Ad

1

24

Korte gdenstr.

SintPietersberg

str

o Rik W

or

donckstr.

ab

w

Th

Rik Wouters. Highlights Rik Wouters is one of the Belgian public’s favourite artists. He is seen by some as a direct precursor of Expressionism. Even during his lifetime he was regarded as an exceptionally modernistic talent. Most of his artistic career was played out in Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam, but there was always a special place in his heart for Mechelen where he was born.

Though he died at the age of just 33, Rik Wouters left behind a fantastic body of work. Many of those works belong in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA). Comprising 19 sculptures, 26 paintings and 55 works on paper, that collection is now on display in the Schepenhuis together with the Rik Wouters collection belonging to the Municipal Museums Mechelen.

The KMSKA collection will remain in Mechelen until building work in Antwerp is completed at the end of 2017. Regular changes will be made to the presentation at the Schepenhuis Museum.

33

A FEW STEPS FURTHER THROUGH THE BEGUINAGE The extension of the walk starts at Goswin de Stassartstraat and ends at Oude Beggaardenstraat. Allow 30 minutes (1,5 km).

15 House of Refuge of St Trond’s Abbey Very early on the abbots of abbeys and monasteries had refuges built in the walled towns where they could stay during a visit to that town or on their way to their often extensive landed estates. In times of war, these refuges also offered protection.

The House of Refuge of St Trond’s Abbey was established by the Benedictine Abbey in the sixteenth century to improve contact between the abbey and the archbishop. These days this beautiful building is part of the archbishop’s palace to which it is linked by means of a covered bridge.

Starling on the menu Nesting boxes for starlings are built into the ornamental tower. The starling was a real delicacy until the nineteenth century.

34

tstr.

e

15 14

A.B

Z strilveraat je

12

St-Jans kerkho at f

21

.-st r.

at

J 16 House of Refuge Varke De ns olstr. of Tongerlo Abbey str ho Sc

-Toren den

J.D pleenyn in -

tra

rd en

13

Wollemarkt

eg ga a

10

Sint-Janstraat

Klapg

Oude- denstr.

Beggaar

Stra at1jeminute -Zo nde r-Ei e-C nde t- lare Sinboutsf nst r a at Manufacturers De WitRom rkho Royal 23 ke The Royal Manufacturers De Wit is world Minderfamous for restoring tapestries broedvaluable ersby hand. Thanks partly ingenious,1 gang to its22 patented cleaning system, De Wit has Th ab or clients in every 24 corner of the globe. De S str Wit also has tee a prestigious collection aa t antique and modern tapestries. It is of possible to visit the Royal Manufacturers at fixed times. Further details are ch available from Tourism BegijneMechelen. elr ij straantav erw Per s o erf Arm

11

de s

str .

i

he

tr

ero

e

eys

Bi

lijn s- estr d d aa a Stkhei t j i l me

Ho

Sint Jan kerks-hof

ute

s nt

Va n

Gosw in d e

16

at -K

at ra n-

tr.

nv

k nni nu Ka

t Sin

s zu t Je oor P

raat ckerst de De

17

o Sch

str en nn No

18

- Sintjn e Katerkli hof e k

rk j e Ketraat S

Mo

at tstra S t a s sar

d KleinBegijnhofBogaard

Fre de rik de M

at

Heembeem

tra

ls ree

19

Co

Klein Begijnhof

2. 3.

1.

.

Schutt

straast

str. me

O

Bruul

t

ark

je

trt

og s

Ko re

nm

Ho

Bruul

Gu

ld

t

raa

r.

st

en

d ie

pst

el ek

chi

eS

g Lan

ad lep f Dij er utw Zo

Zi

De Langhestr.

en

at

st r.

S str too aa ftje

e li

r. st en

ete n

ov

Gr o br otug

H h e str oo rtsaa rnt

th Be e

aat pje

Kr a

an

str .

Be g

Ijze

ijn e

ren

ns tr

lee

n

t

aa

s hoek

on

Kr bruaang

aat

uchery D. Bora Reuzen st at straat

eg nw

bstr Dra

raa te tje l-

Varken straat s-

Pelikaanstraatje

er nd

Me laa n

donckstr. tan

Nieu werkw

The House of Refuge of S Tongerlo Abbey dates from the fifteenth century. These S days strcahthe e building houses at er- Manufacturers the Royal Be DeScWit, a world-famous tap6 G h ma oen M roteand restoraestry-weaving rkt ark t tion 7 is 3 workshop. If the gate open, step into the beautiHalsee Zaks lestr.a ful garden. You will number of plants growing which Ge are depicted on histes torical itapestries. tr.

Bla Botermark uw Ha M t ho ve Bo 25 30 nd rw Beguinage rze 17 Small s Vi er tr. str sm is 26 aa The Small fBeguinage in the heart Sch and tranquillity t ar a charming oasis of peace V. a kt de Na first beguinage,alsdates of Mechelen. This, Mechelen’s from the thirteenth t 29 r ge u a at w ms century. Later on there wasstarabeguinage outside the city walls, but old and at tra aailing t beguines continued to live here. Three entrance gates closed off the 26 little square but they are no longer here.

La The Small Beguinage was the first e Sc in Flanders to benefit from a regenerationngscheme and has been beautifully hips restored. rm t ra . r Z t Ka tr. out ns w S a 27 er a f Zw str. hip c S Play with me! te O Kor Sp iOn (Sint-Katelijnekerk) you eg the square behind nthe ze Church of St Catherine e C ijtr. estr -L will lssee It is st ort half-sphere. tr. a curious silver Haz er one of numerous ‘toys’ that make nijs r ra e ieve d e e l j 5 k t a at nb up ‘Mechelen, Kids’ City’. k je a -Vr Ma raa Le ch ou st we st ra n t at Mo lei en 35 . 't P r t ss tr. rs e e

18 Large Beguinage Around 1560 the beguinage outside the city walls was destroyed. The beguines re-established themselves inside the city walls, where the Large Beguinage grew up. They bought up existing buildings and built new dwellings, which explains why the Large Beguinage is rather different in character from beguinages in other cities.

Because of its typical Flemish character and unique architecture, the Large Beguinage was declared a UNESCO world heritage site. The little houses are listed.

Kindly respect the privacy of the residents as you stroll along the quiet, picturesque streets of the beguinages.

Beguines and beguinages Beguinages were small towns within a town. They had their own bakery, brewery, nursing home, church and bleaching fields. Beguinages were founded in the time of the crusades. Many of the men who left on a crusade never returned, which resulted in a surplus of women: widows, orphans and women who failed to find a suitable husband. Going and living in a convent was one solution, but many convents only took aristocratic or well-to-do women.

Women who didn’t enter a convent for whatever reason, went to live together and together were able to sustain themselves. The main difference with convents was that the beguines did not take the life-long vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. So they were not tied to the beguinage for life, though most did live out their life there. Initially the church treated them as heretics, but gradually they were accepted on condition that they led a devout life. This was how beguinages in Flanders originated. A beguinage was headed up by a Grand Mistress, who was assisted in the organization and coordination of daily life by mistresses.

Rich, usually aristocratic beguines would build their own house or buy one in the beguinage. Less well-off beguines rented a room from these homeowners and took charge of the housekeeping. Beguines with no possessions were taken into small convents, usually founded by benefactors, to guarantee that prayers were said for the occupants or their deceased family member.

Beguines in the convents had to work for their living, which is one reason lace-making became one of the most important activities in the seventeenth century. So the beguinage played a crucial role in Mechelen’s lace industry.

36

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Arm r-Ei e-C nde lare 19 Beguinage Church nst raa t The seventeenth-century Beguinage Church has a magnificent baroque 23 façade, after the Italian example. r At the time Mechelen’s beguines had capital e e Minder‘t V and so were able to commission well-known architects. The plans were broed ersdrawn up by the Jesuit Pieter Huyssens, but the actual work was overseen gang

by Jacques Francart, who was from Brussels and was court architect to Th ab Faydherbe from Mechelen archdukes Albrecht and Isabella. The young Lucas or 24 str can claim partial responsibility for the interior decoration. aa t

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lijn s- estr d d aa Stkahei t C 20 Het Anker brewery lij e m Krankenstraat leads to the back of het Anker brewery, whicheienjoys world h fame for its ‘Gouden Carolus’ or Golden Charles Founded in 1369, Het Strbeer. a P a tje-Zcopper brew-kettles in lan Anker is one of Belgium’s oldest breweries. The three k t Arm War. onder r. Second World the brew-room date from after sthe -Ein e-C dson are on his e Jan uit den Anker started the brewery in 1369. lLater Matthijs nst raa amber-coloured bought up the municipal brewery and started brewing the t 23 ‘Mechelschen Bruynen’, which rwas popular with both the bourgeoisie and the e e Minde nobility. The beer was also‘t V to Charles V’s taste and now, six centuries on, ‘denrbroedersBruynen’ is still brewed. These days it is called ‘Gouden Carolus Ambrio’ and gang is slightly stronger than its predecessor.

Th In the 1990s the premises were given a makeover.

Charles Leclef, the fifth ab or 24 generation of the family, restored the old buildings and modernized the str aa refrigeration, fermentation and largering facilities. t

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r. tenst Olive Ti Ad Di che aat Begijne jle lrij em Kaardenstr straantGouden Carolus – Golden Charles ge m There are several is st versions of Gouden Carolus. The most Per sfamous ra o tr. at undoubtedly the Gouden Carolus ergsClassic. This special beer won the b r e Awards in 2010. gold medal at the World Beer Ha the various beers Some cafés, and of course Het Anker brasserie, serve 25 verw Korteglasses’.

Heistr. in ‘tasting Vi er sm 26 f Prefer something a little stronger? At the end of 2013 Het Anker brewery ar V kt Adof whisky. So sit back and . launched its first ever, 3-year-old bottles relax N eg Kro straauwe E with a Gouden Carolus Single Cheers! ms llebmMalt. m at tra stra ooge at 26 at -

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Sense-sational Mechelen Explore Mechelen by means of a journey through the senses of the city.

‘Sense-sational Mechelen’ is a guide that titillates all the senses. Inhale the smell of freshly-brewed Gouden Carolus beer and savour the sounds of the carillon. Set off with the city map, follow the various contradictions in the guide or simple… follow your nose!

39

A FEW STEPS FURTHER ALONG THE DYLE PATH The extension of the walk leaves from the Zoutwerf and ends on the Grote Markt. Allow 40 minutes (1,8 km).

Large Bridge The Grootbrug or Large Bridge, also known as the Hoogbrug - High Bridge, connects the IJzerenleen on the other side with the Korenmarkt. This sandstone structure dating from the thirteenth century is the oldest stone bridge in Flanders. The Grootbrug used to be a toll bridge; payment was exacted both on the water and on the street. The bases of two small defence towers are still visible.

The Guldenstraat, Korenmarkt and Hoogstraat lead in a direct line from the Grootbrug to the Brusselpoort, the only surviving city gate.

27 Salt Wharf When the city acquired the staple for salt in 1301, the historic quay on the Grootbrug or Large Bridge was renamed the ‘Zoutwerf’ or Salt Wharf. You will immediately notice the two authentic façades of ‘De Waag’ and ‘De Steur’. It is not hard to picture the boats being unloaded here and the cargoes brought in.

De Steur served as a warehouse, while the goods were weighed in De Waag (‘Weighhouse’).

Another striking building is the former guildhall of the fishmongers, ‘In den Grooten Zalm’ – In the Large Salmon. You’ll see the name of the building in relief above the door. A banderol bearing the words ‘In den Grooten Zalm’ is wound round the gilded salmon. The sumptuous Renaissance façade gives

40

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At the end of the steep street called ’t Plein aisat the Church of Our Ladyacross-the-Dyle. It was built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries on Ge the site where first parish church probably stood. The tower of Mechelen’s er de nh t ge a contains aerkecomplete carillon with no fewer than 49 bells.

Si a r m n B st va Thet-JDyle church e houses painted an ar some wonderful art treasures. RubensKoning t t Albertplein -B g a an stra rc a work efor just as he had done for St John’s. The fishmongers f hm this Lchurch Ho an nstr.they had done commissioned him to illustrate the wealth of their guild eas ss tra at Va at GrootentraZalm’ by building ‘De on the Zoutwerf.

The large triptych entitled ar s td jk ijk story of the same name from Di ‘The miraculous draught of fishes’ tells the the Bible.

The fourteenth-century sculpture ‘Our Lady with the Crooked Hip’ is one of the glories of the church. It is the only free-standing sculpture in Mechelen from that period and it takes its name from Mary’s characteristic stance.

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Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat In recent years edgy retail outlets have mushroomed in Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat, integrating harmoniously with businesses which can look back on a long tradition.

41

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33

Garden Leuv 28 Botanical ense Fa b st stee e v r The Botanical eGarden or ‘Botanique’ is steeped in history.

From the Middle nweg q c e H e t p s Ages this green oasis was the garden of the former ‘commanderij van S e H. cqv Pitzemburg’, order of knights.

After ee its abolition, in the nineteenth century the Sp . garden was turned into an English landscape garden for members of the elitist H Société Royale d’Horticulture. After the First World War it opened to the public Mercier K. as a municipal park.

In the Plein middle of the ABotanical rsena str.Garden is a statue of the celebrated scientist Rembert Dodoens. In the alsixteenth century he wrote a highly acclaimed herbal called the ‘Cruydenboek’.

These days the Botanical Garden is a quiet and very pleasant park where you can enjoy the plant life while the children let off steam in the playground.

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33 Church of Our Lady of Hanswijk This baroque pilgrimage church designed by Lucas Faydherbe was one of the first domed churches in the Low Countries. The dome was to have been even higher, but the substructure proved not to be sufficiently robust. Architect and church engaged in a bitter battle about additional reinforcements.

Koning Inside under the dome are two huge reliefs, also by Faydherbe, believed by Albertplein everyone to be sandstone until the bombing raids in the Second World War. But sandstone would have been too heavy, so the resourceful Faydherbe e nstr. had used gypsum. Only when the damaged reliefs were repaired did the deception come to light.

At the front of the church is a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary which is carried in the annual Hanswijk procession. In 1985 the late Pope John Paul II prayed in this church, whose status was elevated to that of a basilica two years later.

42

29 Bruul The Bruul is Mechelen’s busiest shopping street. You may know it from the game of Monopoly. You can shop here to your heart’s content in large high-street chains and charming boutiques. Or you can of course just enjoy browsing in this semi-traffic-free area. As well as shops you’ll find the Church of Our Lady of Leliëndaal, with the convivial Bruul square next to it. At the far end of the Bruul you come to the Botermarkt with its modern fountain.

43

Verdant outskirts Just beyond the bridges over the Dyle is the Mechels Broek, a wildlife area where many water birds are found. The verdant outskirts of Mechelen extend from different points just behind the small ring road (kleine ring).

In the south you find the peaceful Vrijbroek provincial park with its magnificent rose garden. In the north and west is the river area with the Zennegat. Follow the footpaths or cycling network from the historic city centre and you’ll be in the countryside in no time. Feel like a breath of fresh air? Tourism Mechelen will be happy to provide suggestions.

Planckendael and Technopolis If you’re planning an outing outside the city, Planckendael makes an ideal destination. Though there are plenty of fascinating animals to admire in its 40 hectares, Planckendael is much more than ‘just’ an animal park. For example, you can follow an adventure trail which leads across suspension bridges and into the canopies of trees. There is more than enough space for animals to frolic, for children to play and for more sedate visitors to stroll.

Another must is Technopolis. Land an aeroplane, take a nap on a bed of nails or ride a bicycle along a wire 5 metres above the ground. You can do all that at Technopolis, the Flemish hands-on centre for science and technology!

44

CITY MAP 1 St Rumbold’s Tower

and Cathedral

2 Kazerne Dossin 3 Aldermen’s House 4 Palace of Margaret of Austria 5 Dyle Path 6 Grote Markt 7 Town Hall 8 Church of St Peter and Paul 9 Palace of Margaret of York 10 ’t Schipke – The Little Boat 11 Van Busleyden Court 12 St John’s Church 13 Klapgat – Gossip Alley 14 Groen Waterke – Green Water 15 House of Refuge of St Trond’s Abbey

Walk along Mechelen’s highlights

16 House of Refuge of Tongerlo Abbey 17 Small Beguinage 18 Large Beguinage

A few steps further through the Beguinage

19 Beguinage Church 20 Het Anker brewery 21 Archbishop’s Palace

A few steps further along the Dyle Path

22 Cultural square 23 De Cellekens - The Cells

Tourism Mechelen

24 Melaan

station

25 Haverwerf – Oats Wharf 26 Lamot site + Vismarkt (Fish Market) 27 Salt Wharf 28 Botanical Garden 29 Bruul 30 IJzerenleen 31 Church of Our Lady-across-the-Dyle 32 Toy Museum 33 Church of Our Lady of Hanswijk

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MECHELEN

XLVII

COLOPHON Text: Tourism Mechelen, with thanks to Erik Dams Translation: Alison Mouthaan-Gwillim Photographs: Stad Mechelen, Milo Profi, Picture this, Layla Aerts, Robberechts, Phile Deprez, Christof Vrancken, Stijn Bollaert, © Hugo Maertens KMSKA, © Jochen Beys Cover photo: Milo Profi Design: www.beelzepub.com Printing: Artoos Publisher: Frank Nobels, VVV Mechelen vzw, Hallestraat 2-6, 2800 Mechelen

We have taken the greatest care to ensure that the published information is accurate and up-to-date. However, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or subsequent changes. © 2012 all rights reserved. No parts of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a computerized database or published in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or in any other way without the prior written permission of the publisher. All the texts and photographs remain the property of the publisher.

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