A sunny trip to Mechelen, Belgium with kids

A sunny trip to Mechelen, Belgium with kids.

I love discovering new places that as soon as you arrive you wonder why they aren’t better known. Mechelen is most definitely one of these.

Almost exactly halfway between Antwerp and Brussels it is a city filled with history, culture and plenty of places to explore and adore.

About Mechelen, Belgium with kids

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Mechelen is beautiful with an old, historic feel in its centre. And lots going on for families throughout it.

Wandering the cobbled streets by the river Dyle with the gorgeous pink and purple flowers everywhere, it is reminiscent of Amsterdam, mixed with Brussels with a little bit of a North European attitude thrown in.

St Rumbold’s Cathedral

We started our weekend away with an overview of the city by visiting St. Rumbold’s Cathedral. The tower of which is visible all over Mechelen.

The stories of the ‘Moon Extinguishers’ abound. That on one night in the 16th century the residents believed their newly constructed tower was on fire.

Bringing water in buckets from all over the city they attempted to extinguish the flames. Only to discover that it was the Moon’s light reflecting in the windows that they had seen.

Ever since the people of the city have been ridiculed for their mistake. They are referred to as Mane-blussers, or Moon Extinguishers.

Whether the story is true or not, it’s a tale which the city itself is not ashamed to celebrate.

We climbed to the top of the tower, all 538 steps. I say ‘we’ but actually I’m not good with heights, so after the 300 first steps (quite enough I would say), my four-year old and I hastily tip tapped down the stone spiral staircase back to the safety of the ground. While the other three carried on marching their way to the top.

The views across Belgium from the top of St Rumbolds Tower really are spectacular. On a clear day it’s possible to see as far as the Atomium in Brussels and Antwerp Cathedral.

There are also the five bells to see. Each of which is named after the message they send, such as ‘thunderstorm’, or ‘death’.

Toy Museum

Once we had an overview of the city we decided to head out. Under the railway bridge and over to the amazing Toy Museum.

This has one of the largest collection of toys across Europe.

You could spend three days exploring the three floors and still not see it all.

There are so many toys here and we loved discovering the different hallways and spotting toys that we remembered from our own childhoods and explaining then to our children. “This is a Game-Boy”; “Look at these board games”; or  “I had one of those”.

I loved when my seven-year old daughter turned to me and said, “I prefer the old doll’s houses to all the new ones like Barbie”.

Watching her peer through small windows to wonderful miniature worlds inside, I couldn’t agree more.

Ellis Burger, Mechelen

We stopped for burgers, delicious onion rings and plentiful fries in the simply wonderful Ellis Burger, just off Grote Markt. Part of a chain across Belgium.

What I particularly loved was that despite having a huge array of meat burgers Ellis also have a number of veggie options. And even a vegetarian burger on the specials menu when we visited.

Definitely my kind of restaurant and the food was fantastic. Find out more here.

After all the food and walking we retreated to our hotel.

Staying at Martin’s Patershof – A sunny trip to Mechelen, Belgium with kids

We were staying in the quirky Martin’s Patershof, a converted church with a nearly 600 year old history.

It was wonderful to step back through the huge doors at the end of a busy day exploring and relax in the serene interiors.

Technopolis

We spent another day enjoying Mechelen starting with the absolutely wonderful Technopolis.

This is one of the best science / interactive parks we’ve been to (and we’ve been to a few).

Just outside of the city walls, Technopolis is a huge space of fun for adults and children alike. There are experiments, activities and endless interactive scientific displays that you could easily spend an activity filled day here.

Some of our favourites were making it appear that our head was on a dinner plate, experiencing space walks and laying on a bed of nails.

We also liked the bit where you had to use team work to move objects where one person acted as machine operator but couldn’t see what they were doing and the other, who could see, had to give them instructions. Find out more here.

Exploring Mechelen with kids

And then we were back in the city itself to wander the beautiful cobbled streets. We loved sampling some of the chocolate – there are a number of chocolate shops around as you’d expect in any self-respecting Belgian town. And plenty of ice cream too.

Mechelen is a city made for walking and the old city is beautifully picturesque.

We stopped for some Tapas in the main square, Grote Markt at Sava. Here we feasted on patatas bravas, garlic mushrooms and spring rolls.

It was the perfect setting to relax and chat as a family, with everyone digging in and helping themselves to food. The children laughing and chattering.

And it was the perfect opportunity to try the local Maneblusser beer, named of course after the infamous moon-extinguisher event.

Planckendael Zoo, Mechelen

On our final day in Mechelen we took a stroll across the town to reach a shuttle bus to take us to the city’s Planckendael zoo. A twenty minutes ride away.

It’s a wonderfully spacious former country estate, filled with huge dedicated zones to different continents.

There’s so much space here that you almost feel like you’re taking part in a walking safari. With huge open areas, indoor aviaries and imaginative spaces for the animals where you could walk in their enclosures.

There were also places they could climb up and over the walk ways.

There is plenty for children to explore alongside the zoo animals. Including playgrounds, over-water climbing courses and thrilling treetop rope walks.

Get your skip-the-line tickets here.

Boat trip

Back in Mechelen we set out on the River Dyle to explore the city by water. 

The river curves gently around the city centre so it’s the perfect way to take in the sights. And with the sun on our faces we drifted along happily.

We crossed under numerous bridges including one which is so close to the water we all had to duck right down. Watch our video below to see how close it gets.

We ended our weekend at the restaurant L’Artista. This has a delightful terrace complete with a huge old olive tree and large indoor restaurant area serving delicious rustic Italian food.

We tucked in to huge bowls of spaghetti and big pizzas, hand thrown in front of us.

The food was excellent, fresh and really tasty.

As we headed for the train station, and onto the Eurostar back to London from Brussels we exchanged stories of our favourite parts of the trip.

Mechelen is a wonderful little city is full of quirky tales, twisting back streets and attractions which all of the family enjoyed. It made for a packed and exciting weekend.

Check out our video of our trip to Mechelen below.

Interesting facts about Mechelen, Belgium

Here are some interesting facts about Mechelen.

History and culture

1. Mechelen was once the capital of the Burgundian Netherlands in the late 15th century.
2. The city played a key role in the Habsburg Empire, with Margaret of Austria ruling from here.
3. Mechelen is home to one of the oldest railway stations in Belgium, opened in 1835.
4. The city was a major centre for carillon music, and the Royal Carillon School was founded here in 1922.
5. During World War II, the Dossin Barracks were used as a transit camp for deporting Jews to Auschwitz.

Architecture and landmarks

6. The St Rumbold’s Cathedral has a 97-metre tower offering stunning views.
7. Mechelen’s town hall is an impressive blend of gothic and renaissance styles.
8. The city has eight historic churches, each with stunning artworks and architecture.
9. The Margaret Palace was once home to Margaret of Austria and is now a courthouse.
10. The city centre is full of well-preserved medieval buildings.

Local life and traditions

11. Mechelen has a strong beer culture, with local brews like Gouden Carolus from Het Anker brewery.
12. The people of Mechelen are nicknamed ‘Moon Extinguishers’ due to a 17th-century legend where locals mistook moonlight for a fire.
13. The city hosts the Maanrock Festival, a popular free music event.
14. Mechelen is known for its handcrafted wooden toys, a tradition dating back centuries.
15. It is one of the most child-friendly cities in Belgium, with many activities for families.

Nature and surroundings

16. The Dijle River (also known as Dyle) runs through the city, offering scenic canals and boat tours.
17. The Vrijbroek Park is a large green space with beautiful rose gardens.
18. Mechelen is a great place for cycling, with well-maintained bike paths.
19. The Mechels Broek nature reserve offers beautiful walking trails and birdwatching opportunities.

Modern life and economy

21. Mechelen is located between Brussels and Antwerp, making it an important business hub.
22. It has a thriving culinary scene, with restaurants serving traditional Flemish dishes.
23. The city has undergone significant urban renewal, with a focus on sustainability.
24. Mechelen is known for its innovative education system, promoting multilingual learning.
25. The city has a growing expat community, thanks to its welcoming atmosphere and central location 

Read more of our Belgium posts here:

The best things to do in Brussels with kids