Mechelen

Description

The city of Mechelen - also known as Malines or Mechlin - is a fascinating historic city in Belgium located in the Antwerp province of Flanders. The city stretches across an area of just over 30 square kilometres and is home to a population of over 80,000 residents. Since the Dijle River passes through Mechelen, the city is also commonly referred to as Dijlestad – which translates to City on the river Dijle.

Mechelen is in close proximity to two of the most major cities in Belgium - Brussels and Antwerp - and is located around 25 kilometres away from each city. Along with Antwerp, Bruges and a few other towns, Mechelen is known for being a prominent city of historic art. During the Northern Renaissance, the city was home to a number of painters, composers and artists, making it a centre for art in the past.

Due to its rich history, Mechelen offers a wealth of attractions and places-of-interest for sight-seeing travellers. Some of the most notable sights in Mechelen include the last remaining of the city's twelve gates - the Brusselpoort, the Palace of Margaret of York, the hall for woollen cloth merchants - Lakenhal, as well as a number of museums and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Nearby Airports

Mechelen is close to two of the most prominent airports in the country - the Brussels Airport and the Antwerp International Airport. Each airport is located almost the same distance away, with the Brussels Airport being 24 kilometres away and the Antwerp Airport being around 26 kilometres away. After flying in, Mechelen can be easily reached by train and getting there by train will take around 25 minutes from each airport.

Halal Restaurants

Though there are no known Halal restaurants in Mechelen, Mechelen is located in the vicinity of both Brussels and Antwerp, which are two of the most major towns of Belgium. A wealth of Halal restaurants and Halal food options are available at both towns, with Brussels being home to over 60 Halal restaurants and Antwerp also being home to quite a few Halal food options. Muslim travellers may also enquire about the availability of Halal food at some of the mosques in Mechelen which can offer more details on where Halal food in Mechelen can be found.

Mosques

There are three known mosques in Mechelen – the Alburaq Mosque located at Generaal De Ceunickstraat 7, the Mosque Assounnah located at Lange penninckstraat 24 and the Mechelse Moskee located at Olivetenvest 5-6. For more options, Muslim travellers may visit some of the other more prominent mosques located in Brussels and Antwerp, which are located in relatively close proximity.

Things to Do and See in Mechelen

• The Brusselpoort
• The Palace of Margaret of York
• The Lakenhal
• The Klein Begijnhof  
• The Toy Museum at Nekkerspoel
• The Clock Museum
• The Kruidtuin