Mechelen (Malines)

Although Malines is the smallest of the Flemish art cities, it still has a rich history. This pocket-size metropolis is situated halfway between Antwerp and Brussels. Present-day Malines embraces its history as the capital of the Burgundian Netherlands. The Hof van Busleyden Museum allows you to travel back 500 years in time, following in the footsteps of Hiëronymus van Busleyden, Erasmus, Thomas More, Emperor Charles V and Margaret of Austria, all of whom left their mark on Malines. You can walk from the Burgundian city palaces to the pastel-coloured houses on the Haverwerf, passing from one fine monument to the next. Your visit ends on the skywalk of Saint Rombout’s Tower, where you can look out over Malines and her blue-green surroundings with your head well and truly in the clouds. Interested in visiting the city on the Dijle? You can already take a preliminary stroll through Malines from the comfort of your armchair via www.virtueelmechelen.be.

There is a train connection between Bruges and Malines, with a single change of trains in Gent-Sint-Pieters or Bruxelles-Midi (Brussels-South) (journey time: ca. 1.30-1.45 hours).