6 Best Sights in Mechelen, Antwerp and the Northeast

Begun in the 13th century, but only completed in the 1520s, this cathedral represents a magnificent achievement by three generations of the Keldermans family of architects, who were active in cathedral building throughout Flanders. The beautifully proportioned tower, 318 feet high, was intended to be the tallest in the world, but the builders ran out of money before they could reach their goal. Inside are two remarkable 40-ton carillons of 49 bells each. Carillon playing was virtually invented in Mechelen (the Russian word for carillon means “sound of Mechelen”). The best place to listen to the bells is in the Minderbroedersgang. Chief among the art treasures is Van Dyck’s Christus an het Kruis (Crucifixion) in the south transept. The remains of the cathedral’s namesake, Sint-Rombout (St. Rumbold), are hidden in the high altar. Climb to the top of the tower and you'll be rewarded with an exhilarating 360-degree panoramic view of the city and the surrounding region—space at the top is limited, however, so advance reservation is recommended.

The first document referring to the brewery dates from 1369, making it one of the oldest breweries in Belgium. Touring this small, intimate brewery, the birthplace of Mechelen’s pride and joy, the dark, sweet Gouden Carolus (Golden Charles) beer, you can witness every stage of the beer-making process. Tours and tastings in English lasting 1 hour 30 minutes must be arranged in advance, but leave at least once a day (except Monday), more often on weekends. It is also possible to tour Het Anker's own De Molenberg distillery, either separately or in combination with a brewery tour. The distillery is at another location 8 km (5 miles) away, but the ticket price includes transfers. The brasserie next to the brewery is open daily, and serves the entire range of Gouden Carolus beers and several beer-seasoned dishes at affordable prices. There is also a hotel in the brewery complex (see below), so devoted beer fans can spend the night.

Dating from the 13th century, the imposing stone Brussels Gate is all that remains of the medieval walls that once kept Mechelen safe. Today, it stands in the middle of the busy ring road around the center, and is no longer open to the public, but in its day it was the highest and most impressive of 12 gates that controlled people's passage in and out of the city.

Barely a notch down in splendor from Antwerp's Grote Markt, or the magnificent Grand Place in Brussels, Mechelen's main square deserves its billing among Belgium's finest plazas. Looming over the western end is the soaring stone tower of St-Romboutskathedraal, while at the opposite end, parts of the Stadhuis (City Hall) date back to the 14th century. The north and south sides are lined with bars and restaurants, with bustling terraces that bring the area to life in summer.

This former Belgian army barracks was used as a holding center and deportation camp by occupying Nazi forces during World War II. Of the more than 25,000 Jewish people who were processed and deported from here, very few made it back to Belgium. Today the buildings house a moving Holocaust memorial dedicated to those people, as well as a documentation center, and a museum explaining Jewish life in Belgium before and during the war.

This museum, in a flamboyant 16th-century Renaissance palace, has an extensive collection of artworks and period bric-a-brac that illustrate life during the height of the Burgundian Netherlands in the 15th and 16th centuries. One particularly noteworthy treasure is a gorgeously illustrated choir book that once belonged to Margaret of Austria.