Mechelen from Brussels or Antwerp

Mechelen is a compact historic town in Antwerp province, in Belgium's Flemish Region, roughly midway between Brussels and Antwerp. It lies about 25 km from Brussels, and trains take around 20 minutes from Brussels and 15 minutes from Antwerp Central, because Mechelen is a stop on the main line between the two cities. The train is the best mode: services are frequent and the town is easy to cover on foot. From Mechelen railway station on Koning Albertplein, the Grote Markt is a walk of about 15 minutes through the town's streets. The main landmark is St Rumbold's Cathedral, whose unfinished 97 m tower is a UNESCO-listed belfry that can be climbed for views across the town and, on a clear day, towards Antwerp and Brussels. The Grote Markt also holds the town hall and the former Palace of Margaret of Austria nearby recalls Mechelen's past as a Habsburg capital of the Low Countries. Quieter canalside streets run along the Dijle, and the Kazerne Dossin museum, housed in the barracks from which Jews and Roma were deported during the Second World War, offers a serious memorial and documentation centre. A sensible one-day plan begins with the cathedral tower in the morning, then a walk along the Dijle and the Groenmarkt. Lunch can be taken in the cafés around the Grote Markt or in the Vismarkt area. The afternoon suits Kazerne Dossin, which needs a couple of hours, followed by a stroll through the Begijnhof before the return train. Mechelen is also known for its carillon school and its Gouden Carolus beer. The town works year-round and is rarely crowded, so weekday visits are comfortable. Return tickets cost about €5 to €8, and the short ride means the trip can easily be combined with Antwerp or Brussels sightseeing on the same day.