In Mechelen, city palaces, St Rumbold’s Tower, churches, the Beguinage and old city gates are all within walking distance of each other. The compact city centre feels like an open-air museum where you can discover dozens of monuments in just a short space of time. Just outside the city, in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, you’ll find the Winter Garden of the Ursulines, an extra jewel in the region.
Twelve gateways
Between the 13th and 19th centuries, an impressive city wall surrounded Mechelen with twelve city gates and several towers. The gates, ramparts and moat together constituted a fortress that protected the city in the event of a siege and acted as a checkpoint for those entering or leaving the city. The Brusselpoort is the only remaining city gate.
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