 The town of Mechelen (in French : Malines) is situated half-way between Brussels and Antwerp. It has about 75.000 inhabitants.
The landmark of Mechelen is the huge St. Rumbold's tower (in Dutch : St. Romboutstoren). This impressive late-medieval tower can be seen from far away. Standing close to the tower it is immediately clear that the tower was designed to become very high. The construction was stopped in the 16th century because the town of Mechelen had financial problems.
 The town was founded in the early Middle-Ages on the banks of the river Dijle (which also runs through the town of Leuven). It is a pleasant typical Flemish city which belonged to the Duchy of Brabant. The town center is a low-traffic area, which makes Mechelen a pleasant shopping city. On Saturdays the main shopping streets 'Bruul' and 'IJzerenleen' are visited by all the people of the city itself and the neighbouring villages.
 Brussels has almost always been the most important city of the Low Countries, but for a short period (1st half of the 16th century) Mechelen was the capital of the Low Countries. At that time Margaret of Austria ruled here and had set up her court in Mechelen. Her successor, Charles V, again moved the court to Brussels. Nowadays, Mechelen is still the religious capital of Belgium. Here resides the Archbishop of Belgium.
Although Mechelen suffered badly during the World Wars of the 20th century, a lot of interesting and beautiful old buildings have been preserved. To name but a few : the St. Rumbold's Cathedral, the former Palace of Margaret of Austria, the Town Hall, and several really beautiful and  enchanting houses.
Visitors to Belgium often only visit the main cities like Bruges, Brussels and Antwerp. This is because they don't know that a little bit outside of the beaten track, there are other beautiful historic sites in our country. Mechelen is one of those sites and deserves to be visited.
How did the Mechlians acquire their nickname of "MOON EXTINGUISHERS" ?
 According to the historical archives, it all happened during the night of January 27th in the year 1687. The moon projected a reddish glow on Saint Rumbold's Tower, which was wrapped in a fog. A drunken man was going home and suddenly saw the extraordinary phenomenon.
Fire ..., the tower is on fire ..., his dreary voice shouted into the night. Torn from a deep sleep the neighbours threw open their windows and were bewitched by the same view. In less than no time, almost the whole population was afoot. The alarm-bell was sounded everywhere and every possible kind of extinguisher was brought to the fire.The town council, the mayor at its head, ran to the scene of catastrophe and immediately began organizing the rescue-work. Buckets of water were passed from hand to hand along the stairs. But before the top was reached, the moon silently came through the fog and ... to the utter astonishment of the brave Mechlians, they saw that they had been fooled by the intoxicated Bacchus friend.
 Although the Mechlians tried to suppress the story, it soon became known throughout the country and even was told abroad. One should remember that cities and towns in that age maintained only very strained relations.Many rhymes and jokes were told and even published, and these kept the story alive. Thus it came about that even in our times, the Mechlians are known by the name of "Maneblussers" (Moon Extinguishers).
MONUMENTS IN MECHELEN
Mechelen has been severely damaged during both World Wars. However, a lot of historically important buildings have been restored. Some survived the wars. A stroll through the city will show that in almost every street are beautifully preserved or renovated private houses. Here we give some of the highlights of the city.
Some Houses of Mechelen.
Former Palace of Margaret of Austria
Erected as from 1507 by the architect Rombout II Keldermans as a residence for Margaret of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands.
Whereas the rearmost part is in traditional late-Gothic style, the gatehouse is one of the first buildings in the Renaissance style of the Northern countries. It was designed by Guy de Beaugrant, a French architect from Savoie, France. He had been appointed as architect of the palace by Margaret of Austria herself. It was here that the later Emperor Charles V spent his youth at the court of his aunt
Margaret. After the death of Margaret of Austria, the palace was the residence of Cardinal Granvelle, and from 1616 until 1795 it was used by the Great Council of the Netherlands. The palace has been used as Court of Law since 1796.
 The former house of the Town Council (Oud Schepenhuis).
This remarkable building in early gothic style (13th and 14th century) is situated on the corner of the Market Square. From 1473 until 1614 it was used as the seat of the Parliament of Mechelen, the supreme court of law of the Netherlands.
Later the guilds held their meetings here. In the following centuries the building was used for different purposes: prison, museum and city archives.
Hof van Busleyden (Court of Busleyden)
 Hiëronymus van Busleyden, a man of noble birth, saw the light of day in Arlon (now in the Belgian Province of Luxemburg) in 1470. After years of intensive study, he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Law at both the universities of Bologna and Louvain. Philip the fair praised him for his thorough juridical knowledge and inducted him as a counselor and a registrar of the Great Council of Mechelen. This explains why he decided to settle down in our town. He joined the diplomatic service of Charles the Fifth who charged him with several missions abroad. Returning from a  mission, he died in Bordeaux (France) in 1517, thus making the last journey... His residence dates from 1503-1508. Its historical dimension and remarkable architecture make it one of the most attractive buildings in late Gothic style in the town center. After Hiëronymus' decease, his court's functionality changed many times. From 1610 up to and including the first World War, it was a pawn house called "Mountain of Charity". From 1938 to the present day, it has been housing the City Museum of Mechelen.
Archbishop's Palace
The archbishop, Primate (most senior person) of the Belgian Catholic Church is in residence in the stately white palace erected in 1717. Further along the street you will meet the 'Groen Waterke' a relic of the many watercourses, called 'vlietjes', that once ran through the city. You can see the refugee house of Sint-Truiden to the right of the 'Groen Waterke'.
Town House 'De Beyaert'
 'De Beyaert', originally a hostel for pilgrims, was the 15th century town hall.This house stands on the side of the Cathedral. There are two parts : the small 'Beyaert' and the large 'Beyaert'. The first (small) part dates from the 12th century but was enlarged in the 14th century. One can still see the original part in the short, traditional wing on the side of the cathedral. In the 15th and 16th centuries a new part was added, called 'the large Beyaert'. It was renovated again in 1907-1908. It was used as the town hall of Mechelen from 1474 until 1914. It now houses the Post Office of Mechelen.
Below you see a picture of Castle Ter Elst situated in the town where I live right outside Mechelen.
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