Mechelen is not only known for its picturesque streets and historic buildings, but also for the impressive churches scattered throughout the city. The church tour in Mechelen offers visitors the opportunity to discover history, art and spirituality on a unique route.
Each of the seven churches tells its own story and reflects different eras and styles – from Gothic to Renaissance to Baroque. Originally, 8 churches are presented on the church tour. During our visit, however, one church was closed and there were no plans to reopen it.
On the church tour in Mechelen, you will discover masterpieces by Flemish artists, magnificent altars and historic organs. Whether you are an art lover, history buff or fan of sacred architecture, the church tour is an unforgettable experience.
Here is a look at a possible route from church to church.
Our tip: Before starting the church tour in Mechelen, be sure to check the opening hours of the churches! Admission is free and we met nice people in every church who told us something about the place of worship.
Begijhofkerk
The Begijhofkerk or Beguinage Church Mechelen is a church that is part of the Beguinage in Mechelen.
The Beguines were a religious women’s movement that emerged in the Middle Ages. They consisted of women who led a spiritual life, but outside the strict rules and enclosures of a monastery. They were socially committed and cared for the poor, the sick and the needy. Beguines lived either alone or in communities known as beguinages. They did not take any permanent vows, but committed themselves to a chaste and pious life. The movement emerged in Europe in the 12th century. It attracted women who wanted to live independently of men, including widows, nobles and financially independent women.
The beguine community in Mechelen was founded in the 13th century and in the 16th century the community settled within the city walls.
Construction work on the Begijhofkerk began around 1629. The architect was Pieter Huyssens, who drew his inspiration from Italian Baroque. As the Beguines were quite wealthy, their aim was to create one of the most beautiful churches in the city. For example, they were able to recruit the gifted sculptor and Rubens student Lucas Faydherbe to design and decorate the church. On the gable end of the church is the relief of God the Father, which is attributed to him.
The façade of the church is divided into three parts. The lower section features Corinthian and Doric half-columns, which are crowned by a pediment.
The interior design is clearly based on the Italian architecture of the time. The round arch arcades on the pillars separating the nave from the side aisles are a typical stylistic device. However, there are also striking details that have been preserved from later renovations. For example, the color scheme of light blue, pink, turquoise and beige dates from the 20th century and the wooden floor was sanded white at some point. In the course of the Counter-Reformation, the altar was moved closer to the faithful.
Many of the 17th century sculptures and paintings that characterized the nave at the time have been preserved. The Beguines commissioned the 17th century painters Jan Cossiers and Theodor Boeyermanns to create paintings depicting the lives of saints. There are also some impressive works by other artists. Jan Van Der Steen, for example, created the works in the high altar depicting the Virgin Mary and Saints Alexius and Catherine.
St. John’s Church (Sint-Janskerk) is located near the city festival hall. The Roman Catholic church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist and is one of the most interesting destinations on the church tour in Mechelen.
The history of this church dates back to the 13th century, when a chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist stood on this site. This was elevated to a parish church and over the next two centuries was extended and rebuilt into an impressive place of worship. The church tower reaches an impressive height of over 55 meters and is surrounded by four smaller towers.
During the Wars of Religion, the so-called iconoclasts plundered the interior of the Sint-Janskerk (1566). Perhaps this is why a contract was signed in December 1616, which is the reason for the attraction in the church today. The church council commissioned Peter Paul Rubens to create a triptych for the high altar. Many of the works attributed to Rubens were created by his students. He even only signed some of them. He appeared in person in Mechelen in 1617 and retouched the painting himself.
The Rubens entitled “Adoration of the Magi” consists of side panels painted on both sides, a central panel and three smaller paintings below the main panel. The side panels show:
St. John the Evangelist on the island of Patmos,
The beheaded John the Baptist
St. John the Evangelist in boiling oil,
The baptism of Christ
The three smaller paintings, the so-called predella, below the central panel are no longer complete. Two of the paintings, which originate from Rubens’ workshop, are in a museum in Marseille. The painting “Christ on the Cross” can still be seen in the church. The central painting above the altar is called “Adoration of the Magi”.
Even though every visitor is drawn to the famous work by Rubens, there are other valuable works to discover. A beautiful triptych, for example, is by Gaspar de Crayer and there are copies of paintings by other artists such as Jacob Jordaens (the originals are now in museums).
I think the pulpit and carved pews are special gems. The pulpit, for example, features detailed carvings of people and animals. Even the sheep’s wool is visible. A wonderful piece of work.
A “little” secret of the church was discovered in 2008. Unique wall paintings from the 14th century were found behind the organ case on the second floor of the tower. The paintings are large works of art depicting St. Christopher and St. George. If you want to see these paintings, you must take part in a guided tour.
Address
Johannskirche 1, 2800 Mechelen
Opening hours
1.4.-31.10. 1-5 p.m. 1.11.-31.3. 1-4 p.m. Monday closed Closed : 1.1., 24.12., 25.12., 31.12. Saturday church service from 4 pm
Sint-Katelijnekerk
The Gothic St. Catherine’s Church is located in an area of the town where the less well-off people of Mechelen used to live. There was a chapel on this site as early as 1279, which was elevated to parish church status in 1305 following renovation work.
The current Gothic church was consecrated in 1343 and has been rebuilt several times over the years. Today, the layout is that of a three-aisled basilica with a square crossing tower, two side chapels and a baptistery.
The church looks imposing from the outside and is all the more astonishing when you look at the rather simple interior. It is clear that the builders did not have much money at their disposal and so there are hardly any works by today’s famous artists in the church. The barrel vault, which is made almost entirely of wood, is particularly beautiful. The vaulting in the nave and transept was created at the end of the 19th century after a renovation.
The church contains sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries. Some can be attributed to well-known artists such as Nicolaas Van der Veken, but many are by unknown artists. The confessionals from the 17th century are particularly striking. These were also made by Nicolaas Van der Veken. The choir stalls in the Louis Seize style were created by Pieter Valckx in 1776.
Address
Sint-Katelijnestraat 78, 2800 Mechelen
Opening hours
1.4.-31.10. 1-5 p.m. 1.11.-31.3. 1-4 p.m. Monday closed Closed : 1.1., 24.12., 25.12., 31.12. Sunday service 10 am
Sint-Romboutskathedrale
The origins of St. Rombouts Cathedral date back to the 13th century. By 1500, the impressive and mighty church building had reached its present form. The church is the episcopal church of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels.
During the church tour in Mechelen, we not only climbed the tower to the Skywalk, but also visited the church. Here you will find outstanding works of art by artists such as Lucas Faydherbe, Abraham Janssens van Nuyssen and Anthonis van Dyck. The painting “Christ on the Cross” by Anthonis van Dyck and the baroque high altar by sculptor Lucas Faydherbe from 1665 are particularly well-known.
daily 8.30-17.30 Tower daily 13-18, Saturday from 10
Sint-Pieter-en-Paulkerk
The official name of the church is “Peter and Paul on a visit to St. Ignatius and St. Francis-Xaverius”. A rather long and cumbersome name that has its origins in the history of the church.
The baroque church was built on the edge of the Vleesmarkt from 1669 by the Jesuits. They named the church after Saints Ignatius and Xaverius. When the Jesuit order was dissolved in 1773, the associated monastery was initially converted into a courthouse. The church “took over” the parish church of the Peter and Paul parish, which was located in the immediate vicinity. Their own church had become dilapidated and had to be demolished. When the church was taken over, the name was simply changed and from then on the church was called “Petrus und Paulus auf Visite bei dem heiligen Ignatius und dem heiligen Franziskus-Xaverius”. However, it is still known as Sint-Pieter-en-Paulkerk.
The interior of the church is richly decorated. I find the carved pulpit particularly beautiful. It depicts the missionary work of St. Francis Xavier on the four continents. Australia, the 5th continent, had not yet been discovered at the end of the 16th century and is therefore missing. I was very surprised by the 14 carved confessionals. Were there so many sinners here that such a huge number of confessionals were needed? It is often jokingly claimed today that this was due to the proximity to Vleesmarkt. The merchants certainly had a lot to confess. The fact is, however, that there are numerous relics in the church, which attracted many pilgrims. They had to be absolved of their sins before touching the relics.
I find it somewhat bizarre that the entrails of Margaret of Austria are buried in the high choir of the church. Why were they buried separately?
The Roman Catholic Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk is located near the Dijle and is another destination on the church tour in Mechelen.
The history of the church begins in the 10th century, when a ship ran aground in the hamlet of Hanswijk on the banks of the River Dijle. Despite great efforts, the ship could not be freed. It was only when someone brought a statue of the Virgin Mary, which was on the ship, to the shore that the ship could be moved. The inhabitants attributed the success solely to the statue and decided to venerate Mary at this exact spot from then on. A chapel was built, which developed into a popular place of pilgrimage.
A church was built for the statue around 1381. Unfortunately, not only was the statue of the Virgin Mary lost during the religious wars of the 16th century, but the church and the adjoining monastery were also destroyed. The parish therefore received a new statue, which is 1.45 meters tall and made of walnut wood. Mary, with a sceptre in her hand, carries the baby Jesus in her other hand. The statue is carried through the town during the annual Hanswijk procession.
The church was also rebuilt. A large rotunda with a diameter of 15.50 meters and a dome height of 34 meters was built high above the nave. The most important work of art in the nave is the pulpit. It was made in 1746 by the Mechelen sculptor Theodoor Verhaegen and shows the life-size figures of Adam and Eve after the Fall from the South. An old man with one hand pointing to a snake and the other to a medallion in the pulpit basket is talking to Adam.
I was particularly interested in the labyrinth on the church floor. It was made from two-colored pages. Unfortunately, I have not yet found out why this was done.
Address
Hanswijkstraat 69, 2800 Mechelen, Belgien
Opening hours
1.4.-31.10. 1-5 p.m. 1.11.-31.3. 1-4 p.m. Monday closed Closed : 1.1., 24.12., 25.12., 31.12. Church services: Tue-Fri 9am, Sun 8am and 11am
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Over-de-Dijlekerk
The Gothic Church of Our Lady on the other side of the Dijle is classified as Brabant Gothic.
The parish was founded around 1236, but the church building no longer exists. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century. The facades of the side aisles and the base of the tower are still preserved from this period. The tower was raised in the 15th century.
The nave was also completed in this century. The choir was added at the beginning of the 16th century and the building was completed towards the end of the century. Three chapels were added later.
The First and Second World Wars left their mark on the church and work began on its gradual restoration. Disagreements between various people in charge eventually led to the work coming to a standstill. Work did not resume until 1961. The church was largely adapted to the renewed liturgy from the Second Vatican Council. A modern altar was installed in the church and the windows were also replaced. There is a carillon with 49 bells in the tower.
Fortunately, some artistic treasures have been preserved. There are still frescoes from the 16th century, a magnificent high altar from 1690 and a baroque pulpit from 1718.
The highlight is definitely the painting “The Miraculous Procession of Fishes” by Peter Paul Rubens. It has been hanging in the church since 1619. The polyptych was originally made for the altar of the Mechelen Fishmongers’ Guild in the church. In 1794, the French occupying forces took it to Paris. The upper part was returned in 1816. In the center, Jesus can be seen with the apostles during the fish migration. The right-hand panel shows the catch of Tobias, who cures his father of blindness with the help of a fish liver, and the left-hand panel shows Peter finding a coin in the mouth of a fish. The other parts of the work are in Nancy and St. Petersburg.
Address
Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat 87, 2800 Mechelen
Opening hours
1.4.-31.10. 1-5 p.m. 1.11.-31.3. 1-4 p.m. Monday closed Closed : 1.1., 24.12., 25.12., 31.12. Sunday service 10 am
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