Boat trip through Mechelen on the Binnendijle

The Dijle is a river that flows through the city center of Mechelen. Here you can take a leisurely boat trip through Mechelen and discover some interesting places from the water.

Admittedly, I wasn’t really in the mood for a boat trip, it was raining cats and dogs and the sky didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. But we already had the tickets in our pockets and I actually love discovering a city this way. So we arrived at the landing stage in good time and waited for the boat.

A blue and red tour boat named "Malinska" is docked at the Mechelen Boot start, ready for a boat trip through Mechelen on the Binnendijle river. A person sits on the red benches of the open-air vessel, which is moored next to a wooden walkway under a modern pedestrian bridge.

It was the last trip of the day and the skipper looked as if he would have preferred to escape the rain too. But a booking is a booking and so we wiped a section of the bench dry and took our seats.

As expected, there were no other passengers and so we had a private boat trip through Mechelen. The skipper started the English tour description with some really great background music. The snappy rock n’ roll immediately lifted my spirits and then it actually stopped raining. The trip could begin!

The Malinska shipping company operates several boats on the Dijle. All of them are 100% electric, which I found really pleasant. The shape of the boats reminded me of cargo boats, as they used to be used to transport goods on the river. They have hardly any draught and our boat only had seats right next to the railing.

A view from the deck of a tour boat with red cushioned seating as it travels along the Binnendijle river in Mechelen, passing by various docked motorboats and modern buildings under an overcast sky.

Boat trip through Mechelen

The boat trip through Mechelen starts at the pedestrian bridge on the Vismarkt. First we drove under the Kraanbrug towards the marina. Ships are moored to the right and left on the shore. Some of them look as if they haven’t sailed for a long time. After passing the former city wall, we reached a large basin where the Keerdok is located. This basin was created in 1915 and is now the turning point of the tour. There is also a lock here that regulates the water level of the Dijle. Before the lock existed, the water level fluctuated greatly due to the connection to the North Sea and in extreme weather conditions, the rising water level could even cause flooding.

A wide shot of the historic brick buildings and a tall spire at the Mechelen Boot hafenbecken, with several boats docked in the water under a cloudy sky.

We now head back and continue past our starting point towards the city center. There are houses to the right and left of the riverbank. The balconies often look out onto the water and sitting here in the sun must be really wonderful.

A stone arch bridge with flower baskets along its railing spans the Binnendijle river in Mechelen, framed by historic buildings under a cloudy sky.

A row of historic, colorful houses with ornate gables lines the Binnendijle river in Mechelen, Belgium, as seen from a boat trip.

The boat trip in Mechelen takes you under various bridges, such as the oldest stone bridge in Flanders dating back to 1230 and under the railroad bridge. I particularly like the footbridge that crosses the water. It is used by numerous pedestrians who not only enjoy the walk along the water, but often also save a lot of time getting across the city.

A low-angle view from the Binnendijle river in Mechelen shows a narrow metal pedestrian walkway supported by thin pillars, running beneath a massive red brick and stone arch bridge.

A view from a boat trip on the Binnendijle in Mechelen shows a historic wooden-clad building built directly over the canal, supported by brick arches that span the water. Lush green trees line the riverbank, framing the view of the overbuilt bridge and its reflection in the calm water.

Between the houses, we discover the imposing dome of the basilica and finally reach the next lock. Here the boat turns around again and returns to the starting point.

The entire trip takes about 45 minutes and, after the initial “weather reluctance”, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. There are some beautiful places to see, we learned a lot about the city and it’s a great way to get a first impression of a city.

A brick arch bridge spans the Binnendijle river in Mechelen, its reflection shimmering on the water's surface amidst lush green reeds and trees.

A low-angle view from the Binnendijle river shows a large brick arch bridge in Mechelen, with a boat lock and metal gates visible in the background beneath the span.

Visitor information

Departure point

Haverwerf,
2800 Mechelen

How to find us

How to find

On foot
Walk from the Grote Markt to the Vismarkt. Cross the Binnendijle over the Lamot Bridge. The berth of Rederij Malinska is right next to the bridge.

Entrance fees

Tickets

Adults: 10,-€

Opening hours

Daily from the first Easter weekend to the last weekend of the fall holidays

March and November on Saturday afternoons and Sunday afternoons.

Accessibility

The boats can be reached with assistance.

The tour took place as part of a research trip to Mechelen.