Belgium: Excursion to Mechelen and Leuven by train

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ID: GYG775091-1244631
Category:
Country: Belgium

Duration: 09:00 hours


Description

History, art and culture are the protagonists of this excursion to Mechelen and Leuven by train. We will visit these two Flemish cities and discover their great monumental heritage.
We will meet at Brussels Central Station, where we will take a train to Mechelen - the journey takes only 25 minutes!

Once there, we will take a walking tour through the historic center of Mechelen. We will start our walk in the heart of the city: the Grote Markt. In this beautiful square is the monumental Town Hall of Mechelen, on whose facade we will see the sculpture of the most powerful man in Spain (and all of Europe) in the first half of the 16th century. Do you know who it is? We are referring to the great Charles of Habsburg, I of Spain and V of Germany, who was born in Ghent in February 1500.

From the Grote Markt we can also see the gigantic bell tower (98 meters high) of the cathedral of St. Rudolph. As we will see, the tower is unfinished - do you know why? We will find out! We will continue our tour of Mechelen along with other emblematic buildings of the city such as the Palace of Margaret of Austria: one of the most cultured women of her time and favorite aunt of Charles V.

During the tour, we will also learn about the history of the legendary Van Busleyden Palace and the Dyle, the Mechelen Canal. Very close to these places we will also see the exteriors of the Het Anker brewery: the city's beer brand. Before leaving Mechelen, we will leave you 45 minutes for lunch on your own.

After refueling in Mechelen, we will take a train to Leuven. On our tour of this picturesque Belgian city in Flanders, we will walk through its beautiful historic center to admire its most majestic buildings, such as the famous University of Leuven (one of the oldest in Europe) and the facade of the City Hall. Would you be able to recognize the characters that appear on its facade?

In Leuven we will take the train back to Brussels.

Highlights

  • Be transported back in time in the old town.
  • Professional tour guides.
  • Marvel at these cities of Flanders

Guiding languages

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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When should I book?

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.


Cancellations

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.