Just a 20-minute train ride from Brussels, the Mechelen Muurt is a street art mural project in the eponymous city that has turned neglected corners into an open-air art gallery, curated by artist Gijs Vanhee.
This 12-kilometre route blends historic charm with massive modern murals, and can be a perfect day trip for those looking to swap the capital's bustle for canal-side cycling and local legends.
Since 2015, some of Mechelen's corners have undergone a vibrant transformation. Orchestrated by Belgian artist Gijs Vanhee, the Mechelen Muurt project has turned the city into an open-air gallery, inviting a diverse roster of both local and international street artists. Muurt is the Dutch word for little wall.
For those residing in Brussels, it is easily accessible. The journey from the capital to Mechelen is seamless: a quick 20-30-minute train ride from Brussels Central, Midi, or North brings you directly to Mechelen Station.
For the perfect viewing experience, we recommend using the "Visit Mechelen app", which provides precise GPS locations for all stops and information on the featured artists.
"The Social House" by Sozyone. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times
To rent a bike or walk?
The tour is doable by foot, but since it spans 12km and requires around 3.5 hours of walking, the most convenient and efficient option is to experience the path by bike.
After arriving in Mechelen, there is a Blue-bike rental point located at the station, offering reliable city bikes for a fee of €6 per day or €12 for an e-bike. However, be mindful that if you go with this option, you have to drop the bike back off at Mechelen station or another Blue-bike drop-off point, which can be scarce.
If you prefer a more flexible, app-based approach, which offers more drop-off points, you can opt for the orange Donkey Republic or green Mobit bikes scattered around the city.
From the Grote Markt to Muurt 2.0
For the journey, it's best to start in Mechelen's centre at the Grote Markt, which is in close proximity to most of the iconic first-phase murals. However, the true advantage of a bike lies in reaching the "Mechelen Muurt 2.0" works.
The newer, larger-scale installations are tucked away in the city’s outer neighbourhoods – a rewarding experience that most pedestrian visitors unfortunately miss.
"Viswijven" by Rita Jeltsch. Credit: Vicente Manuel Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
A rest stop for "Moon-Extinguishers"
If your legs need a break from pedalling, consider stopping by the "Vismarkt," a former fish market that is now one of the city’s most vibrant areas. It's the ideal spot to park your bike and grab a coffee or a glass of the iconic local beer "Maneblusser," which translates to "Moon- extinguisher."
The beer gets its name from a local legend, which states that a drunken passerby thought that St Rumbold's tower was on fire, so he alerted the locals.
The mayor then organised a firefighting squad, which sent buckets of water by hand in a chain up the tower's stairway, but before the water reached the top, the moon slipped through the haze, and the orange-glow disappeared, revealing that the tower was not on fire. The citizens had been trying to extinguish the moon. To this day, Mechelen locals are still sometimes referred to as Maneblussers due to this incident.
The Leuvense Vaart in Mechelen, Belgium. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
If you're feeling hungry while at the Vismarkt (fish market in Dutch), Ronda is the perfect stop. The restaurant offers a massive patio space with views of the canal and serves traditional Moroccan foods such as Cous-Cous or Tagine, along with Belgian staples like Moules-frites.
Before heading home and surrendering your rental bikes, make sure to cycle alongside the Leuvense Vaart, which offers some of the most picturesque canal views in Mechelen. Depending how far you ride, this route can take you through very rural scenes and various small flemish towns in the region.
