Mechelen’s Beguines

This peaceful walk in the Large and Small Beguinage includes a visit to the Beguinage Church.
The quaint, narrow streets of the beguinages exude an atmosphere of tranquillity and make for a very pleasant stroll. Its typical Flemish character and unusual architecture has ensured the Large Beguinage of a place on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.





Mechelen's first beguinage was founded on Begijnenstraat in the thirteenth century. Later on it moved outside the city ramparts. Around 1560 the beguinage was destroyed and the beguines returned to the inner city, where the Large Beguinage grew up. The women bought up existing buildings and built new houses. This explains why Mechelen's beguinage is different in character from beguinages in other cities.

These days the Large Beguinage is a peaceful, pleasant residential area. Its buildings are listed.