At the beguines in Mechelen

Appointment at the Grote Markt (V) in Mechelen. Step into Befferstraat next to the town hall and walk past the baroque St. Peter and Paul Church to the palace of Margaret of Austria 1 . The current court was the first Renaissance building in the Low Countries. On the other side is the palace of Margaret of York, also called Keizershof, because Charles V stayed there from 1500 to 1515. • Return to your steps and walk diagonally right over the Veemarkt and via Biest to the intersection with Frederik de Merodestraat and 't Schipke. This corner house in rococo style normally houses the Carillon School (now in restoration, moved to the Bruul). Adjacent is the Hof van Busleyden from the 16th century, destroyed during WWI. Since the reconstruction it has served as a city museum. Walk through the Sint-Janstraat to the SintSchelde and the Jankerk. • Take the street next to the church and step through the narrow Klapgat to the Goswin de Stassartstraat. Turn right and then left into Schoutetstraat. You step past the Refugie of the abbey of St-Truiden, which was founded in the 16th century. Abbots used to set up refuges in walled cities. They could stay there if they were in the city or in transit and in times of war these places also offered protection. Further on you walk along the Refugie of the Abbey of Tongerlo from the 15th century (now Manufactuur De Wit). • At the end of the street, after a left-right nod, you enter Klein Begijnhof 2. Walk next to the white building into the narrow street, turn left and step through a round arch gate at the end. Turn right, over the square to Heembeemd. Left. At the end, follow Sint-Katelijnestraat to the left until you can walk right through a gate into Cellebroedersstraat. You now stroll through the Groot Begijnhof 3. Turn right into Acht Zalighedenstraat and turn left with this street. Then follow the Twaalf Apostelenstraat to the left, ignore the Krommestraat on the right and continue until you reach the 17th-century Beguinage Church. • Turn right, through Sint-Alexiusstraat to Nonnenstraat. On the other side you step into the narrow Krankenstraat. At the end you will see on the right the back entrance of brewery Het Anker, known for the Gouden Carolus. The brewery has existed since 1369. Now follow the Hoviusstraat to the left, immediately past the Convent of the 10 Commandments from 1620 and turn right further into the Fonteinstraatje. You enter the Conventstraat and follow it to the left until you reach the Nonnenstraat. There you turn right until you reach the Nieuwe Beggaardenstraat. • Then turn left and at the first intersection follow the Sint-Katelijnestraat to the right. Ignore A.B. street on the right and step left into Oude Beggaardenstraat. It takes you past the 18th-century Archbishop's Palace to the Wollemarkt. On the Wollemarkt turn right past the Sint-Romboutstoren and the Sint-Romboutskerkhof to the Cultuurplein (Onder den Toren). Then via the Minderbroedersgang along the Cellekens to the Melaan. Turn left along the vlietje. • At the end of the Melaan, at the Persoonshoek, the water stops. Turn left and walk along the Drabstraat to the Vismarkt, where fish was first sold in 1531. On the other side of the Dijle is the Haverwerf. Step over the pedestrian bridge and follow the Dijlepad next to Lamotsite 4, to the left. From the Grootbrug, also known as Hoogbrug on the IJzerenleen, you walk along the Zoutwerf. When the city acquired the stacking rights to salt in 1301, the quay was renamed Zoutwerf. • At the Pentagon you walk under the Fountain Bridge. This is where the Dijlepad ends. Climb up to the bridge, cross the Dijle and walk right into the Kruidentuin 5 or Botanique. This garden belonged to the Commandery of Pitzemburg since the Middle Ages. After WWI it became a public park. Via the Pitzemburgstraat and the Hazestraat you enter the Bruul. Turn right until you reach the Grand Place.