De Gouden Vis

Northeast Belgium


The bare boards of this youth favourite have a well-loved patina, the vine threatens to break chunks out of the verandah and the rear riverside terrace catches afternoon sunshine before the serious drinking gets going.

A representative selection of Mechelen beers is available.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northeast Belgium attractions

1. Schepenhuis

0.13 MILES

The Schepenhuis is a small castle fantasy dating back to 1288. It became the council parliament for the Burgundian Netherlands from 1473.

2. St-Romboutskathedraal

0.2 MILES

This soaring, Gothic-vaulted cathedral features a 1723 monumental pulpit, a 1630 Van Dyck crucifixion scene in the south transept, and dozens more fine…

3. Stadhuis

0.21 MILES

Balancing the massive bulk of St-Romboutskathedraal across Mechelen's splendid Grote Markt is the contrastingly poetic stadhuis in all its devil-may-care…

4. OLV-over-de-Dijle

0.22 MILES

This breathtakingly huge Brabantine Gothic church has suffered numerous reconstructions, notably after bombing during WWII. Nonetheless it retains a very…

5. Op-Sinjoorke Statue

0.24 MILES

Landing on his back with limbs akimbo, the giant yellow character that you see in the grassy contoured space north of St-Romboutskathedraal is Op…

6. Het Zotte Kunstkabinet

0.28 MILES

This eccentric little shop-museum is great if you can catch it open, and has some fun with the 'crazy' hell scenes and frolicking odd folk of 16th-century…

7. Brusselpoort

0.33 MILES

By the late 18th century, medieval city walls had become redundant and Mechelen's were torn down to create the space where the R12 inner ring road now…

8. St-Janskerk

0.35 MILES

Built in white sandstone, the 15th-century Gothic church of the 'two Johns' (Baptist and Evangelist) looks fairly unremarkable from the outside. However,…