Discovering Mechelen

Mechelen combines heritage and modern experience museums like few other Belgian cities, all within a surprisingly compact urban fabric. This day trip takes you from a refined Renaissance city palace to the largest sports museum in Flanders, an interactive science centre and a nostalgic toy museum. All four stops are very well accessible for wheelchair users.

Begin in the heart of Mechelen at the Hof van Busleyden, a splendid 16th-century city palace that now houses a modern city museum. Thanks to a thorough renovation, the building has been made fully accessible with lifts, wide corridors and adapted toilets. The collection showcases Mechelen's Burgundian-Habsburg heyday through interactive screens at seated height — particularly enjoyable for wheelchair users. Allow around an hour and a half.

Next, drive to the Sportimonium in Hofstade, just outside Mechelen. This sports museum tells the story of Belgian sport through interactive exhibits you can try out yourself. The building is fully single-level and spacious, with excellent passageways for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Opposite the Sportimonium lies Technopolis, the science experience centre that makes science tangible for all ages. This is also fully accessible, and most exhibits are height-adjusted — one of the finest venues in Belgium for families with someone in a wheelchair.

Close the day by returning to the centre for the Speelgoedmuseum Mechelen, the largest toy museum in Europe. Lifts take you to every floor, the corridors are spacious, and there is an accessible toilet on the ground floor. The nostalgia of the old toys touches young and old alike. Practical tips: park in Parking Zandpoort or Parking Tinel for the centre (both with disabled spaces and lifts). For Sportimonium and Technopolis, park for free in their own car parks with plenty of disabled spaces. Allow around 15-20 minutes' drive between the centre and Hofstade.