Mechelen 2026

You will find a concentration of cafe bars around Mechelen's historic Grote Markt which is overlooked by Saint Rumbold's tower. On the last two days of a Belgian trip during the May 2026 heatwave, Makadam was the only one that Tim and Meg visited.

Several cafe bars in other parts of Mechelen were also visited though! Mechelen is easy to reach by train with two stations on the main railway line between Brussels and Antwerp. However, some trains do not stop at Mechelen-Nekkerspoel.

Makadam

Makadam is the arrowed cafe bar on the north side of the Grote Markt with the 'Martha Sexy Blond' sponsored sunshades. (NB Martha Tripel is the beer's new name).

Special beers in bottles or cans are listed on a blackboard and there is a smaller board, near the entrance, listing draught beers.

The printed beer menu lists about 80 bottled beers including several from local and smaller brewers.

Tim chose Brasserie de la Senne Wadesda #9, a Tripel Saison limited release from the Specials board.

Café De Hanekeef

Located at Keizerstraat 8, Mechelen's oldest beer cafe has been serving drinks since 1886. There is a strong rooster theme at Café de Hanekeef which takes it's name from the baskets that they were carried away in from a nearby market.
After climbing the steps to enter the cafe, one of the first things to notice is the old wooden tip-up seats along one wall that may have come from an old cinema.

The decorative floor tiles and a traditional wooden 'spaarkas' with numbered slots, once used for savings, on the far wall are also featured in the above photos.

At a quiet moment on a sunny Monday afternoon it was possible to get a photo of the traditional dark wood bar and bar back with its tidy glasses and unintentionally, a portrait of our hospitable host. A 2024 Café Society post by Cliff Lucas for Belgian Smaak features several superior photos of De Hanekeef and its decor.

The beer menu lists six bottles from Het Anker brewery including Maneblusser (€3.90) and Gouden Carolus Whisky Infused (€5.90).

We liked the local character of De Hanekeef and returned more than once, after a first visit on Monday afternoon, to try a variety of beers from the menu (above). A lesser known beer on the list is Vossen met de Meynen Soixante-Neuf (top right photo above).

De Vleeshalle

De Vleeshalle (Meat market hall) opened in 1881 and closed in 1967. The building was renovated in 1992 and is now a 'culinary hotspot in the heart of Mechelen' with a collection of food outlets offering dishes from various countries.

A central bar serves nine draught beers, nine bottled beers and five no / low alcohol beers.

Pictured above is a Vleeshalle Tripel from the bar with Kibbeling (fish nuggets) from NØR and curly potato fries from another food stall. There are many seating options in different areas of the hall.

De Gouden Vis

Previously visited and featured in a March 2019 Mechelen Meander post, De Gouden Vis is an Art Nouveau beer cafe with a terrace overlooking the river Dijle from the north side. It is located at Nauwstraat 7, just west of Grootbrug (big bridge).

The terrace was crowded on a warm Tuesday evening but there was plenty of space inside with a view towards the river. From the Mechelse Bieren section of the combined mat / menu (below), Bruur (above) is brewed for Collectif Malunés, a contemporary circus company, by Circus Brouwerij.

Bruur cost €5.20 for a 33cl bottle. De Gouden Vis is an essential beer cafe to visit in Mechelen. 

Dijlepad floating footpath - view from east end near Fonteinbrug

The Dijlepad is a floating footpath on the south side of the river Dijle between Grootbrug and Fonteinbrug, near Kruidtuin (Botanical Gardens). Taking this path from Grootbrug to an exit before Fonteinbrug (e.g. 't Plein) gives a quick and interesting route from De Gouden Vis to Kafee Zapoi.

Kafee Zapoi

Kafee Zapoi is located about 100 metres west of Fonteinbrug, at Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat 117. 
(Between Kafee Zapoi and Nagelmackers Bank (111), there is a gated entrance to a passage which leads to the Dijlepad).

Visited on Monday and Tuesday night, there was dim lighting. It's popular with a younger set and likely to be busy at weekends. There are several nice touches like candles and fresh flowers on the traditional wooden tables.

The decor is interesting and includes a gramophone and stained glass. The beer menu includes beers from Brouwcompagnie Rolling Hills based in Oudenaarde. Tim liked Treeple Chase (Steeple) Belgian Tripel 'a ride with the wind in your hare' (above) fermented with Saison yeast and Wildebeest (6% ABV, NEIPA, below) 'your next world trip in a glass'.

As well as Rolling Hills Pils, there are also three Het Anker beers on draught: Maneblusser, Gouden Carolus Tripel and Gouden Carolus Classic.

Het Anker Brasserie

It was a relief to find a table in the shade outside the Het Anker Brasserie on a sunny Tuesday. Here you can also enjoy the sights and smells of an active brewery while drinking a beer brewed on the site like Het Anker Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor (33cl bottle, €4.50, above). On a quiet day like this, the table service can be highly recommended.

Tour guide Marc De Knijf - 23/3/2019

To see inside the brewery you can take a tour or read a previous blog post about a tour in March 2019 which includes photos from inside the brewery.

Het Anker Maneblusser from the brewery shop served at home

Branded glasses and beers listed in the Brasserie menu can also be purchased in the brewery shop to take away at reasonable prices.

The menu includes canned beers e.g. Battelaar, from the linked Batteliek microbrewery, 3 km away. 

Sint-Beggastraat & Fonteinstraatje

A visit to Het Anker brewery &/or brasserie can easily be combined with a leisurely walk around the historic streets of the Groot Begijnhof and Klein Begijnhof and the baroque Begijnhofkerk which are next to the brewery.

Cafe Tilt

Jack Anderton posted a great review of Cafe Tilt on The European Bar Guide after a visit in 2019.

Located outside the inner ring road and on the south west side of the straight Kanaal Leuven-Dijle, pedestrians will find plenty of interesting Belgian suburban houses of interest in the vicinity of this Lokaal / Pub / Club.

When we arrived at Cafe Tilt on (Bank Holiday) Monday at 4.15 pm, a cyclist was outside organising luggage after the local cycling club had returned from a weekend trip to the Netherlands.

Inside, we were lucky to find two free stools at the far end of the bar as Cafe Tilt was otherwise full. One end of the bar has a football theme and the other is about cycling. It is the base for WTC Tilt -Wielertoeristenclub Tilt v.z.w. Mechelen. There are cups and trophies above the bar. 

After a walk here in the sunshine the cool 33cl glass of Maes Pils (€3.10) was just what we needed. There were no language problems here as the bar lady who served us has relatives in Wigan. There was a lively atmosphere inside and it's great when a pub has a strong following based on shared interests that include socialising at the local. 

VerToi

Vrijbroekpark is a little further out from central Mechelen. May is a good time to visit the park with its oversized deck chair, attractive landscape, trees, flowers and herbs.

VerToi is a purpose built brasserie near the edge of the park with fine views and plenty of outdoor space.

A delightful spot to enjoy a cold draught Omer Vander Ghinste Bockor Pilsner on a hot day and the service included a charming smile.

Postscript

Unfortunately we did not have an opportunity to visit Het Maanlicht as it was closed when we passed after visiting Het Anker Brasserie on Tuesday afternoon so we revisited De Hanekeef.

Two other landmarks on the map are historic Brusselpoort and the contemporary Opsinjoor figure (Opsinjorke XXL), both above.

Liberec, Czech Republic - Beer, trams and museums

Svijany Prémiový ležák 450 at Radniční sklípek,
3 tram at Galerie Lázně / Museum of Fine Arts

Liberec is the fifth largest city in the Czech Republic, situated about 110 km north west of Prague. Until 1945 it was named Reichenberg. It was once known as the 'Manchester of Bohemia' due to its thriving textile industry. 

Situated to the west, the mountain-top Hotel Ještěd and television transmitter above is visible from many parts of the city. On Sunday 15 March 2026, from the Horní Hanychov terminus (3) tram stop (the highest in the Czech Republic), the Ještěd ski slope was visible but sadly the top of the mountain was obscured by cloud.

Staying for two nights at Hotel Liberec, near Šaldovo Náměstí (3) tram stop and Dinopark Plaza, made travel around the city convenient. 

Tram 3 also stops at Liberec railway station and Fügnerova for transfers and at Muzeum-Galerie Lázně for main museums.

Note that passengers aged 65+ can travel at half price and for those 70+ travel is free on Liberec trams and buses.

Radniční sklípek

The European Bar Guide reviewed Radniční sklípek positively in 2023 and it is included in the Guide's Top 50 pubs and bars in Czechia 2025.

The Town Hall Cellar Restaurant is only about 200 metres from Hotel Liberec so this was the obvious place to visit for our first beer in Liberec after checking in on Friday 13 March 2026. It was the first branded restaurant of Pivovar Svijany, opening in December 2014 and now managed by Libe-rest s.r.o..

Town Hall (Radniční), Main square looking east, Neptune fountain looking south.

The cellar restaurant is entered from the east side of the impressive neo-Renaissance Town Hall that faces the main square in Liberec with the Neptune fountain.

Stone steps lead down, past a Pivovar Svijany neon sign over a carved barrel end to the large room with a high vaulted ceiling, columns and well spaced tables.

The bar with tanks over is at one side of the room and there are stained glass windows above wood panelling on the other side.

After a beer on this visit we would return on Saturday evening for an evening meal and on both occasions we received prompt and friendly service from the waitresses.

Fried pork schnitzel, butter mashed potatoes, pickle - 259 Kc

The availability of an English menu made choosing beer and food an easy process.

The Svijany brewery is about 30km south of Liberec and we would find their beers again elswehre on this weekend visit.

The Svijany beers we enjoyed in the Liberec town hall cellar restaurant were: Prémiový ležák 450 (originally brewed to celebrate 450 years since the brewery was founded in Svijany), Šlik (originally brewed on the 400th anniversary of the death of Jáchym Ondřej Šlik, one of the earliest owners of the brewery) and cold-hopped Rytíř (above).

Hospoda Na Růžku

The poster with a giant glass of Svijany beer advertising Hospoda Na Růžku on the side of the premises wall was visible down the slope from our room at Hotel Liberec. It was less than 200 metres from our hotel so after returning from a visit to Zámecký Pivovar Frýdlant 'Albrecht' in Frýdlant v Čechách on Friday evening we decided to spend the rest of the evening at Hospoda Na Růžku.

The entrance is on the corner of the building with the bar on the right and additional seating on the left of the L-shaped interior.

The Hospoda (beer house / pub / tavern) wasn't busy when we arrived soon after 8pm and we chose a table underneath a wall of classic typewriters and a brick ceiling.

In the same theme, the menu and beer list on a clipboard are in a typewriter font. At this Pivovar Svijany establishment, there was a dark beer on draught - Svijanská Kněžna 13 (5.2% ABV, 33 IBU).

The beer was served in a Hospoda Na Růžku branded glass with an image that matches the brawling scene on the paper table mat.

It was time for a meal with Czech dumplings - in this case Carlsbad dumplings with pork cheeks, Chanterelle mushroom sauce and dill (329 Kc), a good dish to go with a dark beer. With an English menu available and friendly service Hospoda Na Růžku was a relaxed place to enjoy Czech food and beer.

 Tram to Jablonec nad Nisou

Turning circle fot tram 11 at Jablonec nad Nisou terminus

Tram 11 from Liberec station and Fügnerova interchange to Jablonec nad Nisou follows the Lusatian Neisse river south east to Jablonec nad Nisou. This interurban tramway branch is about 13 km long.

Jablonec nad Nisou New Town Hall (Karl Winter, 1930-33)

There were some interesting buildings to admire including town hall.

Early on Saturday afternoon, Jablonec nad Nisou appeared quiet and it was only after a long walk through the town that we were able to find a bar that was open, between the town's railway station and the tram terminus.

Restaurace U Nádraží

The interior of U Nádraží was only slightly more interesting than the exterior!

The Branik Světlý (brewed by Staropramen) was only 38 Kc for 0.5 litre and was welcome refreshment at last.

 

There is a more direct route but we walked through a high rise housing estate and some parkland to reach the tram stop for the next leg of this tram-based tour.

There are new shelters at tram stops on this line and every one has a different poster with an image of a tram on the route and text about the contribution of the EU to the recent reconstruction of the line aided by European Structural and Investment Funds.

Pivovarská hospoda Konrad

Alighting at Pivovarská tram stop in Vratislavice nad Nisou, we passed a massive concrete silo on the walking route to Pivovarská hospoda Konrad in the direction of the Pivovar Konrad chimney.

There were cyclists on a break at the outside tables.

It was quiet inside at 3.30pm. The interior features a brewery display cabinet, good quality wooden furniture with seat pads for comfort and a log burner was blazing for warmth.

The cabinet display, opposite the bar, includes the range of Konrad canned beers.

Tim enjoyed the full-flavoured Konrad Kapucín 11° Tmavé dark lager. Subsequent research shows there are good views and hiking trails to be found by following the Nad Skalou road up the hill from a junction just past Pivovarská hospoda Konrad.

Club bar Opera

Friday pm - Club bar Opera - Saturday eve

Back in Liberec via tram 11, tram 3 and bus 12 we visited Club bar Opera tucked away at Studničná 225, passed by chance, but only photographed, the day before.

The posters in the entrance hallway indicated that it was the night that The Duchod were playing at the club from 7.30pm.

Approaching the bar at 6.30pm we were advised that the club was fully booked for the night, but after our disappointed looks there was a consultation and a decision that it would be OK for us to have one beer at the bar before leaving.

This was a relief and we drank our beers at a quicker rate than usual while taking a look at the inside of the bar which has a lot of character. Tim enjoyed Bernard Speciální Ležák 12 lager (47 Kc, glass on left in bar photo).

The band had started to set up but there was time for another beer as musicians, instruments and equipment arrived. Svijanský Máz 11 (42 Kc) was Tim's favourite today. The most expensive draught beer available here was Pilsner Urquell, 58 Kc, about £2. This bar is recommended but note that it's likely to be fully reserved on a Saturday night when a band is playing. 

Bar Šaldovka at Hotel Liberec

The lobby bar Šaldovka at Hotel Liberec was still serving beers when we returned there at 9.45pm on Saturday.

Chunky branded glasses of Pilsner Urquell were enjoyable and inexpensive for a hotel bar at 69 Kc for 0.5 litre.

Other Liberec bars 

With only two days in Liberec, there was not time to visit all the bars we passed  but it was possible to get some photos. These three bars are marked in orange on the second map above.

Hospoda Na Starém Městě at Frýdlantská 187/10 is above a clothes shop and downhill from the Town Hall

Stereo Cafe at Na Poříčí 112/13 looks like a bar for a young clientele.

Pivovarský dvůr  at Papírová 123/12 is a Staropramen bar that looked open but it was closing up at 9.15pm on a Saturday night.

There was time to get a photo of the interior with a barrel vaulted brick ceiling.

Liberec Museums

Three museums including MUZA the North Bohemian Museum (above) are near the Muzeum-Galerie Lázně tram stop (route 3).

Galerie Lázně (above) is housed in an impressive building originally built as a spa.

There was a small exhibition about a recently published book 'Labyrintem lázní' by Patrik Antczak. There was also a permanent Czech art exhibition and a temporary exhibition of glassware. On Sunday morning, the coffee bar Nordbeans Lázně at ground floor level was very popular.

The Technical Museum appears to be run with limited resources. A visit can be recommded for anyone interested in vehicles.

Vintage trams, cars and motorcycles are on display with most descriptions available in English.

There's an interesting display about the two types of cable car that used to operate between Hotel Ještěd and Horní Hanychov.