Rocking horse Church of Our Lady across the Dyle
Are you sitting comfortably and enjoying the view? Perfect! Then allow me to introduce myself! My name is Charles, Prince Charles actually. I spent my boyhood in Mechelen and so I know the city like the back of my hand. I was born in 1500 and grew up on Keizerstraat at the court of my aunt Margareta of Austria. That’s the palace with the beautiful inner garden.
Here in Mechelen and all over the world they know me as Emperor Charles V. My empire that was so vast that the sun never set on it. I reigned over more than 27 kingdoms, 13 duchies and 22 counties in Europe, Central America and North Africa. Sadly, I was unable to enjoy them for long. I was just 58 when I died in Yuste in Spain.
Where you rock, I tell stories about the city and in particular about the places I have fond memories of.
|
Please note that all rocking horses are currently in the barn for maintenance. Therefore, you won’t be able to visit the horses temporarily. |
Rocking horse Church of Our Lady across the Dyle
You are now at the highest point in Mechelen. All the streets lead downwards from here. If you look around, you can’t miss the Church of Our Lady across the Dyle. This is Mechelen’s second largest church. Do go inside. The stained-glass windows shed a beautiful light on the floor – which is why the people of Mechelen dubbed it the disco church – and you can admire the impressive ‘Miraculous Draught of Fishes’ by Rubens, a Flemish master painter.
Personally I was never the greatest fan of fish. There was an abundance of food in the palace and so no shortage of alternatives. My aunt’s cook was called Jacques de la Champagne. Every day he and his helpers prepared the most delicious dishes for our family and for the 150 palace employees. We ate wild boar, pheasant, beef and mutton, chicken and rabbit, always dowsed in the tastiest sauces. We had our own baker and pastry chef and we also ate a lot of fruit and jams.
Every day 366 loaves of bread were consumed at the court, along with 160 litres of wine and 300 litres of beer. Life was one big party!
- You will also find this walk in the Visit Mechelen app. That way you can follow the horses on a map without having to scan the QR code each time. Download the app here.
- Free
- Available in 4 languages: Dutch, French, German & English.
