Brasserie Het Anker
What to order: a Flemish dish cooked with Gouden Carolus and the house draught beer
Open every day from 10:00 · kitchen from 12:00 to 21:00
geocalia
Day itinerary · 51.03° N · 4.48° E
Two breweries in a day, the Gouden Carolus in Mechelen and the Bolleke in Antwerp, without a car.
In the morning, the guided tour of Het Anker in the Grand Beguinage in Mechelen and lunch in its brasserie; in the afternoon, De Koninck in Berchem, with two beers. All by train from Brussels.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Bruselas fromBarcelona 2 hBilbao 2 hAsturias 2 h 15Alicante 2 h 30Madrid 2 h 30Valencia 2 h 30Málaga 3 hSevilla 3 hFuerteventura 4 h 30Lanzarote 4 h 30
Part of MechelenBeers of Belgium
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car15 min each way
From BrusselsTrain · 20 min to Mechelen
Between breweriesTrain Mechelen – Antwerpen-Berchem
WalkingAbout 4 km
BookingHet Anker online; De Koninck, better also
Best dayThursday to Saturday
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Brussels 15 min by train
from Bruxelles-Central or Midi; from Mechelen station to the Grand Beguinage, 25 minutes on foot
-
1
Het Anker brewery tour and its Gouden Carolus
Enjoy Tour with two Gouden Carolus · book the morning slot on its website · arrive ten minutes early
+32 15 28 71 41
Activity company With Brouwerij Het AnkerBook - 1 min on foot
-
2
Brasserie Het Anker
on the same site · kitchen from 12:00 every day
Guido Gezellelaan 49, 2800 Mechelen · +32 15 28 71 41
Restaurant €€Book - 45 min by train
-
3
The De Koninck brewery, home of the Bolleke In Antwerp
on foot to Mechelen station, train to Antwerpen-Berchem and a ten-minute walk · €19.90 with two beers
- 15 min by tram
-
4
The Grote Markt, the town hall and the Brabo fountain In Antwerp
optional: the centre of Antwerp before heading back
-
Back home 45 min by train
from Antwerpen-Centraal or Berchem to Brussels
Approximate cost
About €40–55 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Het Anker brewery tour and its Gouden Carolus
Mechelen and Antwerp are on the same train line from Brussels, and each has its own historic brewery open to visits. This day links them: in the morning, the Gouden Carolus at Het Anker, inside the Grand Beguinage, with lunch in its brasserie; in the afternoon, the Bolleke at De Koninck, Antwerp's brewery, ten minutes' walk from Berchem station. You never take the car.
The stops
9:15 · Train to Mechelen. About 20 minutes from Brussels. From the station to the Grand Beguinage it is a 25-minute walk through the centre.
10:15 · Het Anker. The Enjoy Tour goes round the brewery and the whisky warehouses, climbs to the roof with views over Mechelen and ends with two Gouden Carolus and a small gift. A good hour and a half, in Dutch, English or French. Book in its online shop, with a fixed time, and tickets are neither exchanged nor refunded; arrive ten minutes early.
12:15 · Lunch at the brasserie. On the same site, Flemish cooking made with the house beer, served without a break from 12:00.
14:00 · De Koninck. Train from Mechelen to Antwerpen-Berchem and a ten-minute walk. The visit is interactive and self-guided, one hour, with subtitles in four languages and two beers at the end, for €19.90 (free up to age 12). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:30, and the bar stays open afterwards.
15:30 · The centre of Antwerp, if you still feel like it. The Grote Markt and the town hall, twenty minutes by tram.
17:30 · Back to Brussels. From Berchem or from Antwerpen-Centraal, in 40 or 50 minutes.
Who is it for?
For anyone who wants to see how Belgian beer is made, not just drink it, and doesn't mind the day revolving around it. That is three tour beers plus the one at lunch: allow for that and drink water in between. With children it works only half: De Koninck is free up to age 12, but both tours are designed for adults.
Time1 h 45
Change the route
If it coincides with one of its fixed dates, instead of De Koninck: Leuven is 25 minutes by train from Brussels:
Stella Artois brewery tour
If you have half an hour to spare before the tour: the beguinage surrounds the brewery and is free:
Mechelen's Great Beguinage, a UNESCO site
If you prefer to stay overnight in Mechelen, above the brewery, and do Antwerp the next day:
Hotel Het Anker
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Cosma
What to order: several starters to share, such as the prawn gyozas or the risotto croquettes, and a Piedmontese beef tartare
Open Wednesday to Friday for lunch and dinner and on Saturday evening · closed Sunday to Tuesday
Tinèlle
What to order: the three-course lunch menu at €58 or, à la carte, the Mechelse Koekoek croquettes and the turbot
Open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner · closed at weekends
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Mechelen
Tuesday to Sunday, because De Koninck is closed on Mondays; from Thursday to Saturday the De Koninck bar stays open until 22:00. Het Anker closes on public holidays. It works just as well in winter: everything is indoors.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book Het Anker first of all
It is the visit with a fixed time; De Koninck adapts to whenever you arrive.
- 2Not on Mondays
De Koninck is closed; Het Anker also on public holidays.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the two-brewery route cost?
Between €55 and €85 per person with both tours and lunch, not counting the train.
Can it be done the other way round?
Yes: De Koninck opens at 11:00, so you can start in Antwerp and finish in Mechelen, if you find an afternoon slot at Het Anker.
Do you have to book De Koninck?
Its website sells tickets online: buy them beforehand to avoid waiting. Group tastings on Sundays require booking.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/belgium/mechelen/itineraries/two-breweries-by-train
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.