geocalia
Flamingos at Planckendael zooGabriel Bourneau · CC BY-SA 4.0

What to do · Mechelen

Planckendael zoo, at Muizen

Zoo · all day · open 365 days · under-3s free · €2 less buying online a day ahead

Information
Duration
5 h
Season
All year; hours change with the season
Who it's for
Families with children of all ages

Planckendael is the zoo of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp at Muizen, on the outskirts of Mechelen: a large, all-day park with animals from the five continents spread between forest and meadows. It is the plan with small children that completes the city.

Tickets

The price changes according to the day: you see it in the calendar of its online shop. Buying at least a day ahead saves you €2 per adult and €1 per child; children under 3 go in free. Open 365 days a year, with hours depending on the season.

Getting there

It is at Leuvensesteenweg 582. Muizen station is close, on foot, and on the train under-12s travel free. By car, parking is paid. Dogs are not allowed, except assistance dogs.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Planckendael cost?

It depends on the day; check the calendar on its website. Under-3s do not pay.

Can you go with a dog?

No, only assistance dogs.

With young childrenAs a family

Opening hours and prices can change: check them before you go.

Round off the plan

Where to eat, where to stay and what else to do

To eat nearby

The dining room at Cosma, with wooden tables© CosmaSharing plates and dry-aged meats, four minutes from the Grote Markt

Cosma

Restaurant · Mechelen · Befferstraat · €€€€

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
A selection of dishes and the dining room at Tinèlle© TinèlleFranco-Belgian cooking with a Michelin star in a former convent

Tinèlle

Restaurant · Mechelen · Het Predikheren · €€€€

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
The dining room of the Het Anker brasserie© Het AnkerFlemish cooking with the house beer, open every day

Brasserie Het Anker

Restaurant · Mechelen · Great Beguinage · €€€€

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

To stay nearby

Spa hotel

Hotel Vé

On the Vismarkt, beside the Dijle · Former fish smokehouse · Pool, sauna and jacuzzi

Why we like it: A four-star design hotel on the Vismarkt, in a former fish smokehouse, with a wellness area and its own Bistro Fuego.

A room under the Gothic arches of the former church, with a stained-glass window at the back© Martin's HotelsHotel

Martin's Patershof

A hotel inside a former church · Breakfast in the old choir · Green Key label

Why we like it: A four-star hotel inside a former church, with rooms in the nave and breakfast in the choir.

A room at the Het Anker hotel© Het AnkerSmall hotel

Hotel Het Anker

Inside the brewery and the Grand Beguinage · Doubles, triples and family rooms · Pets allowed for a supplement

Dogs welcome

Why we like it: The hotel of the Het Anker brewery, in the Grand Beguinage: about twenty air-conditioned rooms, a brasserie downstairs and bike parking.