The Vismarkt sits just south of the Grote Markt on the Dijle and was, for centuries, exactly what it sounds like — the place fish was landed and sold. Today the fish trade is long gone and the cobbled square is the centre of Mechelen's evening life, ringed by bars and cafés with terraces along the river.
The old fish-stall hall on one side has been turned into a covered seating area. A handful of grachtenbrugjes (canal-style bridges) cross the river here, and walking down to the water gives you the prettiest views in the city of the old houses leaning over the Dijle.