VZW De Wintertuin — Attraction in Sint-Katelijne-Waver

I visited this on a Sunday for an English guided tour . For which I booked the tickets a month in advance. Our guide was Juan Pierre G ( I forget his third name!) who teaches at the school as well. It was almost a 2 hour 15 minute tour, but it was an engrossing one. Juan told us stories with history and context. Some of the things you will not see any where else- 34 piano rooms, get to sit on 100 year old chairs and the 100 year old bathrooms fitted with bathtubs. It was an interesting insight into the life of young girls sent to study here by their rich parents, 100 - 200 years back. You also learn about the life of students in the current times. So if you visit here highly recommend getting the guided tour instead of taking the audio guide tour and visiting on your own, as in the guided tour you also get to see portions of the school not accessible otherwise. For the tour they pick you up right outside the building, the English and French tour start at the same time but are done by different guides. The English tour usually has lesser people (;)). Would recommend using the restroom before tour starts, you could ask for the washrooms at the reception. There is route no. 80 bus back to Mechelen station at 4:29 pm, and the bus stop is about 6-7 minutes walk from the museum, so after the tour ends at around 4:15 pm, remember to leave on time if you are relying on public transport as the next direct bus is after...

I have been wanting to visit the winter garden in Mechelen since last autumn and am so happy I finally made it!

Pro tip: book your tickets well in advance!

It's a beautiful building, well preserved and managed, and still functions as a Catholic school. Initially open to girls only in around 1840s, now it welcomes boys as well. I signed up for a guided tour that lasted over 2 hours and certainly deserved the 15€ paid for it. Our guide was a teacher working there for at least 45 years. If you have the time, I strongly recommend you opt for the guided visit. A must see for all art...

Certainly, this is a must visit Art-Nouveau and Art-Deco gem in Belgium. It is possible to book a private tour to visit the areas that still function as a school.

I want to separately thank the whole team, especially our amazing guide Erik Hertog for the outstanding experience. We booked a private English speaking tour for our group and every step of the way, from arrival to departure has been a pure joy.

Certainly, the campus is beautiful, but what makes it even more beautiful is the dedicated...