St. Rumbold's cathedral From a far distance, one easily recognizes Mechelen by the truncated silhouette of its St.Rumbold's tower. This unfinished monument with its 97,28 m, dominates the whole area. The 514 steps leading to the upper gallery don't deter the thousands of visitors. The go-slow, smooth, and gradual climb with pauses at each of the 6 floors, allows everybody to reach the top. The original plans for the tower were made when Mechelen became a rich and powerful commercial and political center. How to show this better than by building a huge tower ? Indeed, the tower of the St. Rumbold's cathedral was to become the highest tower in the low countries. Completed, it should have reached the dizzying height of 160 m. Financial problems in the 16th century ensured that this plan was brought to a halt. The tower now reaches an altitude of 97,28 m. Inside the cathedral is a scale model of what the tower should have looked like if it had been completed.