Mechelen, 25 km south of Antwerp, was settled on the banks of the Dyle river in Gallic-Roman times. In 1303 it became the first seller of wool, and by the late Middle Ages it was a center of the cloth trade. Famous for its St. Rombout tower and Dordoens botanical garden, Michelen is known today for the cultivation of endive, asparagus and cauliflower.