After a packed day of sightseeing in Mechelen, legs were beginning to tire and minds thinking more about finding a warm bar than visiting another monument. But off we strode towards our final destination of the day, Sint-Jan's Church.

As we entered, we were greeted by an old Flemish man looking worriedly at his watch. He immediately scurried to the back of the church and started climbing the steep, spiral steps. We followed suit. Only as we reached the top and found ourselves in a small, vaulted space did we see what all the worry and hurry was about: two stunning murals, one of Saint Christopher and one of Saint George, dating from the early 15th century. Had we arrived much later, the light would have faded, and the murals, both about four metres high, would have barely been visible.

The paintings, which will be open to the public by appointment as of April, were discovered by chance in the summer of 2008 during restoration work. While dismantling the church organ, restorers stumbled upon a small room behind it. On one of the walls were the remains of a painted figure.

This was the Saint Christopher mural, whose quality and excellent state of preservation make it "a spectacular find" according to the Flemish Institute for Archaeological Heritage (VIOE). The details of the mural are indeed spectacular: a bearded Saint Christopher, staff in hand, looks up at the young Christ who he is carrying on his shoulders and whose foot he is protectively holding. Christ holds a globe in his hand.

When the mural was discovered, parts of it were covered in dirt and hard to make out, but conservation work has allowed the full painting to come to light. Opposite the Saint Christopher mural another was found of Saint George, on horseback in battle with a dragon, his flag of a red cross on a white background emblazoned on his shield (pictured).

The murals are not the only reason to visit Sint Jan's Church. It is also home to a Rubens triptych, which has been hidden for months because of the restorations, but which can now again be seen. Rubens is said to have been particularly proud of the central panel, "The Adoration of the Three Wise Men". Hanging above the altar, the painting is in the same place as when it first arrived in 1617.

At the time, the parish of St John was the richest in Mechelen, and the religious treasures inside testify to that. Also look out for the exquisitely carved churchwardens' benches, where the rich sponsors of the parish sat. But most importantly, don't forget to book a visit to view the murals upstairs.

www.toerismemechelen.be