A journey into Burgundian Belgium
As Low Season Travellers we dream of authentic experience, not manufactured tourist hubs where you are shoulder to shoulder with clicking cameras and selfie poses. Mechelen is the epitome of this vibe. It’s a city steeped in history and stories and inhabited by cosmopolitan but very local population. Stories of its regal history abound as well as tales of love and legacy. One of my favourites was the cause of the great city fire of 1546. Imagine the misfortune of being struck by lightning and then imagine the misfortune of the place being struck by lightening containing the cities supply of gunpowder!
In between the walls of the old city, you can see the architecture is a heady mix of gothic, renaissance and rococo and you can swiftly move from busy bustling city squares to old, cobbled alleys that you might expect to find in a country village. When the city was rebuilt, it was planned so that you can never be more than 300 meters from a green space. Forward thinking for the time.
The people of Mechelen, known as Mechaelaars, are warm and welcoming and bring their own particular calmness and steadiness to the ideal of a Belgian. The city avoids the huge crowds that flood through the streets of Brugges and nearby Brussels but still attract a steady flow of visitors. Space will still be found during the peak season of May through September but it’s in shoulder and low season, November to April that you will really be able to get under the skin of this beautiful city uninhibited. On the darker days the glow of shops and cafes spills out onto the street inviting you inside to warm up and the scent of rich chocolate, Christmas spices and sweet waffles keep your tastebuds tantalised.
The two big central squares and smaller streets offer a wide range of shops including a large amount of boutique and local stores to satiate any shopper whilst the European café culture abounds, meaning refreshments are always close at hand. For the foodies the open nature of Mechelen means there is a wide range of cuisine available as well as establishments focusing on the more traditional Belgian fare.
Finally, Mechelen makes a perfect relaxed (and more reasonable) base to visit other cities and town in the Low Country region. Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent are all connected by train and viable day trip options.
