Destination: Mechelen (Malines), Belgium

In this series of closer looks at destinations all around the globe, the first post just had to have my own home city in it.

Hidden right in between Antwerp and Brussels, this provincial city is without doubt one of the best hidden gems of Belgium.  With as much official monuments as Bruges and a history as home-city of the Habsburgan dynasty, this rather unknown city has all trump cards in her hand.

When tourists think of Belgium, they think of the typical medieval cities such as Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels. Few know there are quite some hidden gems about though. Mechelen, the city where a popular legend tells how the citizens once tried to extinguish the moon when they had mistaken her light for a fire in the belltower, is certainly one of them.

Mechelen is on the rise again since ten years now. A huge effort has been put in to make the city cleaner, safer, more attractive and more welcoming. And it pays off…

Only twenty minutes by car from Brussels international Airport, the city is much less tourist-trampled than her big neighbours. On top of that, it is the perfect staging area for trips to cities as Brussels and Antwerp, which are both only 20 mintes away.

Sights

Mechelen has been a historic capital of Western Europe for years in the middle ages. The historic city center is absolutely packed with beautiful architecture. The city is dominated by the cathedral of Saint-Rumbold, the patron saint of the city. Make sure you visit the old palace of Charlemange and his aunt, Margareth of Austria.

Spearpoint of the urban renewal the city went through in the last few years, is without doubt the area around ‘Lamot’.
Once an old brewery with all of its warehouses, the rundown neighbourhood is now a modern complex of shops, living quarter, trendy bars and the Lamot museum complex, all along the banks of the river Dijle.

Mechelen prides itself on being a city for children as well, and with the largest country zoo (only a boat-ride away), the toy museum and the children’s science museum, Technopolis, Mechelen truly deserves the title ‘Children’s City’

Transportation

Mechelen can easily be done on foot. In fact, its the best way to explore the historic city. Bus routes run throughout the city and connect you to the sights that are situated outside the inner city. The city has built a ‘River Bank Water Walk’, a pedestrian boardwalk on the water of the River Dijle, throughout the city, away from traffic.

Water is indeed never far away in Mechelen, and the boat rides on the river Dyle are a fun way to discover the city from another viewpoint. Mind your head when going underneath a medieval bridge though !

With two railway stations, the rest of Belgium is never far away. Antwerp and Brussels are only twenty minutes away by train, as is the airport. Intercity busses are a bit cheaper, but take you longer.

Food&Drinks

Mechelen is the city of young urbanites, who sure know and love the finer cuisines. The city is absolutely packed with interesting pubs and restaurants.

Be sure to check out the ‘Vismarket’ (fish market). The small market place, on the right bank of the river Dyle transforms into a trendy quarter at night (or on sunny afternoons).

De Gouden Vis (the golden fish), hidden in a narrow alleyway, caters a typical atmosphere. With its’ Art Deco exterior and classical interior, its well known as a good pub to talk the night away.

Atlas is a small but cosy world kitchen restaurant which caters delicious food from all over the world. Well-known, a reservation up front is no luxury.

Finding a decent restaurant isn’t hard at all in Mechelen. Just stroll around the city center and you’ll find one on every corner.

Mechelen has always been a city of breweries, and even although most of them have vanished throughout the history, Brewery Het Anker nowadays brews the popular city beer Golden Carolus. The brewery doesn’t only offer tours, it also has a restaurant and pub, specialised in the beers they brew. The brewery is the place to get emerged into the local (strong) beers.

Nightlife

Mille , once a fish store, is now a trendy cocktail bar annex night club which serves a nice fusion kitchen. 

Barramundo is a trendy lounge bar and fusion restaurant in the shadow of the Saint-Rumbold-tower. It often offers live DJ sets, a great atmosphere and a large selection of cocktails and spirits.

Looking for latin beats, knock-out cocktails and a party that lasts until dawn ?
Then Bar Popular on the Vismarkt is your place-to-be. Make sure to order a cab afterwards to get home.

Shopping

Mechelen has two shopping streets, but for true shopping spree, I advice going to Brussels or Antwerp. You can find almost any Belgian specialty (beer and chocolates) in Mechelen as well though. Make sure to sample and buy some of the local beer, the Golden Carolus, as well.

Paté du Chef, located at the Vismarkt (where else) is a shop specialised in all the things you absolutely don’t need but want to indulge yourself.

De Goesting specialises in gourmet food and ingredients for exclusive cooking. They also offer a wide array of world wines and spirits.

Dream, at the trendy Haverwerf (Lamot), is the place for gifts.

Photo Gallery

Get-your-gear: Sleeping bags

Of all my trekking gear, I’m most fan of my sleeping bag. And why shouldn’t I be : it has kept me warm through rain, wind and snow and allowed me to rest sufficiently to get my strength up again for the next day’s trek.

Equipping the right sleeping bag is crucial to the success of your trip. In this article, we look deeper into the world of the bags and try to give out some tips to keep in mind when buying a new sleeping bag.

Bagging it….

As with tents, and with all equipment purchases, the first question is always: ‘what will I be using this sleeping bag for ?’

This gives you a general idea of the circumstances you will be using your sleeping bag in.

Do you plan a summer’s night out or some serious winter camping ?
The first and foremost goal of a good sleeping bag is keeping you warm during the night (and if need be, day, when you have to sit out a storm).

Most sleeping bags have temperature ratings, often divided in a comfort and risk zone. There is no real standard rating for sleeping bags, but as a general rule, I always tend to ignore the risk zones. You want to stay comfortable, not walk the tightrope.

Think of the coldest temperature you might experience, then drop down another ten degrees (Celsius). That number is a safe indicator of which sleeping bag you’ll be needing.

Sleep like an Egyptian…

Sleeping bags come in all sizes and shapes…and they do so for a reason.

In general, two major shapes can be found: rectangular or mummy-shaped bags.

Rectangular bags give you more space to move about during your sleep. They don’t really restrict movement during sleep. Since they have larger openings, there is also more room for the heat to escape. They don’t keep you as warm as their mummy counterparts, and are the ideal summer sleeping bags.

Mummy sleeping bags fit around the body and often have a hood as well. They are indeed ideal for colder camping. Since almost half of your body heat escapes via the head, hoods can indeed make the difference. Fitting your body closely, there is minimal heat loss and your body doesn’t need as much energy to warm the sleeping bag.

Does size matter ?

There have been discussions on the need of female-specific sleeping bags, bags in different sizes and the like. Do you need them ? In short: yes !

The answer can be found in the way sleeping bags work in combination with your body.

By heating up the air in between your body and the bag, you get warm yourself. All the bags does is keeping the heat in. The more there is in between you and your bag, the more energy your body needs to warm the air.

On the other hand, if the bag fits too tight, the insulation inside gets pushed together, loosing a part of it’s ability to keep the warmth. Pick a bag just a little bit larger than you are: it gives a bit of extra space to stretch, toss and turn, but will still keep you warm.

Birds of a feather…

Another important decision you need to make is whether you go for a synthetic fill or a genuine down feather bag.

Down feather sleeping bags are more expensive. Period.
Another disadvantage to down feather fillings is that a wet sleeping bag is a cold sleeping bag: the feathers stick together and will not insulate as much anymore until they are dry again.

They do have some advantages over synthetic bags though: not only are they warmer, they also last longer. Many people claim they are also more comfortable, although such is up to the sleeper’s taste.

Synthetic sleeping bags don’t warm as good as their feathery colleagues, but are cheaper and often lighter as well. Although I recommend not getting any sleeping bag wet, they do work better until wet conditions.

Ten Tips to Bag it…

To finish off, I’ll leave you with a series of tips to keep in mind when buying your sleeping bag:

1) Some models come with in-built pockets. It seems a great idea, until you sleep a night on your keys or you crush your watch under your weight.

2) Get a bag lining for your sleeping bag (silk for down, cotton for synthetic). It doesn’t only add a few degrees of warmth to your bag, you also have to wash it less often.

3) Remember: each time you wash your sleeping bag, you loose a temperature degree

4) For serious winter camping, get a model with a shoulder/neck collar to seal the warmth in

5) You don’t need to sleep in the nude, a simple, comfortable layer of thin clothing warms as good as simply skin. But if you want to….feel free

6) Check if your zippers can be opened from the inside of the bag as well, or you’ll be giving a rather hilarious imitation of a giant caterpillar in the morning.

7) Never, ever store your sleeping bag for long periods in their carrying bag. Keep them loosely tucked away or hung up somewhere dry instead.

8 ) Stuff it, don’t roll it.

9) Combine it with a good sleeping mat to insulate from the ground up

10) Snuggle away after a long day of trekking!