Mechelen is a picturesque hidden Flemish town that sits between Brussels and Antwerp.

Many pedestrian areas make this a delightful town to take a stroll, admiring hundreds of listed buildings and monuments, many dating back to the 16th century. Highlights include Gothic and Baroque churches and the famed St Rumbold's Tower.

Students of the world-renowned Carillon bell-ringing school provide an atmospheric soundtrack for sipping coffee at a sidewalk café in one of the town's charming squares.