Mechelen

A hugely underrated city in Europe, Mechelen is in the Flanders region of Belgium and provides another cost-effective alternative to busy summer weekends in some of the more established Belgian cities.

Home to Belgium's foremost cathedral, a fantastic central square and several intriguing museums, Mechelen in a hidden gem and one of Belgium's most interesting historic cities. Fill your stay with visits to the abundance of fine churches, baroque buildings and picturesque canals. Having said that, Mechelen also has one foot in tomorrow. It's high population of young, educated people led it to be named in the Financial Times' top ten cities of the future list.

If you are keen to discover other parts of Belgium, we can also help you arrange trips such as Bruges city breaks or hotels in Antwerp.

• Flight time from London: 1hr 15min
• Brussels Airport: 21km from the city centre; transfer time about 25min
• Nearest railway station: Mechelen railway station
• Currency: Euro