Experience in Mechelen, Belgium by Louize

What is it like to live in Mechelen? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I was born in Mechelen so I have a special feeling with it. I know everything in my city: the streets, bars, shops, ... Mechelen can be nice, if you know the right places. I think I would recommend it if you like rainy weather and unfriendly people. Of cource there are exeptions. There ARE good people, interesting people. And sometimes the sun shines in Belgium. Mechelen isn't that big and there isn't so much to see but if you want to go for one weekend, I would totally recommend it. There are markets, nice bars, beautifull churches,... But Mechelen isn't special. It's just a small city, with its own specialties and habits.

What is the student lifestyle like in Mechelen?

You can't really speak about a student lifestyle. In Mechelen you haven't any universities, only academic schools. If you want to go to the university, you need to go to Antwerp or Brussels. It's both 20 minutes away from Mechelen, if you go b train. There are a lot of students who live in Mechelen but they always complain about their boring city so the most of them are going out to the bigger cities in Belgium like Antwerp or Ghent. In Mechelen you only have some nice bars, but I can count them on one hand. The "Vismarkt" is the place to be for students. A lot of bars and good music. Sometimes there are parties but you need to know them. Almost every weekend there are alternative parties in Kamikaze, a hall a little bit out of the city. In the area around the central station, there are also a lot of bars. For me, it's a no-go. The people are sometimes very agressive and I don't like the music. So you can say there are very diferent sides of Mechelen. You only need to know the good ones.

How much does it cost to live in Mechelen?

Belgium, in general, is very expensive. Like... REALLY EXPENSIVE! If you want to rent a normal, single room in Spain for a student it probably will be HALF the price you need to pay in Mechelen. It's really expensive, and certainly if you want to rent a room in a bigger university city like Antwerp or Brussels. Also shopping or havin a drink can be really expensive in Belgium. In Spain a cocktail costs 4 euros? In Belgium it can be 10...

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Mechelen? Is there any advice you can give?

I don't know for sure but I don't think there are a lot of accomodations in Mechelen. And if there are... it will be very expensive.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

I think the food is good! There are a lot of beers (mmm). Also the chocolate is delicious, the waffles from Brussels, ... very sweet! Also you have a lot of "frietkoten" with real, belgian french fries! It's typical belgian, you really need to try that if you visit my country!

What places would you recommend visiting in Mechelen?

I recommend the "Vismarkt" There is a river beside this square so it's very cosy. The atmosphere is relaxed and there is always good music. The bars are old fashioned but that gives power to the city. My favourite bar is "Gouden Vis". There is a terrace where you can look at the river, very beautiful. We also have a huge churche in the middle of the city with u very high tower, don't visit it if you are afraid of hight, I speak with experience.

Is it good to eat out in Mechelen? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Not really... There is a good Marrocan restaurant "La Boya". There are a lot of bars where you can eat your breakfast, that's very cosy and really delicious. But it's expensive (of course).

Is the nightlife good in Mechelen? Where is good to go?

As I told you before, there aren't a lot of parties. Only some bars and the hall with alternative paries, Kamikaze. If you want to go out, you need to go to some bigger cities. In the area of Mechelen there are sometimes parties but really small and with young people.

What advice would you give future students heading to Mechelen?

GO TO THE RIGHT PLACES! There are some places where you really don't want to be, it also can be dangerous because I tink there is a lot of criminality in Mechelen. But if you are at a good place, it can be very very very cosy.