"MECHELEN" a Mechelen Travel Page by bugulma

I was in Mechelen with a day trip from Brussels. As a matter of fact I crossed the city by train on my way from The Hague to Brussels. I saw big churches from the window. Show me big architecture and I am completely yours:-)). So, being in Brussels I decided to visit Mechelen. I liked the old city area very much, very interesting architecture. It was a Sunday and by chance I came in the day when it was a kind of bikers' party and whole day I heard a roar of different bikes into the streets.
It was long time since the first settlement in the area existed. But the first mention of Mechelen was in 1008. The city was one of the 17 provinces of Low Countries dominion in the Middle Ages. In XIII century the city was surrounded by fortification. The city is a place of the seat of Belgium's Archbishop.