Mechelen (Malines in French) sits halfway between Brussels and Antwerp in Flanders, and is one of Belgium's most rewarding small cities. For centuries it was the ecclesiastical capital of the Low Countries and the seat of the Grand Council, and that history left it with a remarkable concentration of churches, palaces, and guild houses.
The Gothic St. Rumbold's Cathedral dominates the skyline — its unfinished tower was meant to be the tallest in the world, and even at half the planned height it offers panoramic views from the top. The old town below is compact and handsome, full of quiet squares and narrow streets that reward aimless wandering. Mechelen has a strong beer culture (it is home to the Het Anker brewery, which produces Gouden Carolus), a lively Grote Markt, and a fraction of the tourist crowds you will find in Bruges or Ghent.