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McAllen

McAllen, the City of Palms, is in the southern plains of Texas, USA. It is the largest city in Hidalgo County and the second largest city in the Rio Grande Valley after Brownsville. It is near the Rio Grande River on the border with Mexico.

Understand
McAllen has grown rapidly over the past century. In 1910 the population was about 150. The city now has a population exceeding 130,000. Over 85% of the city's population is Hispanic or Latino; almost everyone is bilingual to some degree. The first real development in the area that would later become McAllen occurred in the 1850s. That development was led by John McAllen. In 1904, he established a town site then known as West McAllen. In 1907, a separate group of developers established a town known as East McAllen. Eventually, the two towns merged and the City of McAllen was incorporated in 1911.

McAllen has warm winter weather and a low cost of living. In the winter months, large numbers of retirees live in the McAllen area. Affectionately called Winter Texans, they come predominantly from the Midwestern United States and Canada and stay in RV parks, apartments, second homes and extended-stay hotels. Winter is the "season" for McAllen, and the time with most of the social activities, many planned especially for Winter Texans.

McAllen is a popular birders destination. There are dozens of birding spots in the McAllen area, including the World Birding Center, a complex of 9 sites dedicated to wildlife watching. 528 bird species and over 300 butterfly species have been recorded in the area.

McAllen is surrounded by several medium size towns and cities. These cities are interconnected and sometimes appear to be one larger city. For census purposes the federal government includes all these areas under the heading McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

By plane

 * Aeromexico Connect to Mexico City AIFA
 * American Eagle/American Airlines to Dallas-Ft Worth
 * United Airlines/United Express to Houston
 * Allegiant Air to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, St Petersburg/Clearwater
 * Delta Connection to Austin
 * Volaris to Cancun
 * Volaris to Cancun

For travelers not renting a car click here for a list of taxi companies and their rates. Otherwise there is the McAllen Metro #4 bus to go into town as the least expensive way.

The next nearest commercial airport in the US with Delta (to Minneapolis St Paul), Southwest Airlines, and Sun Country is in Harlingen Valley International Airport, 45 min east on I-2/US 83. Both United & American/American Eagle serve the area through Harlingen, Brownsville and McAllen from their respective hubs in Houston and Dallas-Ft Worth. VivaAerobus flies into Reynosa's Gen Lucio Blanca International Airport (REX) and through Monterrey International Airport (MTY) from multiple cities in Mexico. Monterrey is also served by Areus, Aeromexico, Mexicana, TAR, and Volaris from multiple cities in Mexico as well as international flights from Atlanta (Delta), Madrid (Aeromexico), Panama City (Copa), Toronto (Air Canada), and Seoul (to resume August 1, 2024 with Aeromexico).

By train
There is no passenger rail service or Amtrak Thruway connections to McAllen. However, you can take Amtrak to San Antonio and connect via bus to McAllen.

By bus
The on 1500-1501 W US Business 83 serves as a bus station for:

By car

 * US 83.svg I-2.svgUS 83 runs east and west connecting McAllen to Brownsville and Laredo.
 * US 281.svg US 281 runs north to I-37, which connects McAllen to Corpus Christi and San Antonio.
 * McAllen - Hidalgo - Reynosa International Bridge is located in nearby Hidalgo, TX connects McAllen to Reynosa, Mexico.
 * Carretera_federal_40.svg MX 40 goes frim Mazatlan, Durrango, Torreon, Saltillo, Monterrey to Reynosa and McAllen
 * Carretera_federal_97.svg MX 97 connect to the 97 from the 180 leaving Victoria Mexico (or arriving from Tampico: enter the McAllen area from Reynosa,

By car
The best way to get around McAllen is by car. There are several rental car services located in Mcallen: Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, and others. Many of these can be found at the airport.

By taxi
Several taxi companies serve McAllen. Customers should call ahead to arrange a pick up.

By bus
Metro Mcallen is the bus system that serves McAllen. These buses run from 6AM to 11PM Monday through Saturday, and 8AM to 8PM on Sunday. The bus system covers only limited routes but also interfaces with RioTransit buses, which connect to other towns in the Rio Grande Valley.

Walking and biking
McAllen has several hike and bike trails that run north and south.

Public libraries
McAllen has three public libraries, including the main library and two branch libraries.
 * Main Library - 4001 N 23rd St.
 * Lark Branch Library - 2601 Lark Ave.
 * Palm View Branch Library - 3401 Jordan Ave.

Buy
Convention Center at the corner of Ware Rd and Expressway 83. Large number of shops and restaurants surround the convention center.

Downtown has lots of shopping available especially along Main Street.

10th Street is a designated retail street with many shops both near downtown and the North 10th area from Dove to Trenton and the surrounding area. 10th Street near downtown has many eclectic and locally owned stores, and as you go north, these mix with more national retailers.

Eat
With over 600 dining establishments in the City, excellent dining choices is one of McAllen's strengths. Tex-Mex is of course very popular, as is Chinese, barbecue, seafood and sushi, among others. Many restaurants serve meals featuring organic, locally grown products, and you will find a variety of live music featured in many establishments.

Entertainment District
McAllen has a lively entertainment district in downtown along 17th Street. There are many bars and nightclubs in the area.

Sleep
McAllen has 40 hotels and over 3,300 rooms, ranging from full-service to budget.

Consulates
The Central American consulates are next to each other within the same building, SE of the intersection of S Broadway and Galveston Ave W. The Mexican consulate is a block north towards Fresno Ave next to a medical clinic. The nearest city for additional foreign consulates is Houston:
 * 🇸🇻 El Salvador
 * 🇬🇹 Guatemala
 * 🇭🇳 Honduras
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico

Go next
Get on 23rd Street and go south about 17 miles to Reynosa, Mexico.

Get on US 83 and go east 35 miles to Harlingen, TX.

Get on US 83 and go east 59 miles to Brownsville, TX.

Get on US 83 and go east 51 miles until you get to TX 100. Then take TX 100 east about 23 miles to South Padre Island. It will take you a total of 80 miles to get to this location.

Get on US 281 and go north about 94 miles. Turn right on TX 141 and go east 15 miles to Kingsville, TX, and visit the historic King Ranch.

Get on US 83 and go west 148 miles to Laredo, TX.

title: McAllen


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McArthur

McArthur is a city in the Shasta Cascades region of California.

Get in
Driving is the most practical way to get there, as it's a small town without public transportation options.

Get around
For more scenery, just walk. To go more quickly, drive a car.

Do

 * Fishing. McArthur has some of the best trout fishing in California, if not in the U.S.A. Fall River, accessible from McArthur, is world-renowned for its beautiful trout; whereas nearby Pitt River is home to Bass, Blue Gill, and invasive Carp.
 * Hunting. The McArthur area, being in a river valley, is a winter location for migratory ducks and geese. Some of the better deer hunting zones in the state are quickly accessed from McArthur. See California Department of Fish and Wildlife for seasons and regulations.
 * Hunting. The McArthur area, being in a river valley, is a winter location for migratory ducks and geese. Some of the better deer hunting zones in the state are quickly accessed from McArthur. See California Department of Fish and Wildlife for seasons and regulations.

Buy
There are no major shopping areas in McArthur.

Sleep
There are no listed motels in McArthur, so if you want to stay in a motel, there are some in nearby Fall River Mills. However, if you have an RV and don't mind using it, here is an RV park:

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: McArthur


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McCarthy

McCarthy is a historic town in the center of Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

By car
McCarthy can be reached by driving the highly scenic McCarthy Road, a 60-mile long gravel road beginning at the Copper River near Chitina. The road is built on part of the original rail bed for the Copper River Northwestern Railway, which ran copper ore from Kennicott to Cordova until 1938.

Although usually suitable for passenger vehicles, road is notorious for potholes, washouts, railroad spikes and flat tires. Drivers should check current road conditions at Park Headquarters, (907) 822-5234.

By bus
Many visitors choose to leave their car at Chitina and take a shuttle into the park on the McCarthy Road.

 * Backcountry Connections +1 907-822-5292 makes daily runs from Glennallen to McCarthy in the summer months.
 * Wrangell-St. Elias Tours +1 907-822-5978 provides tours to McCarthy and Kennicott from Chitina (May-Sept). They also offer shuttles and package tours to McCarthy from Anchorage.

By plane

 * Ellis Air (the Mail Plane) has scheduled flights on Wednesdays and Fridays from Gulkana Airport near Glennallen. Call +1 907-822-3368 or +1 800-478-3368 for prices and flight times.

Get around
Visitors to McCarthy should come prepared with good walking shoes, rain or wind jacket, hat, gloves, sunglasses and sunscreen. If you are seeking outdoor recreation you will find ample opportunity. You'll be walking and exploring historic sites, maybe even trekking on a glacier, or climbing a mountain!

The McCarthy Road ends at a footbridge across the Kennicott River. From here it is about 0.5 miles to the town of McCarthy, and 5 miles uphill to Kennicott. You can walk, ride a bike, or take a shuttle.

Eat
There are very few places to eat in the McCarthy/Kennicott area, but they all offer good food in an extremely remote area. In McCarthy there are 3 places to eat:

In Kennicott there are 2 places to get a warm meal:

title: McCarthy


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McCaysville

McCaysville is a city in Georgia's Northeast High Country. McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee are known as "twin cities" as the Georgia and Tennessee state lines separate the two cities.

Get around
From Highway 515 in Blue Ridge, Georgia head north on Highway 5 for approximately 9 miles to McCaysville. As soon as you cross the state line, you will be in Tennessee. The state line runs through the intersection of Georgia Highway 5 and Tennessee Highway 68.

See
The twin cities are home to several antique and specialty shops frequented by tourists. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway makes a stop just before crossing the state line into Tennessee. The train has a layover there prior to returning to its starting point at the depot in Blue Ridge.

Eat
The Iron Horse Grille and El Rio Mexican Restaurants are popular eateries on the Tennessee side of the street.

title: McCaysville


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McClellan Park

McClellan Park is in California and sits right next to the city of Sacramento. McClellan Park occupies the site of the former McClellan Air Force Base.

By plane
The next airport is in Sacramento

By train
The town itself is not served by Amtrak, but nearby Sacramento is.

Do
One of the major attractions is the Air Museum which boasts a very nice collection of aircraft on Static Display. Hours vary by volunteer availability so call to verify if your visiting.

Eat
A small coffee and tea shop is across the street from the Base Exchange, and the Lions Gate Hotel has what is described as very good food for a bit on the pricey side.

Go next

 * Sacramento. It nearly impossible to visit McClellan and not head into nearby Sacramento.

title: McClellan Park


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McCloud

McCloud is a city in Siskiyou County in the Shasta Cascades region of California.

Understand
Nestled on the southern slope of beautiful Mt. Shasta, McCloud offers family fun and year-round recreation opportunities!

With a variety of accommodations including casual and luxury lodgings, RV Parks, campgrounds, fine dining, square dancing, shopping, Dinner Train excursions and more, historic McCloud is perfect for romantic getaways or family fun vacations.

Get in
Coming from the North: Head down south on I-5 Exit 89 East McCloud/ Reno Turn Left on Minnesota Ave. Turn Left on Main St.

Coming from the South: Head up north on I-5 Exit 89 East McCloud/ Reno Turn Left on Minnesota Ave. Turn Left on Main St.

Coming from the East:Off Hwy 89 Turn Right onto Broadway (downtown McCloud) Turn Left onto W Minnesota Turn Right onto Main Street

Coming from the West:Off Hwy 89 Turn Left on Minnesota Ave. Turn Left on Main St.

See

 * Explore the views with a drive along beautiful Highway 89 to Mt. Lassen from McCloud, a Gateway along the Scenic Byway.
 * Tour Lava Beds National Monument, Medicine Lake Highlands and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, all unique and remarkable experiences.
 * Photograph wonderful mill-town architecture in McCloud and countless vistas in the surrounding area and bring home your priceless memories!

Do

 * Travel back in time on a Saturday Excursion or Dinner Train. Or enjoy open air excursions starting June 1st, every Saturday throughout the summer. The Historic Dining Car runs all year.
 * Mt. Shasta Ski Park located just 4 miles away from McCloud, boasts outstanding skiing and values for all levels of skiers and snow boarders. Reasonable prices, no lines, and challenging runs, night skiing, lessons and helpful staff. With all the amenities you'd expect to find in a thoroughly modern ski facility. Also, some of the summer activities available are:
 * Mountain Bike rentals,
 * rock climbing wall, and
 * scenic ski lift rides

Summer

 * Golfing at the area's four nearby golf courses including McCloud Golf Club, one of the first golf courses in Northern California.
 * Day Hikes at Mt. Shasta, Castle Lake, McCloud River Falls and access to the Pacific Crest trail as well as Clear Creek and Brewer Creek Wilderness trailheads and climbing routes.
 * Fly Fishing is spectacular at the Nature Conservancy, McCloud River or McCloud Lake.
 * Square and Round Dancing in two beautifully restored dance halls from May 29 - September 23.

Winter

 * Cross country skiing is enjoyed at McCloud Flats, Mt. Shasta Ski Park's Nordic Ski Center or Snowman's Hill.
 * Sledding opportunities abound around McCloud for old fashioned family fun.
 * Snowmobiling is enjoyed at several nearby sites, including Pilgrim Creek Snowmobile Park. Bring your own machine or rent one in McCloud.
 * Mountain climbing the winter routes is enjoyed by many, or perhaps strolling or snowshoeing through a mystical white landscape is more your style. The breathtaking scenery around majestic Mt. Shasta brings people back every year to experience the wonder of a unique area!

Buy
McCloud Mercantile has a number of small shops including a cafe, clothing, candy store, coffee shop, book store, jewelry and a bar.

title: McCloud


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McComb

McComb is a small city in the southwest corner of Mississippi off I-55, 81 miles south of Jackson and 108 miles north of New Orleans. It is about 15 miles from the Louisiana State Line. It was chartered in 1872, and is considered the hub of Pike County. It was the home of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad yards and the largest city in the county. The main line of the Illinois Central (now the Canadian National Railway) passes through the city in a direct route from New Orleans to Chicago. McComb has a history of a stable economic base with the railroad shops having had a 70-year association with the area.

By car
To get to McComb from Jackson or Memphis, take I-55 South ramp in South Jackson that labels McComb/New Orleans. Pass through small towns such as Byram, Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, and Summit. When you pass through Summit, you will see 2 interstate signs that will let you know you are in the McComb area. McComb has 3 main exits that will let you off into the city. I-55 Exit 18 (Veterans Blvd, Hwy 570, North McComb), Exit 17 (Delaware Ave, Downtown McComb), and Exit 15 (Presley Blvd, US 98, Hwy 24 South McComb) Presley Blvd, US 98 to South McComb, Tylertown and Hwy 24 to Liberty.
 * North-south
 * I-55 (Southaven, Grenada, Canton, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb)
 * Hwy 51 (Southaven, Grenada, Canton, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb)
 * East-west
 * Hwy 570 (Smithdale, McComb)
 * Hwy 44 (McComb, Jayess, Columbia)
 * Hwy 48 (Centreville, McComb)
 * Hwy 24 (Woodville, Liberty, McComb)
 * U.S 98 (McComb, Tylertown, Columbia, Hattiesburg)

By plane
The closest airport near McComb is the Jackson-Evers International Airport in Jackson which is 1 hr 22 min away. The New Orleans International Airport in New Orleans is 1 hr 33 min away. McComb has a public airport, McComb-Pike County Airport which is south of McComb.

By bus
Greyhound has an active bus depot off I-55 at Delaware Ave Exit 17 in the Downtown McComb Area at 320 N. Broadway St. +1 601-250-1030.

By train
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to McComb. Amtrak Train 59, the southbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart McComb at 12:41PM daily with service to Hammond and New Orleans.

Amtrak Train 58, the northbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart McComb at 3:38PM daily with service to Brookhaven, Hazlehurst, Jackson, Yazoo City, Greenwood, Memphis, Newbern-Dyersburg, Fulton, Carbondale, Centralia, Effingham, Mattoon, Champaign-Urbana, Kankakee, Homewood, and Chicago. McComb has a train depot station at 114 Northeast Railroad Ave in Downtown McComb.

See
McComb has a lot of parks in the city and sport complexes. Many of the parks include splash pad waters.

Buy

 * Pike Center Mart is a large shopping center in South McComb on Presley Blvd (Hwy 98). It has over 40 stores. Many restaurants, businesses, and stores are nearby.
 * Pike Center Mart is a large shopping center in South McComb on Presley Blvd (Hwy 98). It has over 40 stores. Many restaurants, businesses, and stores are nearby.

Many other large shopping centers are in McComb on Delaware Ave with great clothing stores, restaurants, and business stores inside. One of the major ones are Southwest Shopping Center on Delaware Ave.

Eat
McComb has over 70 restaurants in the city. It has a lot of fast food restaurants. Most of the restaurants are on Delaware Ave off I-55.

 * El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant located on 1440 Delaware Ave. +1 601 249-0209. Great Mexican food at this restaurant. You can go and eat all you want on the buffet.
 * China Buffet at 1604 Veterans Blvd. The China Buffet restaurant is part of the Edgewood Mall area in North McComb. Located off I-55 Exit 18 (Veterans Blvd) infront of Wal-Mart Supercenter next to Radio Shack across from the shopping center. China Buffet is a wide selection of Asian Cuisine, also with American fares. It has a great salad bar. The eating areas at this restaurant are very clean and table service is prompt.
 * Broma's Deli at 1722 Veterans Blvd in the Uptown Mall. All kinds of sandwiches, salads, and great sweet tea.
 * Mr. Whisker's Family Catfish at Hwy 48 in McComb. This is where you will find some of the best southern catfish. Along with other food serving like all kinds of chicken, french fries, and more food that fits in with catfish.
 * Broma's Deli at 1722 Veterans Blvd in the Uptown Mall. All kinds of sandwiches, salads, and great sweet tea.
 * Mr. Whisker's Family Catfish at Hwy 48 in McComb. This is where you will find some of the best southern catfish. Along with other food serving like all kinds of chicken, french fries, and more food that fits in with catfish.

Sleep

 * Holiday Inn Express McComb 105 Holiday Lane (off I-55 at Exit 18 at Veterans Blvd/ I-55 Frontage Rd), +1 601 684-5200. It's behind Edgewood Mall behind Belk. It is very visible from I-55. The hotel has 3 floors with 69 spacious rooms.
 * Holiday Inn Express McComb 105 Holiday Lane (off I-55 at Exit 18 at Veterans Blvd/ I-55 Frontage Rd), +1 601 684-5200. It's behind Edgewood Mall behind Belk. It is very visible from I-55. The hotel has 3 floors with 69 spacious rooms.
 * Holiday Inn Express McComb 105 Holiday Lane (off I-55 at Exit 18 at Veterans Blvd/ I-55 Frontage Rd), +1 601 684-5200. It's behind Edgewood Mall behind Belk. It is very visible from I-55. The hotel has 3 floors with 69 spacious rooms.
 * Holiday Inn Express McComb 105 Holiday Lane (off I-55 at Exit 18 at Veterans Blvd/ I-55 Frontage Rd), +1 601 684-5200. It's behind Edgewood Mall behind Belk. It is very visible from I-55. The hotel has 3 floors with 69 spacious rooms.
 * Holiday Inn Express McComb 105 Holiday Lane (off I-55 at Exit 18 at Veterans Blvd/ I-55 Frontage Rd), +1 601 684-5200. It's behind Edgewood Mall behind Belk. It is very visible from I-55. The hotel has 3 floors with 69 spacious rooms.

title: McComb


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McCook

McCook is in South Central Nebraska.

By car
US Highways 6, 34, and 83.

By train
McCook is served once daily in each direction by Amtrak and its California Zephyr service between Chicago and Los Angeles. is at 101 Norris Ave, at the southern end of the city centre.

By plane
has subsidised Essential Air Service on Boutique Airways to Denver.

title: McCook


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McFarland

McFarland is a city in Kern County in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The 2015 movie McFarland, USA was based on the town's high school cross-country team, which won 24 state championships between 1987 and 2013.

Understand
McFarland is a small farming community that was established in 1908. Local crops are cotton, sugar beets, potatoes, and roses.

By car
California Highway 99 bisects McFarland granting access from Fresno to the north and Bakersfield to the south.

Go next

 * Bakersfield - Nicknamed "the country music capital of the West Coast", Bakersfield is the largest city in the southern San Joaquin Valley and is thus the best option for those seeking lodging, transportation, or other services.
 * Wasco - Located southwest of McFarland, Wasco is known as the city of roses, with 55% of all roses grown in the USA grown in and around Wasco. Its annual spring Rose Festival attracts visitors from all over southern California.
 * Delano - Located north of McFarland on Highway 99, Delano was a major center in the push for farmworker's rights, and includes a federally-landmarked complex that was the first headquarters for Cesar Chavez's United Farm Workers organization.

title: McFarland


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McHenry (Maryland)

McHenry is a city in Garrett County.

Get in

 * from I-68E (West Virginia): take MD-42S from Friendsville
 * from I-68W (Allegany County, MD): take US-219S

See

 * Garrett Lakes Arts Festival
 * 687 Mosser Rd.; McHenry, MD 21541-0151; 1-301-387-3082; 1-301-387-3165 (fax); [mailto:glaf@artsandentertainment.org e-mail] website
 * "The Garrett Lakes Arts Festival's mission is to enrich our community with high-quality performing arts and arts education. Garrett Lakes Arts Festival is the largest presenter of performing arts and arts education in beautiful Garrett County, Maryland, and serves the entire tri-state region (MD, PA, WV).  ...Our performance season runs during the spring and summer, with most performances taking place at the Garrett College auditorium."

Do

 * Wisp Resort
 * 296 Marsh Hill Rd.; McHenry, MD 21541; 1-301-387-4911; website
 * - located in McHenry
 * - located in McHenry

Learn

 * Garrett College
 * 687 Mosser Rd.; McHenry, MD 21541; website
 * Library at Garrett College
 * 687 Mosser Rd.; McHenry, MD 21541; 1-301-387-3009; website

Go next

 * by car: US-219

title: McHenry (Maryland)


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McKinleyville

McKinleyville is in Humboldt County in California.

title: McKinleyville


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McKinney

McKinney is a city in the Blackland Prairie region of Texas.

By car
A great place to get in would be from Dallas. Two major highways connect McKinney: US Route 75 and Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Get around
Unfortunately, no major taxicab services or buses serve McKinney. McKinney does not have any agreement with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), and their senior bus service, CCART, shut down due to budget issues around June 2013. The best option would be to use a car.

title: McKinney


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McKittrick

McKittrick is a small town that focused on oil and gas development located in Kern County in California's San Joaquin Valley.

Understand
McKittrick is a tiny settlement mostly known for being the only place to eat on the 70 miles (112 km) of CA-33 between Avenal and Taft. The town sits in the middle of a massive oil field and many of the oil workers will stop here to get food.

Get in
CA-33 bisects the town. CA-58 also runs through town.

Go next

 * Buttonwillow - Located northeast of McKittrick on Highway 58, this town offers additional lodging options and services and is home to the Buttonwillow Tree, a state landmark that gave the town its name.
 * Carrizo Plain National Monument. Take CA-58 west for 18 miles, turn left on San Diego Creek Rd/Soda Lake Rd. This remote national monument is home to the largest remaining native grassland in California. During wet years it boasts spectacular wildflowers in the spring, and Soda Lake is an important wintering area for waterfowl when precipitation is sufficient to flood the seasonal lakebed. The park is also home to Painted Rock, a Native American site that has been adorned with pictographs over thousands of years. Services are extremely limited, with just a small visitor center, two primitive campgrounds, and a handful of marked trails available.
 * Taft - Located southeast of McKittrick on Highway 33, Taft is an oil town that offers food, gas, and lodging services. Taft is also home to the West Kern Oil Museum and a replica of Sutter's fort that was built in 1940 as a Depression-era project.

title: McKittrick


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Adelaide/McLaren Vale

McLaren Vale is in South Australia. It is south of the Adelaide CBD, and is a short drive from Victor Harbor, Port Elliot and Goolwa. McLaren Vale is one of South Australia's world renowned wine regions, and boasts excellent wineries, gourmet restaurants and many boutique stores.

Get in
Mclaren Vale is an easy 45 minute drive by car from the centre of Adelaide. From the Adelaide CBD, take Goodwood Road south to South road, then head west. Use the Southern Expressway (or the Main South Road), and follow the signs first towards Victor Harbor and then to McLaren Vale. Car hires are available in Adelaide for all budgets ranging from the world wide brands, down to rent-a wreck cheapies. Renting and returning a hire car is a no-brainer.

A far more scenic route, avoiding miles of car yards, traffic lights and suburban build up is to take the Mt Barker Highway (the main road out of Adelaide to Melbourne) and leave the highway to enter Hahndorf. From there drive to Meadows and then follow the sign posts to McLaren Vale. On arriving in McLaren Vale, initially turn right, back toward Adelaide, and drive about 300 metres down the main street to the outskirts of the town as the tourist centre with winery location maps is on the Adelaide side of the town.

There are various tour companies in Adelaide which will offer bus tours of McLaren Vale. Almost all wineries offer tastings at no charge in the expectation of a sale.

Take your bicycle along the Coast to Vines Rail Trail (see Do section) to get to McLaren Vale and Willunga.

Get around
Whilst it is possible to take a bus or use a bicycle around McLaren Vale, the many interesting and unique areas are spread far apart. Therefore, it may be an idea to consider hiring a car for the time you are going to spend there.

See
Pick up a brochure at any of the many art galleries in the region for the "Art Trail" which will take you through the region.

Buy

 * Stop in at the clothing boutiques and antique stores nearby the Willunga Farmers Market.
 * Stop in at the clothing boutiques and antique stores nearby the Willunga Farmers Market.

Eat
Many wineries operate restaurants where you can have lunch overlooking the vineyards.

title: Adelaide/McLaren Vale


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McLean

There's more than one place called McLean or Maclean:

Australia

 * Maclean - in New South Wales.

United States of America

 * McLean (Illinois) - a town in Illinois
 * McLean (Nebraska) - a town in Nebraska
 * McLean (Texas) - a town in Texas
 * McLean (Virginia) - a town in Virginia
 * McLean County (Illinois)
 * McLean County (Kentucky)
 * McLean County (North Dakota)

title: McLean


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McLean (Illinois)

McLean is a village in Central Illinois.

title: McLean (Illinois)


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McLean (Texas)

McLean is a city in the Texas Panhandle. Due to a lack of growth in the area, the town is strikingly unchanged since the halcyon days of Route 66, providing photographic opportunities which make it a worthy stop for those following the Mother Road.

Get in
McLean is on Interstate 40 about 65 miles east of Amarillo.

title: McLean (Texas)


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McLean (Virginia)

McLean is a Northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. located in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the southern United States of America.

Understand
The primary reason to visit McLean is to go shopping at Tysons Corner. McLean is primarily residential, with major commercial development concentrated in its portion of Tysons Corner. McLean is also a favored address for many high-ranking government officials and diplomats.

McLean encompasses the older settlements of Lewinsville and Langley. Langley is the name of the local high school and as a metonym for the CIA, after the location of its headquarters. The community is named after John Roll McLean, who owned The Washington Post, and was one of the chief investors in the Washington and Old Dominion Railway.

By Metrorail
WMATA, which operates the DC Metrorail, has several Metrorail stops in McLean (all on the Silver Line). For more information on riding the Metrorail, see Washington, DC.

By car
The George Washington Parkway runs along the north side of the town. The Chain Bridge connects the George Washington Parkway to Washington, D.C.. McLean is also just off I-495, the Capital Beltway, from the west, with the main exits at the George Washington Parkway and Georgetown Pike.

Sleep
Rates vary wildly on business/convention demand; weekends are usually cheaper.

Go next
Despite its proximity to Washington DC, nature is close by at Great Falls.

title: McLean (Virginia)


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McMinnville

There's more than one place called McMinnville:

United States of America

 * McMinnville (Oregon) — city in Oregon
 * McMinnville (Tennessee) — city in Tennessee

title: McMinnville


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McMinnville (Oregon)

McMinnville is a city in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. It is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County.

By car
Private automobile is the easiest way in to McMinnville. State Highway 99W enters from the north and south. State Highway 18 bypasses town along the south from its junction with Hwy 99W southwest of town and ends at Hwy 99W east of town.

By plane
has two runways, one of which is in good repair. There are no scheduled commercial airline services but the airport is open to general aviation. It is located on 4000 SE Cirrus Rd, across Hwy 18 from the Evergreen Aviation Museum south of town.

The nearest airport for commercial airline services is in Portland. Most travelers rent a car there and drive down to McMinnville.

By bus
The main bus station for Yamhill Transit's local public transportation and intercity buses is at the on NE 2nd & Irvine St (800 NE 2nd St). They operate intercity and local buses to:
 * 11 to West Salem via Amity along Hwy 99W & 22. Cherriots #17 bus continues from the W Salem Transit Center into the downtown Transit Center.
 * 22 to Grand Ronde via Sheridan, Willamina & Spirit Mountain Casino along Hwy 18. Onward connections to Lincoln City or Salem with Tillamook Transit #60x or 70x from the Grand Ronde Community Center or Spirit Mountain Casino.
 * 33 to Hillsboro via Lafayette, Carlton, Yamhill, Gaston & Forest Grove along Hwy 47 & 8. Onward connections to Portland via the 'MAX Blue Line' train from Hillsboro.
 * 44/44x to Tigard (nearest point to Portland) via Newberg & Sherwood along Hwy 99W. Tri-Met #12 or 94 bus continues into Portland from Tigard.
 * 1-4. Local public transportation within the McMinnville area on 4 separate routes.

Connections to Amtrak, Greyhound, Oregon Point and other bus lines are in Portland and Salem.

title: McMinnville (Oregon)


text:
McPherson

McPherson is a city in Central Kansas.

Understand
McPherson is home to McPherson College, a private liberal arts university.

title: McPherson


text:
Mdina

Mdina is a small city in Malta and its former capital.

Understand

L'Mdina (pronounced em-dee-nah) means a fortified place in Arabic and was first created as such by the Romans when they separated it from the rest of the town which became Rabat (which means "suburb") and fortified it. However, this place had already been the principal settlement of Malta since Phoenician times and hence can claim a heritage of 3,000 years. Until the Knights Templar arrived in the mid-1500s, it was the capital and the Maltese aristocracy lived there (some, like the Inguanez family still do uninterrupted for over 6 centuries), also the local governing organ called the Universita was housed there. Up until this day, it is the seat of the Maltese bishop and the Mdina cathedral still takes precedence over the co-cathedral of St. John.

As the knights chose Birgu (Vittoriosa) as their new capital the Great Siege of 1565 by the Turks was directed there and not at Mdina. The Turkish army passed by Mdina and could have easily taken the crumbling bastion which only had a small group of local soldiers and locals fit to guard it to stop them. A local nun had a vision however that called for a great procession praising god, and so every person in the town was dressed up and paraded around the top of the walls for hours giving the impression to the Turks that Mdina was full to the brim with defenders, and so they left it alone.

This decision proved fateful because just as the Turks had breached the main gate of Birgu a small band of Maltese rode down from Mdina, and started torching the deserted camp of the Turks making them think that they were being attacked from the rear and causing them to retreat in a panic. The breach was fixed and after that reinforcements from Europe finally arrived and the Turks were defeated. There is still a small chapel in Mdina in honour of this nun whose vision changed the course of European history.

Under the knights and even more so under the British the importance of Mdina as the seat of power faded steadily, and what was once known as the 'Citta Notabile' became the 'silent city', almost a ghost town. Today most of the palazzos belonging to the old aristocracy are being restored and the tourists bring life to the place, but there are only 400 inhabitants left.

Get in
Buses run from Valletta (30 minutes), Sliema, and St Julians (45 or longer depending on traffic).

Get around
Only inhabitants are allowed to take cars within the city walls, most streets are too narrow in any case, and it takes less than 10 minutes to walk from one end of the town to the other.

See
The town is a joy to stroll around in: many of the alleys really give the sense that nothing has changed here for more than a millennium since the Arabs were here. The main attractions are the cathedral whose design inspired many of the other churches in Malta, the cathedral museum. The view from the city walls makes it plain why this site was chosen in ancient times, one has a commanding view over most of the island from here.

Do

Walk around and take random turns in the maze-like alleys; the place is so small getting lost won't have you wandering for more than 2 minutes.

Go next
Walk over to Rabat

title: Mdina


text:
Mdumbi

Mdumbi lies 24 km north of Coffee Bay on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast of South Africa. The beach lies in a sweeping bay and is lined with shady Milkwood trees, Xhosa huts and rolling green hills. The surfing is excellent and the water uncrowded.

title: Mdumbi


text:
Meadville

Meadville is a city in the Erie Region of Pennsylvania.

Understand
Meadville is the county seat of Crawford County.

See

Go next

 * Erie
 * Franklin
 * Titusville
 * Youngstown
 * Cleveland

title: Meadville


text:
Mealhada

Mealhada is a city and municipality of about 20,000 people in Beira Litoral, Portugal. It's in the subregion of Bairrada, an agro-viticulture zone of central Portugal.

Understand

Mealhada (mee-uh-LYAH-duh, /mi.ɐ.ˈʎa.dɐ/) municipality has 19,358 residents (2021 preliminary). The municipality includes the towns of Luso and Pampilhosa.

By car
A1 motorway exit: Mealhada.

By train
Trains between Aveiro & Coimbra.

The principal stations in the area are: Linha do Norte: Pampilhosa, Mealhada, Mogofores, O.Bairro, Oia, Paraimo/Sangalhos, Curia, Aguim.

Linha da Beira Alta: Pampilhosa, Luso/Bussaco, Quinta do Valongo/Vacarica, Trezoi.

Ramal da Figueira/Cantanhede: Pampilhosa, Mala.

Get around
walk

See

Do
Central Mealhada/jardim/cafes.

Carnaval da Bairrada/Mealhada

Drink
Regional spumantes (wines/vinho espumante da Bairrada).

Go next
Coimbra, a university town with several monuments, city museums, parks.
 * Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal, a city with canals.
 * Beaches: Mira, Figueira da Foz, Serras do Bucaco & Caramulo..
 * The bucolic town of Luso, the villages of Bucaco (Bussaco Palace hotel), Forest/Mata do Bussaco, Cruz Alta.

Also: Curia (spa/garden and lagoon). Plus:
 * Aveiro/Barra/Costa Nova/Ilhavo (Vista Alegre/ceramics)/Ria de Aveiro/Sao Jacinto peninsula.
 * Coimbra, hub city, university & other monuments in the capital of central Portugal.
 * Mira/Praia de Mira (beach).
 * Agueda/Fermentelos (lagoon).
 * Figueira da Foz, a panoramic city at the mouth of Mongedo; beach/Costa de Prata, casino.
 * Porto, monumental city (cidade Invicta), capital of Norte.
 * Viseu, historic city,museum.
 * Penacova, a town by the Mondego river.
 * Lousa, a lovely mountain town.
 * Pinhel, castle and Coa valley.
 * Guarda, cathedral/Se and Serra da Estrela.
 * Tomar, Templar city.
 * Leiria, castle and Pinhal de Leiria(pinewood).
 * Espinho, beach casino/Costa Verde.

title: Mealhada


text:
Međugorje

Međugorje is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following claims of visions of the Virgin Mary, Međugorje became a place of worldwide pilgrimage (in the first 20 years, more than 20 million), and one of the biggest Christian prayer centres in the world, comparable to Lourdes and Fátima.

Understand
Međugorje, with the villages of Bijakovići, Vionica, Miletina and Šurmanci, forms a Roman Catholic parish with about 5,000 inhabitants. The parish is run by priests of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province of the Assumption of Mary. The village's name is of Slavic origin, and signifies a region between mountains.

By plane
The easiest way to get into Medugorje is to fly into Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is 20 km from Medjugorje. Alternatively, fly into Split, Croatia, or Dubrovnik, Croatia.

By public (city) bus
There is a possibility to reach Medugorje by city bus no. 48. On Monday to Friday, there are 8 buses from Mostar and 7 to Mostar. From Mostar, the buses are at 06:30, 09:45, 11:30, 13:10, 14:30, 15:30, 18:10 and 19:40. Return buses from Medugorje leave at 06:35, 07:35 (note long gap), 12:15, 13:30, 15:15, 16:15 and 19:45. On Saturdays there are 4 buses in both directions. There are no buses in Sundays. One-way ticket costs 3.50 KM. Detailed schedule can be found on Mostar Bus page. Most of these buses do not stop at Mostar Bus station, so the most convenient place to catch this bus is the close to Krajla Tomislava and Krajla Petra Kresimira IV crossing, or the  close to Ekonomska Skola on Krajla Tomislava 1.

By inter-city bus
There are few buses daily from Mostar (east) bus station to Medugorje. Some buses also stops at Mostar (west) bus station. Price is 4 KM. Detailed schedule can be found here. Additionally there is connection at 11:10 from Mostar (east) bus station to Medugorje with relation change in Capljina. In most cases you don't have to change a bus, because the same bus continues to Medugorje. Price for whole trip is 5 KM from driver. Schedule can be found here and here.

From Split
There are 3 buses daily from Split to Medugorje at 10:55, 17:00 and 17:30. From Medugorje buses travel at 07:30, 09:30 and 11:15. Price was around ~ €15. Detailed schedule can be found here.

From Dubrovnik
There is one bus daily from Dubrovnik to Medugorje at 17:15. Price was ~€17. Detailed schedule can be found here.

Get around
Međugorje is not a large town, and it is possible to walk. Taxis are available for hire if necessary.

Sleep
It is rumoured that there are as many accommodation beds in the town of Međugorje as there are in the rest of Bosnia and Hercegovina, therefore it should be almost impossible not to find accommodation: although during the Youth Festival it's almost impossible to find accommodation unless you book in advance.

 * , 500 m from St Jacob's Church in the centre of Međugorje is one of a few hotels in town and offers very good full board for €25-30.

Go next

 * Fátima – place of pilgrimage where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in a vision
 * Vatican – centre of Catholicism
 * San Giovanni Rotondo – home to the shrine dedicated to Saint Pius of Pietrelcina

title: Međugorje


text:
Mecca

Mecca, officially known as Makkah al-Mukarramah (Arabic: مكة المكرمة, Makkah al-Mukarramah), is a city in Saudi Arabia and the holiest city in Islam.

Mecca is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammed, the founder of Islam, and Muslims believe the Qur'an was first revealed to Muhammad here. The Great Mosque of Mecca, known as Masjid al-Haram is considered to be Islam's most sacred mosque and Muslims anywhere face toward it when they pray.

Each year, millions of people from around the world flock to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage, which is an obligation for all Muslims. This makes Mecca the most visited city in all of Saudi Arabia.

History
Mecca is generally considered "the fountainhead and cradle of Islam".

Early history
Muslims believe that the history of Mecca goes back to Abraham (Ibrahim) who built the Kaaba with the help of his eldest son Ishmael around 2000 BCE. In 570 CE, Muhammad was born in Mecca. Since those days, Mecca's history and identity has been inextricably linked with Islam.

According to Muslim traditions, in 610, it was in Mecca (inside the Hira cave on the mountain of Jabal al-Nour) where Muhammad the age of 40 received his first revelation from Allah, through the Angel Gabriel. Muhammad then begin preaching. In 622, Muhammad left Mecca for Yathrib (now called Medina) for fear of being assassinated by the local Quraysh ruling clan, who had declined to accept Muhammad and his beliefs and started persecuting followers of Islam. As Muhammad migrated to Medina and settled there, several armed conflicts followed between followers of Muhammad and local tribes of Mecca, particularly one during which the followers of Muhammad attempted to return to Mecca in 628 for pilgrimage but weren't allowed to enter the city. A peace treaty was eventually signed that allowed followers of Muhammad to return to Mecca. In 629, Muhammad along with thousands of his followers migrated back to Mecca from Medina (where he had lived for 13 years) for a Hajj, known as the first pilgrimage. According to Muslims, the peace treaty was to also include ceasefire for 10 years but after 2 years, the Quraysh violated the truce by slaughtering a group of Muslims. Muhammad and his followers, companions and allies now much stronger in number, so instead of fighting back, they simply marched across the city of Mecca and thereby triggered the surrender of the Quraysh of Mecca. Eventually, Muhammad Islamicized the city and made it the center of Muslim pilgrimage, Hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Medieval times
Mecca has been ruled by various dynasties over the last 1500 years. Starting in 1517 CE, with only one short interruption, Mecca and the rest of the Hejaz were under the control of the Ottoman Empire. From the 10th century, the local religious and temporal leaders were the Hashemite Emirs.

20th century
The Hashemites, working with the British intelligence officer Lawrence, led a successful revolt against the Turks during World War I. After the war, (at least as Arabs see it) the British betrayed their allies. Despite wartime promises, there was no independent Arab state in the Levant, only British and French protectorates.

In 1924, Mecca was conquered by the ibn Saud family following a short battle. This was part of the process of founding modern-day Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the British helped put Hashemites on the thrones of Transjordan and Iraq.

Grand Mosque seizure
On 20 November 1979, armed extremists attacked and seized the Grand Mosque, calling for the overthrow of the Saudi royal family. The siege lasted two weeks, until the armed forces of Pakistan and France intervened to assist the Saudi authorities.

The seizure of the Grand Mosque had a profound impact on the Muslim world and changed the course of Saudi Arabia's societal and political direction; after the extremists were captured and executed by the Saudi government, Saudi Arabia adopted a more conservative stance, giving more power to the religious authorities and enforcing Islamic law more strictly. The role of women in Saudi society was completely reduced (female TV presenters were a common sight prior to the seige) and travel to Saudi Arabia became more restricted and regulated.

Modern history
Like any other city around the world, Mecca has its fair share of issues and problems. The Saudi government is routinely criticised for downplaying the severity of incidents during the Hajj, poorly managing the city, and demolishing Islamic heritage sites in the city. It has been estimated that 95% of Mecca's historic buildings, most of which were more than a thousand years old, have been demolished by the Saudi government. Many people from around the world have expressed anger and frustration at this, seeing this as cultural vandalism and an attempt to erase and eradicate Islam's origins and identity.

The Saudi government claims they're trying to accomodate Hajj pilgrims and make them feel comfortable, but some do not agree with that, claiming that the Saudi government is more interested in making Mecca a tourist destination. The Saudi government routinely rejects criticism of how they're managing the city, hitting back at critics by telling them that they are "playing politics" or "interfering" in state affairs.

One notable critic of the Saudi government's management of the city is the Turkish government. A number of Ottoman Empire structures in the city have been demolished, which the Turkish government sees as an attempt to diminish their historical legacy in the city. In 2002, the Ajyad Fortress, an Ottoman citadel that stood on a hill overlooking the Grand Mosque of Mecca, was demolished by the Saudi government to make way for the Abraj Al Bait, a $15 billion project designed to accommodate the vast and growing number of Hajj pilgrims. The Turkish government, as well as others in the international community, unsuccessfully tried to prevent the Saudi government from demolishing the fort.

Recent events, such as the 2015 Mina stampede, have drawn strong responses from governments in Muslim-majority countries. Iran, a country that has long been at odds with the Saudi government, has banned its citizens from going to Mecca for the Hajj a few times (only to reverse the bans later on) after several Iranian pilgrims were killed in separate incidents.

Visa requirements
For more information on Saudi immigration regulations, please refer to the "Get in" section of the Saudi Arabia article.

If you plan on visiting during the Hajj, you must apply for a Hajj visa.

By plane
Since Mecca is deemed as a sacred and holy land, Mecca is a no-fly zone. There are no airports in the city, and commercial planes are strictly forbidden from flying over the city.

 * The main gateway to Mecca is

 * Another gateway to Mecca is

By car
Once you've landed in either Jeddah or Taif, the next step is to drive to the city. Mecca is served by two major highways: Highway 40 and Highway 15.

 * If you are driving from Jeddah, go along Highway 40. Highway 40 is a well-maintained, modern, multi-lane highway and the journey will take you at least 60 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Expect this highway to be completely jammed and packed during the Hajj or the Umrah, however.

 * Another easier way to enter Mecca is through Taif. Just drive along Highway 15 and you will reach Mecca in 60 minutes. Since most Hajj pilgrims fly into Jeddah, expect this highway to be completely free of traffic. If you desire to enter Mecca quickly, it is recommended that you take this route.

If you don't have your own car, you can consider doing the following:
 * Hail a taxi at the Jeddah airport to take you to Mecca. You can share the costs with other pilgrims if you choose to do so. Prices might be higher during the Hajj season, so stay alert.
 * Hail an Uber to take you to Mecca. Uber works in all major cities in Saudi Arabia.

By train
The quickest way to enter the city is by train. A train ride to Mecca from Jeddah will take you at least 30 or so minutes. The Haramain high-speed railway links Mecca and Medina via Jeddah, and you can directly go to the city from the train station at King Abdulaziz International Airport.

By bus
The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) offers bus services to and from the city. A bus ride from Jeddah to Meccah would normally take you 1¼ hours depending on traffic conditions.

SAPTCO also offers a VIP service to Mecca. VIP buses are a lot more comfortable, have free Wi-Fi, and are more spacious. If you're not a citizen of a GCC country, make sure you have a valid passport and the right visa before boarding a VIP bus.

There are many ways in which you can book a bus ride to Mecca. You can do it at a SAPTCO branch, on the SAPTCO app (iOS, Android), or on the website. The SAPTCO app is only in Arabic.

Get around
Mecca's transportation network is well developed, however, expect getting around to be a literal hassle during the Hajj; millions of pilgrims are in every nook and corner of the city, and it can take ages to get to one place from another.

By metro

The Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line (Arabic: قطار المشاعر المقدسة الخط الجنوبي) is the only operating metro line in the city. The metro was built in the year 2010 by a Chinese railway construction firm (China Railway Construction Corporation Limited). It is believed to have the highest capacity of any existing metro in the world, which, truthfully, should come as no surprise to you, considering how millions of pilgrims flock every year to Mecca for the Hajj.

There are plans to fully add another metro network in the near future and this new network, known as Makkah Mass Rail Transit, will consist of four lines: line A, line B, line C, and line D. A total of 88 stations are expected to be served by this intended expansion. Although this sounds impressive, construction contracts have still not yet been awarded as of yet. Once construction contracts get awarded and the project gets finished, you can expect to get around Mecca with ease and convenience. But that's ages from now.

Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro
The Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line has nine stations and is used as an exclusive shuttle train for pilgrims between holy sites in Mecca, Mount Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina. As is the case with all transport modes during the Hajj, the metro can be densely crowded and packed, so plan and prepare accordingly.

By car
Being served by two major highways, you can very easily cover the entire city by car. Mecca's road transportation network is well-maintained, organised, and well developed. Roads typically tend to be free of any traffic after the Hajj.

Uber works in Mecca. If you don't feel comfortable driving on Saudi roads, or if you don't have your own car, you can hail an Uber.

By foot
During the Hajj, expect to do lots and lots of walking. A lot of attractions in the city center are within walking distance.

See
As the holiest city in Islam, there are numerous attractions.

Do
There's a lot you can do in Mecca if you plan on sticking around for long.

Buy
While in Mecca, many pilgrims purchase trinkets to remember their time and souvenirs to bring back to family and friends. Zamzam water is available free. It is consumed in Mecca and brought home as a souvenir.

Other items to buy in and around Mecca are: prayer mats and hats, prayer beads and perfume.

Eat
Being one of the most visited cities in the world, you can sample food from all over the world!

Budget
There is an Al-Baik Restaurant adjacent to the Sacred Mosque. You can also try the fullset-chicken with cheap price, even cheaper than KFC.

Drink
During the Hajj, you can try some Zamzam water, which is believed to be divinely blessed. As this is Saudi Arabia, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is virtually non-existent.

Sleep
Mecca has a plethora of hotels. Prices vary depending on the hotel's proximity to the Holy Mosque. Some of the world's greatest hotels are situated in Mecca, and are full year-round. Make sure to book early, as soon as you know your dates of travel.

Stay safe
Mecca in general is a safe city, but one should take extra precautions during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The various safety tips found in the Saudi Arabia article will come in handy. Refer it to often to stay out of trouble.

Overcrowding and stampedes
Overcrowding and stampedes are not unusual in Mecca. Since the development of air travel, pilgrims have been able to access the city much easily than before (earlier people used to travel to Mecca by boat or by other means), and as a result, the city's capacity can be completely overwhelmed.

If you're travelling with family members or with a friend, stick together. Supervise your children (if you have any) closely to make sure they are close to you and are not lost among the crowd.

In September 2015, approximately 2,236 pilgrims were trampled upon and killed in Mina, an incident regarded as the worst ever stampede in the city. The stampede drew extremely strong responses from Muslim-majority countries, with some blaming the Saudi government for being negligent and downplaying the severity of the incident, and the Iranian government (Iran had the highest casualty toll in the stampede) was angered to such a great extent that they went as far as banning their citizens from performing the Hajj in 2016.

Extreme weather
Mecca has a hot desert climate and temperatures regularly reach as high as 50°C (120°F) during the summers.

As is the case throughout the Middle East, always check weather conditions and hydrate often; you can very easily get exhausted, lethargic, and dehydrated if you do not take the necessary precautions.

Pickpocketing
There are many dishonest people and groups that often try to take advantage of the Hajj pilgrimage and/or the Umrah to deprive people of their personal property. You should not assume that Mecca only attracts the honest.

When traversing through the crowds, keep your valuables safe. Err on the side of safety and don't take any unnecessary risks. If you have been the victim of theft, call the police. Saudi authorities treat theft very seriously, largely because of a zero-tolerance justice system.

Construction-related accidents
The Saudi authorities invest heavily into construction projects designed to cater to Hajj pilgrims, and this has, on occasion, caused a few construction-related accidents.

In 2015, a crawler crane in the Grand Mosque collapsed, killing 111 pilgrims and injuring dozens of others. In the event something is being renovated or constructed, do not walk close to any construction site. Give all renovation sites a wide berth.

Female travellers
Since 2018, female pilgrims have spoken up about sexual abuse and harassment experienced on the Hajj. Although it is unlikely you'll experience severe harassment, don't be afraid to create a scene and don't feel the need to be polite in the event someone harasses you; no woman would be expected to put up with rotten behaviour like that.

The Hajj is time-consuming and can take a huge toll on your physical health. Many pregnant pilgrims suffer miscarriages during the Hajj. If you are expecting soon or if you are recuperating from an illness, it is strongly recommended that you postpone your trip.

Stay healthy
There are several hospitals in Mecca.

Respect
As the holiest city in Islam, appropriate religious prohibitions and attitudes should be in order. When you're here for either the Hajj or the Umrah, remember to eschew from the following: smoking, engaging in sexual relations, using foul language, shaving your hair and cutting your nails.

Local etiquette
The various respect tips found in the Saudi Arabia article are of immense help. Familiarise yourself with Saudi etiquette before entering Mecca.

Refrain from pontificating about the Saudi government's construction campaign in the city; the issue is very sensitive among some.

General etiquette
You are bound to meet people from all over the world. Be open to new experiences, and don't feel afraid of communicating with anyone. Approach people with a positive attitude and you are apt to make friends; a gruff, impatient attitude may generate resentment.

Photography
It's actually forbidden to take photographs inside the Masjid Al-Haram, but the rules are not rigorously enforced. In fact, it is quite common to see people clicking away happily with their smart phones inside the mosque. You would, however, arouse suspicion from the staff if you come in with a fancy camera.

There's some disagreement on whether or not people should take photographs inside the Masjid Al-Haram. Although some don't see it as a big deal and will happily share their photographs with others, many others consider it incredibly disrespectful.

If you feel the need to take a photo, don't engage in "touristy" behaviour (i.e. acting like you're seeing a place for the first time in forever) and don't conduct yourself in a way that would be perceived as disruptive or annoying. Always be considerate to the people around you; chances are, other people take things more seriously than you do!

Connect
The four mobile operators in Saudi Arabia, incumbent Al Jawal, Emirati rival Mobily, Kuwaiti Zain (Vodafone Network) and STC newcomer Jawwy are fiercely competitive, with good coverage (in populated areas) and good prices.

You should be able to get a prepaid SMS at major airports, or at local shops nearby.

Go next
If you plan on spending some time in the Mecca Province, consider visiting the following cities:

 * Medina — Islam's second holiest city. Unlike Mecca, Medina is open to non-Muslims.
 * Taif — the unofficial summer capital of Saudi Arabia. Non-Muslims are allowed to enter.
 * Jeddah — the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, known for the traditional coral houses in its old town.

title: Mecca


text:
Mecca (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Mecca:

Saudi Arabia

 * Mecca
 * Mecca Province

United States

 * Mecca, California
 * Mecca, Indiana
 * Mecca, Missouri
 * Mecca, Ohio
 * Mecca Township, Trumbull County, Ohio

title: Mecca (disambiguation)


text:
Mechanicsburg

Mechanicsburg is a borough of 9,000 people (2019) in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Mechanicsburg is eight miles west of Harrisburg. It is home to Jubilee Day, the largest and longest-running-one-day street fair on the east coast.

Understand
On April 12, 1828 the borough was given the name Mechanicsburg after the increased settlement of Conestoga Wagon mechanics to the area. Designated as a water station for the restocking of locomotives in the 1800s, railroads played a vital role in Mechanicsburg's development linking the town to the business and industry world. Grain and feed companies, lumber yards, and numerous factories were intentionally placed along these tracks to attract more business. During the 19th century an average of 25 trains chugged through the town daily carrying travelers, mail, newspapers, coal, and food.

However, today only six trains travel through each day. This number did not used to be this high until Norfolk Southern gained more work on the local sub-line running through Mechanicsburg.

Today Mechanicsburg is most well known for being the hometown of Shawn Abner, Del Beshore, Brett Michaels, Ricky Rockett, and Karen Bill. Mechanicsburg has had many nicknames throughout the years. It was first known to be called Drytown because of the intense droughts in the winters and summers, Pinchgut, which is a German term meaning a small town with very few people, and Staufferstown after Henry Stauffer who owned much of the land in the colonial time. The last nickname was Creekville because of the many creeks and small bodies of water located in Mechanicsburg.

By plane
Harrisburg International Airport is approximately 16 miles (25 km) from the center of Mechanicsburg. The Multi-Modal Transportation Facility (MMTF) is a four-story facility that provides services for all ground transportation including taxis, limos, rental cars, shuttles, and buses making it easy for travelers to get from point "A" to point "B". Philadelphia International Airport is a two-hour drive away and is sometimes more cost efficient to fly into for travelers coming farther distances.

By train
Harrisburg is home to the Harrisburg Amtrak Station. The Amtrak train moves at an average speed of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) and sells reasonably priced tickets. The train is cheap, timely, and an economical means of transportation. Located at 4th and Chestnut Street the station is a quick 8 miles to Mechanicsburg. Harrisburg is home to many taxi companies willing to drive the 8 miles into Mechanicsburg including Capital City Cab Services, American Taxi, Personal Driver Services, and AAA Alpine Taxicab Company. Averaging $10-12 for a taxi ride into town these cab services are perfect to get a traveler to Mechanicsburg in a timely fashion.

By car
Being that Mechanicsburg connects into the Carlisle Pike, a major trucking road, many highways connect to the area which makes it easily accessible by car. Coming from the north take I-81 to Exit 3, Carlisle Pike. Coming from the east or south take I-83 exit 4, Mechanicsburg. Coming westbound take PA Rt. 581. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76 takes you to Mechanicsburg off the Harrisburg West exit.

By bus

 * Wolf's Bus Lines Inc, State St, +1 717-697-8569
 * Rohrer Bus Service-Cumberland Valley 206 Hempt Rd, +1 717-766-9205
 * Greyhound Bus

Get around
Taxi
 * New Yellow Cab LLC +1 717-238-7252
 * Keystone Cab Co. +1 717-234-4400
 * Capital City Cab Services +1 717-939-6363
 * AAA Moonlight Taxicab Co +1 717-243-4343

Limousines
 * Henderson Limousine Services
 * Unique Limousine

Car rentals
 * Hertz Rent-a-Car
 * Enterprise Rent-A-Car
 * Sensible Car Rental
 * Avis Rent A Car
 * Car Rentals from Budget

See
Art & theatre
 * Art Center Schools and Galleries- 18 Artcraft Drive
 * Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg- 915 South York St.
 * 2nd Floor Gallery, on South Market Street in downtown Mechanicsburg. This particular gallery is very upscale and deals with investments.
 * William Ris Gallery, 5 minutes outside of Mechanicsburg in Camp Hill. This gallery specifies in traditional and contemporary regional/national art.
 * 2nd Floor Gallery, on South Market Street in downtown Mechanicsburg. This particular gallery is very upscale and deals with investments.
 * William Ris Gallery, 5 minutes outside of Mechanicsburg in Camp Hill. This gallery specifies in traditional and contemporary regional/national art.

History
 * Mechanicsburg is rich in history with easy access to the historical sites throughout town. The town played a large part in the Civil War and it is considered the most northern exchange by Confederate and Yankee troops. The Frankenberger Tavern, the oldest building still standing in town, is found on 217 East Main Street.  The museum used to be owned by George Frankeberger who built the log home in 1801 as a hotel for travelers. George was later murdered in his home and to this day the tavern is rumored to be haunted. The Stationmaster's House was built in 1866 by the Cumberland Valley Railroad for the station master and his wife.  Found on 4 Strawberry Alley, the home is now restored and furnished with antiques and reproductions from the period to portray a middle-class household during the 19th century. The Passenger Station found on 2 Strawberry Alley, is a historical train station built in 1831 connecting to the Cumberland Valley Railroad.  Now the station is home to the Mechanicsburg Museum Association.
 * Occupation of Mechanicsburg Story Stop, on East Main and South Market Streets, marks the importance Mechanicsburg played in the Civil War.
 * The Bowmansdale Stone Covered Bridge was built in Bowmansdale, Pennsylvania and was later relocated by Messiah students onto their campus.
 * Every year on New Year's Eve, Mechanicsburg drops a wrench to remember all of the mechanics that used to work in the town supporting the workers in Harrisburg and Carlisle.

Do

 * If you happen to travel to Mechanicsburg the second week in June the famous Jubilee Day street fair runs all day long. Rain or shine Market Street is annually shut down for the longest street fair on the east coast. Food, games, crafts and rides fill the town roads giving everyone a little taste of Mechanicsburg culture.
 * The large Conodoguinet Creek runs right through the borough. During the warmer spring and summer months the Conodoquinet is a perfect spot to spend a day fishing, tubing, and kayaking with endless places along the water to enter and exit
 * The Yellow Breeches Creek is also a few minutes from downtown. On McCormick Drive in Mechanicsburg you will find a quaint little road along the creek where many gather for family activities such as boating, kayaking, fishing, and picniking.
 * Mechanicsburg is a short drive away to the larger Susquehanna River. Here you can go boating, fishing, or enjoy a tour of the river on the Pride of the Susquehanna.
 * If you want to enjoy a leisurely day out on the golf course Mechanicsburg is home to two courses: Armitage Golf Club located on 800 Orrs Bridge Road and Rich Valley Golf on 227 Rich Valley Rd.
 * Paulus Farm Market on 1216 S. York St.
 * Finkenbinder Park on the Corner of Arch and Green Streets and Center Square Park W. Lisburn Road in Center Square Development are two parks with full playgrounds.
 * Downtown Dancing on 19 E. Main St.
 * Trindle Bowl, 4695 Trindle Road, and ABC West Bowling, 6454 Carlisle Pike.
 * Relax and spend a day getting pampered at Sass Salon & Day Spa 4931 Carlisle Pike or Changes Salon and Day Spa 5121 E. Trindle Road.
 * Flagship Cinema in Hampden township features Digital 3D, Stadium Seating, Low-Res Shaker Seats and Free Soda Refills.
 * - in Mechanicsburg
 * Relax and spend a day getting pampered at Sass Salon & Day Spa 4931 Carlisle Pike or Changes Salon and Day Spa 5121 E. Trindle Road.
 * Flagship Cinema in Hampden township features Digital 3D, Stadium Seating, Low-Res Shaker Seats and Free Soda Refills.
 * - in Mechanicsburg

Buy

 * The town of Mechanicsburg is aligned with unique, one-of-a-kind stores including antiques, boutiques, sport stores and craft shops. The best shopping is found along Market Street.
 * Veronique's Antiques- European and American Antiques, metal refinishing, plating, porcelain repair, and glass grinding. This small antique shop is located right in downtown Mechanicsburg
 * Sweet Rememberances- a "one stop herb shop" located right in the heard of Downtown Mechanicsburg. Run by an older woman who is very nice and helpful and the store smells wonderful. Herbs are not the only thing sold there, there are also smaller gifts.
 * Also in Mechanicsburg is the 84p Acre Naval Support Activity Base.
 * Haar's Drive- In Theatre Flea Market- located about ten minutes outside of Mechanicsburg, this is one of the last standing drive- in movie theaters in this area. Flea markets are also held there on the weekends.
 * The Silver Spring plaza off the Carlisle Pike is home to some great shopping including stores such as Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, Ulta, Pets Unlimited, and Dress Barn.
 * Camp Hill Shopping Center right off of US-15- includes Panera Bread, Barnes and Nobles, Giant, Pier 1 Imports, Hallmark, and BosCovs.
 * Camp Hill Shopping Center right off of US-15- includes Panera Bread, Barnes and Nobles, Giant, Pier 1 Imports, Hallmark, and BosCovs.

Eat
In and out of town, Mechanicsburg has an endless variety of restaurants from small diners to commercial franchises.

In-town dining
 * York Street Grille, 398 N. York Street, has a great home-like atmosphere with reasonably priced food and an assortment of beer.
 * Sal's Pizza, 304 North York Street. If you're in the mood for pizza, hoagies, or burgers Sal's will be sure to please.
 * Josie's German Delicatessen is a great German delicatessen with great reviews. They make warm food and prepare all their dishes with authentic German ingredients. Josie is known for her beer and bratwurst and lentil soup.
 * Diener's is known to have a great breakfast. It is on Market Street and is very small and family oriented.
 * Just outside of town is The Peppermill Restaurant, with excellent homestyle cooking.
 * Rakestraws- a historic ice cream shop that has been in Mechanicsburg for a very long time. This ice cream parlor is famous for their black raspberry flavor.
 * The Mechanicsburg Diner is a very inexpensive dinner option and has a fun decor of the 1950s.
 * Rakestraws- a historic ice cream shop that has been in Mechanicsburg for a very long time. This ice cream parlor is famous for their black raspberry flavor.
 * The Mechanicsburg Diner is a very inexpensive dinner option and has a fun decor of the 1950s.

Out of town dining

Mechanicsburg outside of the town consists of many commercial restaurants including
 * Carrabba's 5250 Carlisle Pike - +1 717-795-9200
 * Isaac's 4940 Ritter Rd - +1 717-766-1111
 * Your Place 6035 Carlisle Pike - +1 717-766-4989
 * Philadelphia Steaks and Hoagies, on the Carlisle Pike, has delicious cheesesteaks.

However there are many unique restaurants outside of town as well including
 * Chef Wong's, 5001 East Trindle Road
 * Great Wall Chinese, 6520 Carlisle Pike
 * Mikado Japanese Steak and Sushi . The hibachi chefs are very friendly and entertaining and the food is delicious.
 * Sahara Restaurant, at 5205 Simpson Ferry Road, for delicious Moroccan food.
 * Mikado Japanese Steak and Sushi . The hibachi chefs are very friendly and entertaining and the food is delicious.
 * Sahara Restaurant, at 5205 Simpson Ferry Road, for delicious Moroccan food.

Drink

 * If you're a bit older and would like to enjoy dinner with your drinks you would love The Brew House Grille, on State Street in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
 * If you're tight on money, Moe's Bar and Sports Grille is the place to go. The food and drinks are unbelievably cheap yet the environment and quality is still excellent. It is at 4709 Gettysburg Pike.
 * If you're a bit older and would like to enjoy dinner with your drinks you would love The Brew House Grille, on State Street in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
 * If you're tight on money, Moe's Bar and Sports Grille is the place to go. The food and drinks are unbelievably cheap yet the environment and quality is still excellent. It is at 4709 Gettysburg Pike.
 * If you're a bit older and would like to enjoy dinner with your drinks you would love The Brew House Grille, on State Street in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
 * If you're tight on money, Moe's Bar and Sports Grille is the place to go. The food and drinks are unbelievably cheap yet the environment and quality is still excellent. It is at 4709 Gettysburg Pike.

Go next

 * If you're looking to do more shopping than what Mechanicsburg has to offer, the Capital City Mall on 3506 Capital City Mall Drive Camp Hill is a five-minute drive from town. The mall has a variety of stores such as Toys R Us, Macy's, JC Penney, American Eagle Outfitters, Hollister Co., Forever 21], Express, and many more of today's popular stores.
 * if you enjoy skiing and snowboarding you should travel 20 minutes away from Mechanicsburg to Ski Roundtop. Here they have numerous hills for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy. In the summer you can also enjoy paintball and a rope course.
 * Harrisburg, the state capital, is a terrific area to spend the day exploring and sightseeing. The city has many attractions to keep any visitor busy.  Bike trails outline the city along the river.  The capitol building is a gorgeous piece of architecture that  gives personal tours during the week.  Strawberry Square provides numerous stores for shopping including Baker and Price Jewelers, The Candy Store, The Dress Barn, GNC Live Well, and Pealer's Flowers. Also at Strawberry Square are Harrisburg University of Science and Technology and Temple University Harrisburg Campus. This is where the Popcorn Hat Players and Shakespeare Festivals take place.  Harrisburg is known for its assortment of fine dining and fun night life. 2nd street of Harrisburg is very popular for its nightlife. This street is lined with fine restaurants and bars. On the weekends Harrisburg often has different festivals and fairs lining the outskirts. City Island has semi-pro baseball games, soccer games, an arcade and mini golf.
 * Just outside the city of Harrisburg is the Wildwood Lake Sanctuary and the Olewine Nature Center. It is near the Harrisburg Area Community College's campus and includes a nature reserve, nature center, and wildlife park. It is great for children, exercizing, and walking your dog.
 * If you wish to enjoy beer tasting, the Appalachian Brewing Company is a great place to go. Located at 50 N. Cameron Street, you can enjoy a nice, moderately priced dinner, while you sip on different beers.
 * To get in some shopping with you also learn some history you should travel to The Broad Street Market. It is the oldest continuously operated market house. Here they sell locally grown produce, baked goods, and other venues. It is at North 3rd and Verbece Streets, 10 miles from Mechanicsburg.
 * Hershey Park is a well known amusement park built in the center of the sweetest place on earth Hershey. The park is 20 miles away from Mechanicsburg.  The entry fee gives you a ticket to the park and a ticket to Hershey's ZooAmerica which is next to the rides.  Other things in Hershey include:
 * The Hershey Gardens which features a beautiful butterfly exhibit.
 * The Hershey Story which is a museum of the whole chocolate venue.
 * the Hershey Trolley Works, an interactive tour of Hershey which includes chocolate tasting and a trip to the factory.
 * The Outlets at Hershey.
 * Lancaster is a 40 minutes on the highway from Mechanicsburg. Home to the Pennsylvania Dutch, Lancaster has an abundant, unique culture all of its own.  Enjoy the maganificant crop fields as horse and buggies routinely zoom by.  Lancaster has endless attractions welcoming visitors to spend a day with the Amish. Also in Lancaster is the large Park City Mall and the Tanger Outlets. They feature stores like Ralph Lauren, Guess, and Coach.
 * Gettysburg is a historical gem with an abundance of tourist attractions. Gettysburg is 46 miles from Mechanicsburg and is host to the Gettysburg Battlefield site. There is much to see and do at the battlefield including tours, interactive workshops, and museums. During early July visitors can witness reenactments of The Battle of Gettysburg. During the fall months visitors can take ghost tours of the town of Gettysburg which has been rumored to be haunted by the spirits of the fatal battle.
 * Indian Echo Caverns is a massive tourist complex in Hummelstown, PA 35 miles from Mechanicsburg. The Indian Echo Caverns are huge limestone caves that are open to magnificent, breath taking public tours that take you deep into the caves.

title: Mechanicsburg


text:
Mechelen

Mechelen is a historically important city on the river Dyle in the centre of Flanders. It is a vibrant town, mixing trendy and traditional. Its carillon school is world-renowned, training students from all over the world in the art of playing carillons, sets of 24 or more bells hung in church towers. Shops downtown are often housed in buildings with the old-style Flemish architecture, but offer edgy fashions sure to appeal to the younger generation.

Understand
It lies about halfway between Antwerp and Brussels and has approximately 80,000 inhabitants.

Though now in the shadow of Brussels, Mechelen is a historically important city in its own right. From 1506 to 1530 it was the capital of the Netherlands under Margaret of Austria. In 1559 it became an archbishopric, a sign of great importance. It was famous for its wood carvings, some of which can still be seen in the churches of the city, and for lace and tapestry manufacture.

Mechelen is developing into the centre of non-profit or non-governmental organizations for Flanders. Some famous examples are Natuurpunt, AFS, and the Red Cross. This is mainly because it's very easily reachable (by train or by highway) but not as expensive as Brussels.

Inhabitants are called "Maneblussers" (moon-extinguishers). The story goes that one day long time ago the moonlight was shining on the unfinished St.-Romboutstoren and that some people thought it was burning. The whole city was mobilized to extinguish the fire but there was no fire to extinguish.

Mechelen has its own local encyclopedia, called Mechelen Mapt, written in Dutch with short translations in English.
 * Mechelen city government website

By train
Mechelen is easily reached by train. From Brussels and Antwerp it takes about 25 minutes.

By bus
You can also reach by taking a bus from Antwerp. Just outside the main train station you'll find a bus station with connections to many places in the vicinity.

By car
Mechelen lies at the E19-highway.

Get around
The city center is about 15 minutes walk from the train station. Mechelen is a very compact city, so you can reach most places on foot. There are a few bus routes through and radiating from the city centre in case you need them.

Do

 * Take a boat cruise along the waterways. The 45-minute trip costs €6. Departures are every hour on the half hour, from Haverwerf.
 * Get to the tourist information center on the main square or Grote Markt and follow one of their recommended walking tours.
 * Football: KV Mechelen play soccer in Pro League, Belgium's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 16,700) is "Achter de Kazerne" - "behind the barracks", sponsored as AFAS Stadion, 1.5 km northeast of town centre. Their former rivals KRC Mechelen toil away down in the minor leagues.
 * Football: KV Mechelen play soccer in Pro League, Belgium's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 16,700) is "Achter de Kazerne" - "behind the barracks", sponsored as AFAS Stadion, 1.5 km northeast of town centre. Their former rivals KRC Mechelen toil away down in the minor leagues.
 * Football: KV Mechelen play soccer in Pro League, Belgium's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 16,700) is "Achter de Kazerne" - "behind the barracks", sponsored as AFAS Stadion, 1.5 km northeast of town centre. Their former rivals KRC Mechelen toil away down in the minor leagues.
 * Football: KV Mechelen play soccer in Pro League, Belgium's top tier. Their home ground (capacity 16,700) is "Achter de Kazerne" - "behind the barracks", sponsored as AFAS Stadion, 1.5 km northeast of town centre. Their former rivals KRC Mechelen toil away down in the minor leagues.

Events

 * Weekly one-hour carillon concerts on the Sint-Rombouts tower carillon occur Saturdays at 11:30 and Sundays at 15:00 all year. During the summer (roughly June to September) there are additional concerts on Monday evenings; for these, carillonneurs from all over the Low Countries, as well as overseas, are invited to play.

Buy

 * The main shopping streets are Bruul and IJzerenleen, both radiating out from the Market Square.
 * There are several chocolate shops near the Grote Markt, but try the local one, Gauthier, on the IJzerenleen; it's very good and not as pricey as Neuhaus. They also have some spice cakes and cookies.
 * If you're around on a Saturday morning there's an open market in the Grote Markt and the Botermarkt. There are a lot of food stands (cheese, meat, seafood, produce, some prepared food) but also some others (basic clothing, shoes, linens).
 * There's a Match supermarket on Haverwerf, if you need supplies for self-catering. The Smatch on the Blauwhondstraat (between IJzerenleen and Bruul, near the Grote Markt) is smaller but is open Sunday mornings.

Drink

 * Various cafes on the Vismarkt
 * Various cafes on the Vismarkt
 * Various cafes on the Vismarkt

Stay safe
While Mechelen used to have one of the highest crime rates in Flanders, it is safe to walk through Mechelen now. The city has improved much over the last years, especially in the tourist areas. You may want to keep out of the outskirts at night, though, but there is not much to do there anyway.

Connect
As of June 2022, Mechelen has 4G from Orange and Proximus / Scarlet, and 5G from Base / Telenet.

Go next

 * Antwerp — Major port town north of Mechelen, with a large shopping, diamond and fashion scene.
 * Brussels — The lively and diverse national capital is only a short train ride away.
 * Leuven — Nearly as lively as Antwerp or Brussels is this college town, home to one of the world's oldest universities is here. Many hotels also cater to businessmen who wish not to stay in Brussels.
 * Lier — Nearby small town with some medieval sights.

title: Mechelen


text:
Mecklenburg County

There is more than one place called Mecklenburg County. You may be looking for:

 * Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
 * Mecklenburg County, Virginia

title: Mecklenburg County


text:
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) is a Land (state) in Germany, located in the northeastern corner of the country between Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and the Baltic Sea, and the neighboring country of Poland. The name is sometimes abbreviated in German to Meck-Pomm (think Mc-Pom), though locals of the state are unlikely to use the name, but you will be understood.

It is the least populated part of Germany and thus offers vast natural reserves. Historically, Pomerania continues to the east following the Baltic coastline of Poland. The inland of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is relatively flat, as is most of northern Germany, though there are various glacial hills and valleys. There are a large number of lakes formed by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Mecklenburg and Pomerania are known for their many historical Baltic seaside resorts with noble architecture and fine sandy beaches, that are unmatched in most of Europe. The region also offers many hidden castles and manor houses, well-kept medieval towns and intact nature.

Cities

 * - The largest city, a hanseatic city close to the sea, with medieval buildings in the city center, a seaside resort (Warnemünde, its port) and the oldest university in the Baltic region
 * - State capital of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
 * - A well-preserved medieval city center of world cultural heritage value, another former member of the hanseatic league
 * - university town, also a former member of the hanseatic league
 * - A well-preserved medieval city center of world cultural heritage value
 * - urban center of the Mecklenburg Lake District, Lake Tollensesee, medieval wall and Brick Gothic gates, famous concert church
 * - on the island of Rügen, major fishing port with the longest outside mole of Europe, chalk-cliffs north of the town ("Königstuhl" = "King's Chair")
 * - on the island of Usedom, during World War II this was the site of Nazi weapon research (V1, V2)
 * - Famous seaside resort on the island of Rügen, holiday resort with very long sandy beach.
 * - Famous seaside resort on the island of Rügen, holiday resort with very long sandy beach.

Other destinations

 * - features picturesque beaches and steep, dramatic chalk cliffs in some locations
 * - Germany´s largest island in the Baltic just off the coast, location of many seaside resorts and scenic sea cliffs, great bathing beaches
 * - nice island in the east of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
 * - peninsula with fine sand beaches and unspoiled nature
 * Müritz - Germany´s largest lake on its territory, with a national park on its eastern shore
 * "Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft" - ("Western Pomeranian Lagoons") National Park on the coast between Rostock and Rügen
 * - national park on Rügen

Understand
Mecklenburg (originally pronounced with a long "e") Vorpommern is the least densely populated German state, but has been a major (domestic) tourist destination as early as the 19th century. As some of Germany's (historically) most important Baltic ports are here, its cities were among the preeminent in the Hanseatic League (though it was de facto led by Lübeck just across the state border to the west), as well as a desired prize for all Baltic powers. As such pieces of it belonged to Sweden for a long time, starting with the thirty years war (1618-1648) and later Prussia acquired the eastern parts.

Trade and shipbuilding have always been important for coastal cities like Rostock and its port Warnemünde and the GDR heavily depended upon its Baltic seacoast both for tourism and other economic activities such as fishery and ship-building. After the fall of the GDR the crisis hit this area particularly hard, as the shipyards could not deal with the new competition (mostly from Korea) and East Germans eager to explore their new-found freedom of travel stopped vacationing in the seaside resorts. However, starting in the mid 1990s tourism has bounced back, as even Western Germans have discovered the allure of the Baltic Sea and many East Germans returned to the vacation spot of their youth. While the shipyards still haven't quite turned the corner they have now specialized in (higher prized) military and specialist vessels, where the high wages don't hurt them as much.

Another promising field is renewable energy, as the coast is very windy and the entire state is rather flat, making it the ideal site for windmills and their production. Tourism is still mostly geared towards Germans and (to a lesser degree) their neighbors to the east, particularly Poland. As this was the main beach destination in GDR times FKK (Freikörperkultur, that is naturism or nude bathing) is the norm rather than the exception.

Tourist information

 * Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania tourism website

Talk
In the larger cities (especially Rostock) you can get around well with English. Elsewhere, only younger people regularly understand English, so learning a few basic German phrases can be helpful. You may have some luck with Russian among people who grew up during GDR times, as it was compulsory in GDR schools. That said, many people have forgotten all but basic Russian, due to lack of practice. Mecklenburg and Pomerania are home to many German dialects of Low German still spoken in rural areas. Low German is a language spoken in northern Germany and is closely related to Dutch (and some words are even similar to English). All Low German speakers speak Standard German, too.

By plane
Rostock airport (Laage, ) has few international flights, so the best choices are usually Berlin Brandenburg Airport or Hamburg Airport.

By train
Trains from Hamburg and Berlin to the major cities (Rostock, Schwerin, Stralsund) leave every 1-2 hours. There are also regular train connections from Poland (Szczecin).

By boat
From Denmark (Gedser) there are frequent ferry connections to Rostock. Trelleborg in Sweden has several departures a day to Rostock and Sassnitz on Rügen. There are also ferry lines from several Eastern Baltic ports, primarily to Rostock.

By car
The fast motorway network (Autobahn) has been considerably extended during the last years and all larger cities now have excellent connections. In the summer months, especially on weekends, the motorways and all roads to the coast can be congested.

By bus
While they are a comparatively new phenomenon, Intercity buses in Germany serve most major and some minor towns throughout the country with prices often surprisingly low to compete with the better comfort and journey time of trains.

By bus and train
The rail network is well developed and even smaller towns have regular connections. However, you should allow a little more time: it sometimes takes an hour or more to cover a distance of 50 km, which is quite slow by German standards. Bus connections are only available if there is no parallel train connection, with buses running at irregular intervals on many lines. There is a tariff union in West Mecklenburg.

Many of the small rail lines pass through scenic areas, so the journey, while it may take a bit longer, offers some initial glimpses of the vastness of the landscape.

By car
In rural areas, traveling by car is the best option. The quality of the roads is usually good. Locals often drive aggressively, violate speed limits and overtake recklessly.

If you travel by car to the Baltic Sea for swimming, you should have enough change on hand for parking machines. There are only very few parking places near the beach that are free of charge. Parking fees vary greatly from place to place.

By bike
A very interesting option is traveling by bike. Along the Baltic coast there are various tourist cycling routes, but also a route from Berlin to Rostock. Regardless of the existing cycling routes, most of the roads are also attractive cycling routes. The main roads are often provided with separate bike paths at the edge. If this is not the case, you should not put yourself in danger and choose less traveled routes.

See

 * The Hanseatic cities on the Baltic coast, namely Wismar, Stralsund, Rostock and Greifswald are well worth a visit. The old towns of Wismar and Stralsund are even listed as World Heritage sites.
 * Jasmund National Park with the 118 m chalk cliff "Königstuhl" ("Kings chair") on the island of Rügen
 * the 5 km long KdF-building complex and ruins in Prora on the east coast of Rügen (KdF = "Kraft durch Freude" => "Strength through Joy" – the Nazi era popular recreation concept): Not pretty, but impressive
 * the Kap Arkona (Cape Arkona) on the north coast of Rügen
 * the beautiful sea bridges (seebrücke - or "piers" in UK English) of some coastal towns (e.g. Sellin / Rügen and Ahlbeck / Usedom)
 * Dobbertin Abbey was founded in 1220. South of Güstrow

Do
This is mostly a beach destination, so swimming is the main activity of most visitors. It is also a good area for hiking. Mecklenburg Lake District is a prime destination for canoeing or a houseboat vacation, but also for cycling.

Eat

 * fish in all variations ("Rollmops", "Bismarckhering"...)

Drink

 * beer from the local breweries in Rostock, Stralsund and Lübz
 * Glashäger mineral-water
 * Sand-thorn juice

Go next

 * Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is bordered by the German states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Brandenburg, and the Polish region of Zachodniopomorskie.
 * Cruising the Baltic Sea

title: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania