It seems as if previews and posters of the Adventures of Tintin movie have been everywhere these past few weeks. But, who is Tintin exactly? He is a globetrotting cartoon reporter solving mysteries with his dog, Snowy. Tintin is beloved in many countries and is featured in a 3D movie by Steven Spielberg that opened this week in the USA. It looks pretty amazing and we can’t wait to see it. We were in Brussels a couple of years ago and learned all about Tintin’s origins there and the city’s love of cartoons.
Brussels has been dubbed as the comic strip capital of the world. Those iconic Smurfs came from here too. The Belgian Comic Strip Center is one of its top attractions and a Comic Strip Festival is held every year. As we walked around Brussels, we easily spotted some of the 30+ large wall murals of comic strip characters incorporated into the buildings. 
Although, we had no idea who the characters were, the murals were fascinating, colorful and so detail oriented.
It was such a fun way to explore the city since we never knew what greeted us at the next corner. Comic strip trail maps were available at the Visitor’s Center at the Grand Place (Brussels main square) for a walking tour.
Needless to say, our kids absolutely enjoyed seeing these cartoons covering the sides of the buildings. We were able to locate a few of the murals before the sugar high we were on from sampling Belgian chocolates wore off.
Of course, there was a Tintin mural a few stories high.
Then, there’s my husband’s personal favorite mural.
Here are a couple of interesting murals we wished we saw but will gladly mark on our map to hunt for on our return visit.
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Have you done the Comic Strip Trail in Brussels? Are you a Tintin fan?
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wow- these are SO detailed and colorful. What a fun find!
Thanks Jade! They were so detailed it looked like the comic strips came alive on the walls.
Lovely :)
Thanks Muza-chan!
Tin Tin is the coolest cartoon character in the world! me. I often stop by the Tin Tin shop near Grand Place whenever I’m in Brussels. I’m usually there for work, though – so I haven’t discovered the trail, but will absolutely look for it next time.
How lucky you are to visit Brussels often, Sophie. I hope you enjoy the comic strip trail on your next visit.
What a great way to make a city interesting and what fun for the
kids too. I had no idea Brussels had murals like that on its buildings.
Thanks for the heads up, Leigh. I’m glad this one went through. Brussels was such a surprising and interesting city.
I had no idea that Brussels was the comic strip capital of the world, and it makes
for such interesting and really good graffiti.
Thanks for stopping by Laurel! Brussels certainly has owned up to this title. The murals are increasing and it is a fun way to explore the city’s neighborhoods.
Had never heard of this before. . .it will go in the travel tips file. Thanks for showing us this great feature.
You’re welcome Jackie! Glad you enjoyed the “art”.
Nifty! If I had known it existed, I would have scheduled a stopover in Brussels on
my way from Amsterdam to London via train back in 2009.
I hope you visit Brussels on your next trip. It’s such an interesting city full of unique and quirky attractions but often overlooked.
Thanks for stopping by RyukyuMike! Yes, it is graffiti at its finest.
Oh so awesome! Not only for the young ones but also for the young once!
Thanks for stopping by Gay. Yes, it was awesome. I only wish we had a bit more time to explore the rest of them.
How interesting. Looks like a great place to go. I love the Tintin one!
I didn’t know the Smurfs where also a Belgian creation. By the way,
in Spanish they’re called the Pitufos!!! Smurf would be difficult to pronounce, you see.
Merry Christmas!!!
Thanks Andrew! What an interesting Spanish name for the Smurfs – good little tidbit of info. Yes, Brussels was a great place to go even for just a day trip. Merry Christmas to you too.
Love the photos, Mary! I knew about the Tintin/Brussels connection but I had no idea that these murals existed – one more reason to visit Brussels soon!!
Happy New Year!!
Thanks Lisa! I highly recommend doing the comic strip trail while eating the Belgian chocolate samples. =) We only got to do a few of them and would love to see the more elaborate ones. Happy New Year to you and your family!
they’re so nice to look at. it’s the first i read of these comic strip wall art and i’m sure my son would really, really like to see all of this… but first, we have to find a way of getting there first. LOL
happy new year to you and to your family!
Glad you enjoyed them Gladys. The murals were such a wonderful surprise and a great way to entertain the kids. Your son would definitely like them.