POV + {travel tips}: Brussels Comic Strip Trail
Belgian comics hold a special place in the history of art and writing, and Brussels showcases this distinct history beautifully… even in the form of comics! Fact is Peyo’s Smurfs still hit the silver screen, and perhaps the best known of the Belgian comics artists would be the mastermind behind the world famous Tintin comics, Hergé – who even has a whole museum dedicated to his work just outside of Brussels.
Photos from Musée Hergé
Hence, it’s not surprising that graffiti/ street/ public art in the cities nooks and crannies takes on the appearance of amazing wall murals featuring many generations of famous comic strip heroes.
With nearly 50 of them tucked into ally ways, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke and the Daltons, Corentin, Black and Mortimer – to mention only the most famous – continues to make children of all ages in every country of the world dream, tremble with fear and laugh with mirth.
With a child in everyone of us, remember to pick up a comic strip trail guide that takes you across the city and while gazing upwards in the company of these likable characters! And when you’re done, pop into the city’s countless of bookshops and other little shops packed with pages for poring over, miniatures for collecting, engraving and lithographs; and later bask in satisfaction as you sit and indulge in Brussels cafe culture with a good cuppa hot chocolate and Belgium waffles of course!
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Click to check out the enlarged version of the Google Map detailing Brussels Comic Strip Trail
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Translations from the “speech balloons” in the Google Map link above:
Wall frescoes
This route presents you with an abbreviated version of the comic strip trail. And the POCKET GUIDE “visit brussels sized for discovery” gives you a tour of it with commentary. Available at 5.00€ in the information offices from Visit Brussels.
BIP – Rue Royale 2-4 – 1000 Bru or Town Hall, Grand-Place – 1000 Bru or Gare du Midi – Exit Horta
Belgian Comic strip
Center (CbbD)
Rue des Sables 20 – 1000 Bru
Tel.: +32 (0)2 219 19 80
press contact: Jean Auquier
Tel.: +32 (0)2 210 04 32
ja@cbbd.be
www.comicscenter.net
Marc Sleen Museum
The permanent exhibition looks at the life and work of Marc Sleen, the father of Nero.
Rue des Sables 33-35 – 1000 Bru
press contact: Willem Degraeve
willem.degraeve@stripmuseum.be
www.marc-sleen.be
Comic strip bar of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel
Which displays, as wall tags, the drawings and sketches left there by forty or so great names of the 9th art.
Rue du Fossé aux Loups 47
1000 Bru
Saint-Hubert Galleries
Upmarket shopping
La boutique tintin
Rue de la Colline 13 – 1000 Bru
Tel.: +32 (0)2 514 51 52
www.tintinboutique.com
MOOF – Museum of Original Figurines
A nice surprise for visitors who can find figurines, collectors’ items, original drawings and sketches and other comic strip curiosities here, in addition to a well-stocked shop.
Galerie Horta
Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes 116
1000 Bru
Tel.: +32 (0)2 265 33 25
press contact: Geert De Weyer
Tel.: +32 (0)486 89 61 01
geert.deweyer@scarlet.be
www.moof-museum.be
Comic strip House
Bd. de l’Impératrice 1 – 1000 Bru
Tel.: +32 (0)2 502 94 68
info@jije.org
press contact: François Deneyer
www.jije.org
Comic strip shops and galleries
Selling new and second-hand comic books, ex-libris, figurines the die-hard comic fan.
Boulevard Anspach, Boulevard
Lemonnier, rue du Midi, City 2.
Rue A. Dansaert and surrounding area
Fashion and design shopping, trendy terraces
Marché aux Poissons and place sainte-Catherine
Excellent fish restaurants
Place du béguinage
A haven of peace and tranquillity in the heart of the city
Comics Café
Enjoy an Obelix or Popeye hamburger surrounded by original comic strip works and wander around the comic strip galleries in the area.
Place du Grand Sablon 8 – 1000 Bru
www.comicscafe.be
The mini-maps
VisitBrussels sized for Tintin (available in EN/FR/NL/DE/ES) and Visitbrussels sized for comic strips (available in FR/NL/EN/DE) complete your information literature
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
For your information, “speech balloons” are more or less everywhere in Brussels and especially at the Belgian Comic Strip Center (CBBD) that’s being set up in a superb Art Nouveau building that regularly puts on themes exhibitions as well.
Travel G-spots 