Belgium might be most famous for its lace, chocolate and beer, but did you know that it is also known as the home of the comic strip? With worldwide sales of comic books in the millions and more than 700 comic artists, Belgium is the biggest producer of comic books in the world. From Tintin to The Smurfs, comic strips are everywhere in Brussels.
Follow the Comic Strip Walk from De Brouckère metro station to the Grand Sablon to see the most loved comic strip characters come to life. There are 52 vibrant murals painted on the ends of buildings across the city.
Just remember to look up while you’re walking!
The Eternal Traveller 
Wonderful photos Carol. Next time we visit Brussels we will definitely look up.
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You should do the self guided tour. It’s a great walk around the city.
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But not when you’re crossing the street!
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Oh yes, this is true. The trouble is that most of them are on street corners and it’s easy to forget what you’re doing.
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That’s great – what fun!!
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The walk was a fun way to see them but some were hard to find.
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Love it!
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Thanks.
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What fun! I’d never heard about these 🙂
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It was great fun walking and following the trail to find the next one. Sometimes they were hidden around the corner.
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These are fantastic. I never knew this. Thanks so much for sharing, Carol! 😀
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You’re welcome Dianne. We didn’t really know much about it until we got there either. There are Smurfs everywhere around Brussels.
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wonderful post!! I did not know!! great photos!
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Thank you and you’re welcome.
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What a fascinating post! Something I had never associated with Belgium before. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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You’re welcome. I’d read about the comics business but I didn’t realise how big it was.
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So cool. I’ve only spent 1 night in Belgium (Brussels) but saw very little. Maybe another trip 🙂
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We were there for a week and it still wasn’t enough. You need to go back!
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Hopefully. There’s a few cities I either want to return to or see for the first time next Europe trip.
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There are so many amazing places to visit.
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How fabulous, and so much better than some of the graffiti that appears around towns and cities!
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Yes, that’s very true.
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That’s so much fun.
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The walk was great as it took us away from the centre of the city.
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These murals are so amazing, Carol. I wonder how the artists manage to get the big picture when they have to stand on a ladder, so close to the wall. 😕
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It’s very clever isn’t it. I can’t imagine how they do it.
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It’s a little appreciated fact that, once we reach the age of about 25, we tend to stop looking up above eye level. Indeed, police and armed service training used to pay special attention to making sure they knew to keep looking above their eyeline when on patrol, as the natural inclination is to look around and down at your feet.
Great pictures. I love Belgium, wonderful, much underrated country.
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That’s an interesting fact. I must remember to look up more often.
We spent two weeks in Belgium and I would highly recommend it as a holiday destination. It’s easy to travel around – we did it all on the trains, and compared to home, everything is cheap. There is so much to see and lots of history to enjoy. I would go back in an instant.
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I love street art and these cartoons are outstanding.I had no idea about the history of cartoons and the Belgium connection. I can imagine that being on scaffolding and painting the ones up so high on the sides of the buildings must have been quite a challenge. I’m not keen on heights myself. Thanks so much for sharing these superb photos with us readers.
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I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I can’t imagine how the cartoons were painted either. None of the buildings are really that high, only a few stories but it would have been a tricky undertaking.
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I am glad that you loved Brussels so much. I lived there in the center for 10 years. Now, we live in Mechelen. 🙂 Greetings!
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We stayed in an apartment right across the road from the Bourse. It was fantastic to be in the centre of all the action. I used to stand on the tiny balcony and watch the crowds pass by.
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That is really in the center! Great for you! 😊
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Great street art and lovely photos!
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Thanks. We enjoyed this walk.
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This is way cool!
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It definitely is, and the walk to see them all is great.
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I’ll be sending this link to my cousin who lives in Antwerp, I think she’ll enjoy seeing your photos!
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Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it so much. We really enjoyed our time in Belgium.
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