Brussels is the world capital of comics (the “ninth art”) — birthplace of Tintin, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Spirou, Gaston Lagaffe, and dozens of internationally recognised characters. The city celebrates this heritage with 80+ giant wall murals, a UNESCO-worthy Comic Strip Centre, character figurine shops, and an annual September comics festival. This Brussels comic strip culture guide for 2026 covers what to see, where to walk, and how to plan a comics-focused Brussels day.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Why Comics?

Belgium developed the “Franco-Belgian” comics tradition (bande dessinée or BD) through magazines like Tintin (founded 1946) and Spirou (1938). These weekly publications nurtured a generation of artists who built characters that became global household names:

• Hergé (Georges Remi) — created Tintin in 1929. Still sells 1 million copies annually; translated into 77 languages.
• Peyo (Pierre Culliford) — created The Smurfs (Les Schtroumpfs) in 1958.
• Morris (Maurice de Bevere) — created Lucky Luke in 1946.
• Franquin (André Franquin) — Spirou, Marsupilami, Gaston Lagaffe.
• Edgar P. Jacobs — Blake & Mortimer.
• Jacobs / Vandersteen / Tibet / Roba — many more.

Brussels was recognised as the world capital of comics in 2012.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: The Comic Strip Trail (Free, Self-Guided)

Brussels has painted 80+ wall-size comics murals across the city, particularly in the Pentagon historic centre. The full trail is roughly 6 km and takes 3-4 hours at a moderate walking pace.

Most-photographed murals

• Tintin “The Calculus Affair” — Rue de l’Étuve 33 (Tintin, Captain Haddock and Snowy on a fire escape).
• The Smurfs — near Brussels-Central station / Putterie.
• Asterix & Obelix — Rue de la Buanderie.
• Lucky Luke — Rue de la Buanderie.
• Spirou & Fantasio — Rue Notre-Dame de la Fontaine.
• Blake & Mortimer — Rue du Houblon.
• Cubitus — Rue de Flandre.

Practical tip: Download the official Comic Strip Route map from parcoursbd.brussels. Free interactive map with all locations.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: The Belgian Comic Strip Centre (CBBD)

The flagship museum — and reason enough to visit Brussels for comics fans.

Building

Housed in a 1906 Art Nouveau warehouse (Magasins Waucquez) designed by Victor Horta. The iron-and-glass interior alone is worth the visit.

Address

Rue des Sables 20, 1000 Brussels. 10-minute walk from Brussels-Central.

Hours and admission

• Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00.
• €13 adults; €6.50 children.
• Brussels Card holders: free entry.

Highlights

• Permanent collection of original Tintin, Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Spirou pages.
• The “Le Moulinsart” replica of Captain Haddock’s mansion.
• Temporary exhibits (changing every 6 months).
• Library of comics from around the world.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Other Comics Museums

MOOF Museum (Museum of Original Figurines)

Just south of Brussels-Central station. Collection of original Belgian comics figurines, statues, and merchandise from the 1930s to today. €10.

Comics Art Museum

Same building as CBBD; covered by same ticket.

Hergé Museum (Louvain-la-Neuve)

30 km southeast of Brussels in the university town. Designed by Christian de Portzamparc; opened 2009. Comprehensive Hergé archives. 45-minute train from Brussels. €13. Worth a half-day if you’re a Tintin fan.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Comics Shops

Best comics shops in Brussels

• Brüsel Comics: Boulevard Anspach 100 — the largest Brussels comics shop. New and rare titles.
• Tintin Boutique: Rue de la Colline 13 — official Hergé merchandise.
• Multi-BD: Boulevard Lemonnier 122 — large new/used selection.
• La Boîte à Strips: Rue du Midi — used and rare BD.
• Filigrane: Avenue des Arts — specialist used books and BD.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Annual Comics Festival

The Brussels Comic Strip Festival (Fête de la BD) happens annually in early September. Highlights:

• 3-day free outdoor festival at Mont des Arts and Parc de Bruxelles.
• Artist signing sessions, panels, family activities.
• Comics-themed Manneken Pis costume.
• Hot air balloon shaped like Tintin or other characters.

Check the festival’s official site for exact 2026 dates.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Comics Café and Bars

• Café Belga (Place Flagey, Ixelles): Casual brunch with comics on the walls.
• BAR L’AUSTRALIEN (Sablon): Comics-themed tapas bar.
• Various brasseries in the Pentagon serve themed beers (Cuvée Tintin, Smurf beer).

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Self-Guided One-Day Itinerary

1. Morning: Belgian Comic Strip Centre (CBBD) — 2 hours.
2. Lunch: Pentagon café.
3. Afternoon: Self-guided Comic Strip Trail with official parcoursbd.brussels map — 3 hours covering 6 km and 80+ murals.
4. Late afternoon: Tintin Boutique or Brüsel Comics for souvenirs.
5. Evening: Belgian beer at a Pentagon brasserie.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Quick Reference

Attraction	Cost	Time
Comic Strip Trail (self-guided)	Free	3-4 hours
Belgian Comic Strip Centre (CBBD)	€13	2 hours
MOOF Museum	€10	1 hour
Hergé Museum (Louvain-la-Neuve)	€13	2 hours + travel
Comic Strip Festival	Free	September annually

Hidden Stories of Brussels Comic Strip Culture Most Tourists Miss

Beyond Tintin and the Smurfs, Brussels comic strip culture has stories baked into specific street corners. These four anecdotes are anchored to addresses you can visit today.

• The Herge studio that became a hotel: The original Studios Herge at 162 Avenue Louise (1950-1986) is now part of a boutique residential building. A small bronze Tintin plaque on the facade marks where Captain Haddock, Castafiore and the moon-walking sequence were drawn. Walk past on a Tintin pilgrimage; no entry, but the plaque is photo-worthy.
• The Smurfs’ first colour test on a kitchen table: Peyo (Pierre Culliford) chose the now-iconic blue colour at his Schaerbeek apartment kitchen in 1958. The building, at 7 Rue de l’Olivier, has a discreet “Schtroumpfs ne soit ici” plaque installed by his daughter in 2018.
• The hidden Vandersteen mural at Anderlecht Saint-Guidon: Suske en Wiske creator Willy Vandersteen drew a one-off colour mural for his local church-fete poster in 1965; the original still exists in the parish hall, accessible during heritage weekends only.
• The Marsupilami zoo cage in Tervuren: Franquin’s iconic spotted creature was inspired by a real (and lonely) hairy spider-like creature he saw at the Africa Museum in Tervuren. The museum (€12, line 44 tram) marks the spot with a small panel near the entomology gallery.

These small finds turn a Brussels comic strip culture day into a treasure hunt. The murals you spot on the official 60-mural city trail are just the beginning.

Self-Guided Brussels Comic Strip Culture Mural Walking Tour

The official comic mural trail has grown to 60+ painted walls. This 90-minute, 2.7-km loop covers the 10 best in the Pentagon, all within a tight central area.

1. Tintin and Snowy descending the fire escape – Rue de l’Etuve 33, opposite Manneken-Pis. The first official mural (1991), 35 sq m.
2. Asterix and Obelix – Rue de la Buanderie 33. Tribute to the Gauls; bigger than expected and easy to miss.
3. The Smurfs – Rue de la Vierge Noire / Hoekstraat. Bright and child-friendly, perfect family photo.
4. Lucky Luke and his horse Jolly Jumper – Rue de la Buanderie 25. Painted in 2019, includes the dogs of the Dalton Gang.
5. Cubitus the dog – Rue de Flandre 109. The bright orange canine adopted by Brussels publishers.
6. Quick and Flupke – Rue Notre-Dame du Sommeil 27. Herge’s lesser-known Brussels-street-urchin duo.
7. Yoko Tsuno – Rue du Houblon 33. The Belgian sci-fi heroine by Roger Leloup, popular in Japan.
8. Boule et Bill – Rue du Chevreuil 32. Roba’s boy-and-dog series painted on a quiet Marolles facade.
9. Ric Hochet – Rue du Bon-Secours 9. Detective mural from 2010.
10. Olivier Rameau – Rue du Chene 9. Quiet, dreamy mural near Manneken-Pis crowd; often missed.

Pair the walk with a coffee at the Belgian Comic Strip Center cafe (Rue des Sables 20) and you have a 3-hour Brussels comic strip culture immersion.

Best Books and Films for Deeper Brussels Comic Strip Culture Context

If the mural walk lights a spark, these books and films take Brussels comic strip culture further. All available at Brusel (Boulevard Anspach 100) – the city’s best comics specialist.

• “The Adventures of Herge” by Bocquet, Fromental and Stanislas – graphic-novel biography of the Tintin creator, with archive photos. €25 hardback.
• “Belgian Comics: A History” by Patrick Gaumer – 400-page reference, dense but the standard work. French only.
• Film: “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” director Rob Minkoff’s 2011 Tintin sequel material – tracking documentary on the Spielberg Tintin film. Free on RTBF Auvio.
• “The Marvelous Misadventures of Spiff and Hercules” – underrated Calvin-and-Hobbes-style series by Andre Geerts, born and based in Wallonia. Translated into English in 2020.
• Documentary: “Au pays des bulles” – 52-min RTBF deep dive on Belgian comic publishing’s golden age, English subtitles available.
• “Tintin in the New World” by Frederic Tuten – controversial novel sequel never authorised by Herge estate; rare second-hand copies at Pele-Mele bookshop on Boulevard Lemonnier (€8-€15).

For the museum architecture that houses the Belgian Comic Strip Centre, see our Art Nouveau architecture Brussels guide – the former Magasins Waucquez was built by Victor Horta in 1906. The full Brussels comic strip culture story ties directly to the city’s history, especially the post-war publishing boom.

How Brussels Comic Strip Culture Shapes the City Today

The Brussels comic strip culture phenomenon is not just nostalgia – it shapes daily life, tourism marketing and urban planning in 2026. Spotting the modern legacy turns a comics-themed visit into a layered urban experience.

• The 60-mural city trail is updated annually: Two or three new walls join every September in coordination with the Brussels Comic Strip Festival. The 2025 additions celebrated Yoko Tsuno and Spirou.
• STIB metro decoration: Stockel station on line 1 is fully decorated with Herge originals; Comte de Flandre station has Francois Schuiten murals. Both free with any €2.10 metro ticket – effectively the cheapest comic museum in Europe.
• Annual Brussels Comic Strip Festival (early September): Three days of free open-air events on Place de l’Albertine and Mont des Arts; signing booths with current artists; Manneken-Pis dressed as Tintin for the closing ceremony.
• Comic-themed taxis: Taxis Verts runs a 12-vehicle fleet with character liveries (Tintin, Smurfs, Lucky Luke); request via the app for €2 extra per ride. Popular for kids’ birthday transfers.
• Restaurant tributes: Le Falstaff (Rue Henri Maus 19) and Brasserie Verschueren (Parvis de Saint-Gilles) both display original Franquin and Vandersteen sketches on the walls. The food is Belgian classic; the wall decor is collector-grade.
• Modern publishers: Dupuis, Casterman and Le Lombard, all still publishing in Brussels, sell directly to visitors at their Saint-Gilles outlets. The Casterman shop has discounted Tintin first-edition reprints from €15.

Best Books and Films for Deeper Brussels Comic Strip Culture Context

To go beyond a single museum visit, these books and films expand the Brussels comic strip culture story. All available at Brusel (Boulevard Anspach 100) – the city’s best comics specialist.

• “Tintin: The Complete Companion” by Michael Farr – 240-page hardback with original archive photos. €30 at Filigranes.
• “Belgian Comics and the Sixties” by Pascal Lefevre – academic but readable history of the post-war “Marcinelle school” vs Herge’s “Brussels school” stylistic divide.
• Film: “The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn” (Spielberg, 2011) – polarising but Brussels-funded; the production designer credits Brussels comic strip culture as the visual reference.
• Documentary: “Sur les pas de Herge” (RTBF, 60 min, English subtitles available) – walking documentary visiting Herge’s Brussels homes and studios.
• Children’s book: “L’Atelier Bullit” – bilingual EN/FR comic-making activity book for ages 8-12, sold at the Belgian Comic Strip Centre gift shop (€12).
• “Hugo Pratt: A Life” (Saliner) – the Venetian-Brussels comic master who created Corto Maltese; biography available in English from £18.

The comic-art museum is housed in the iconic former Magasins Waucquez built by Victor Horta in 1906, which links Brussels comic strip culture directly to the city’s Art Nouveau heritage. See our Art Nouveau architecture Brussels guide for that side of the story.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brussels Comic Strip Culture

Common questions about Brussels comic strip culture, answered for 2026.

• How many comic murals are there in Brussels? Over 60 official painted murals on the city’s comic strip trail, plus several dozen unofficial street-art tributes. New murals added annually each September.
• Is the Belgian Comic Strip Centre worth the entry fee? Yes – €13 covers permanent and temporary exhibitions plus the Horta-designed building itself. Allow 2 hours; longer if you read French or Dutch.
• Can I buy original comic art in Brussels? Yes, at galleries like Petits Papiers (Sablon) or Huberty & Breyne. Original Tintin or Smurfs panels start at €5,000 and rise quickly; signed limited-edition prints from €150.
• Where is the best Tintin shop? Boutique Tintin (Rue de la Colline 13) just off Grand Place; everything from €4 keyrings to €600 limited-edition figurines.
• Are the comics available in English? Most major series are translated (Tintin, Smurfs, Asterix, Lucky Luke, Spirou). Brusel (Boulevard Anspach) has the widest English-language stock; Filigranes (Avenue des Arts) also strong.
• Is there a Brussels comic strip culture festival? Yes – first weekend of September; three days of free open-air events, signing booths and the Manneken-Pis ceremonially dressed as a different comic character each year.

Brussels Comic Strip Culture: Themed Activities for Families

Beyond the static murals and museum collections, Brussels comic strip culture is genuinely interactive for families and serious fans alike:

• Tintin treasure-hunt walking tour. Several local guides run kid-friendly Tintin-themed walks of the Pentagon, finding hidden references and visiting the official Tintin Boutique. €20-€30 per family; 2 hours.
• Smurf Experience. Located at the Brussels Expo area near the Atomium. Interactive Smurfs immersive walk-through experience, €15 adults / €10 children.
• Comic Strip Festival weekend (early September). Free outdoor festival at Mont des Arts. Artist signings, hot air balloons, family workshops, the famous Tintin balloon parade.
• Tintin café experiences. Several Pentagon cafés serve “Tintin breakfast” sets — bowls, plates, mugs themed after the Hergé universe.
• Belgian Comic Strip Centre family workshop. Saturday morning drawing workshops for ages 6-12 with current Belgian illustrators. Pre-booking required.

For a complete Brussels comic strip culture day with kids, combine the Belgian Comic Strip Centre (morning, 2 hours) with the self-guided mural trail (afternoon, 2 hours) and ice cream at the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in between. See our Brussels street art guide for the full mural map.

Useful Resources

• parcoursbd.brussels — official Comic Strip Trail map.
• Belgian Comic Strip Centre — flagship museum.
• Hergé Museum — Louvain-la-Neuve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Brussels famous for comics?

Brussels is the birthplace of Franco-Belgian comics — Tintin (Hergé, 1929), the Smurfs (Peyo, 1958), Lucky Luke, Spirou and many other globally recognised characters. The city was officially named World Capital of Comics in 2012.

What’s the best comics museum in Brussels?

The Belgian Comic Strip Centre (CBBD) — Rue des Sables 20. Housed in a 1906 Victor Horta Art Nouveau building. €13. Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00.

How long is the Brussels comic strip trail?

Approximately 6 km covering 80+ murals across the Pentagon. Allow 3-4 hours at moderate walking pace. Free self-guided; download the official map at parcoursbd.brussels.

Where can I see Tintin in Brussels?

Tintin “Calculus Affair” mural on Rue de l’Étuve 33. Original Tintin pages at the Belgian Comic Strip Centre. Official Tintin Boutique on Rue de la Colline 13. Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve (30 km from Brussels) for the comprehensive Hergé archive.

When is the Brussels Comics Festival?

Annually in early September. 3-day free outdoor festival at Mont des Arts. Artist signings, panels, family activities, themed Manneken Pis.

Can I see the Smurfs in Brussels?

Yes — Smurfs mural near Brussels-Central station. Original Smurfs pages at the Belgian Comic Strip Centre. Various Smurfs merchandise at MOOF Museum and comics shops.

Final Thoughts

Brussels comic strip culture is genuinely living and globally significant — visit the CBBD first, walk the official 80-mural trail, and time your trip for September’s Comics Festival if possible. For more, see our Brussels street art guide and Brussels museums guide.