Walls that Speak. 🎨
Since 1991, the city has commissioned artists to paint massive comic scenes on the sides of buildings. There are over 60 of them. It is a free, open-air scavenger hunt.
The Tintin Mural
Located on Rue de l'Etuve (near Manneken Pis). It depicts Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Snowy running down a fire escape. It is iconic.
The Scorpion
A darker, more realistic mural in the Marolles district. It shows the incredible range of Belgian comics—it's not all just cute animals and boy reporters.
The Comic Temple. 🏛️
The Belgian Comic Strip Center (CBBD) is a double masterpiece. It celebrates the art of comics, housed inside an Art Nouveau department store designed by Victor Horta.
The Rocket
In the main hall stands a massive model of the red-and-white checkered moon rocket from *Destination Moon*. It is the symbol of Belgian optimism.
The Smurf House
There is a section dedicated to Peyo (creator of the Smurfs). You can walk through a 3D mushroom village. It is surreal to be inside a cartoon.
The Architecture
Look at the glass roof and the curling iron balustrades. Horta's "whiplash lines" perfectly complement the flow of comic strip art.
Collector Items
Original Plates
High Art Sales. 🖼️
In the upscale Sablon neighborhood, comics are sold like Picassos. Original sketches by Hergé can fetch millions at auction.
Galerie Champaka:
This gallery treats comic artists ("mangaka" and "bande dessinée" authors) as fine artists. It is quiet, expensive, and fascinating to browse even if you can't afford a €10,000 page.
La Boutique Tintin. 🐕
Located near the Grand Place. It is the official store. It is clean, curated, and expensive—just how Hergé would have wanted it.
The Figurines
The resin statues are works of art. They capture the "Ligne Claire" (Clear Line) style perfectly—flat colors, strong outlines, and perfect movement.
The Books
They stock the albums in dozens of languages. Buying *The Crab with the Golden Claws* in the city where it was written is the ultimate souvenir.