What is the Brussels comic strip route?

It's a free, self-guided city trail linking more than 50 giant murals of Belgian comic characters — Tintin, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Gaston — painted on building walls across central Brussels. You can wander it yourself with a map, hunting the frescoes as you sightsee, or take a guided comic walk for the stories behind them.

How many comic murals are there in Brussels?

Over 50 large comic-strip murals across the city, part of an official 'Comic Book Route' begun in 1991, with new ones still being added. Most central ones can be seen on a self-guided walk; the full set spreads into outer neighbourhoods.

Is the Brussels comic mural route free?

Yes — the murals are on public walls and free to find and photograph. You only pay if you visit the Comics Art Museum or join a guided comic-strip tour. A free downloadable or printed map makes the self-guided hunt easy.

Brussels Comic Strip Route: Mural Walk (2026 Guide)

Brussels’ best free attraction is painted on its walls

Belgium is the spiritual home of the European comic strip — Tintin, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Gaston Lagaffe and dozens more were born here — and Brussels celebrates that heritage in the most charming way imaginable: by painting giant murals of beloved characters across the sides of its buildings. There are more than 50, and finding them is a free, joyful, self-guided treasure hunt that doubles as a walking tour of the city. It’s perfect for families, fun for everyone, and one of the most Brussels things you can do. For the background, see Belgian comics explained.

How the route works

Begun in 1991, the official Comic Book Route (Parcours BD) has grown to over 50 frescoes, with new ones still added. They’re scattered mostly across the central districts, with more in outer neighbourhoods. You don’t follow a fixed path — you collect them as you wander, using a map to plan a loop. It’s free, outdoors, and as long or short as you like.

Grab the route map (downloadable from the city tourism site, or printed at the tourist office), and turn your sightseeing into a hunt.

Star murals to find (central)

Tintin (Rue de l’Étuve, near Manneken-Pis) — Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock descending a fire escape. The most famous wall.
Broussaille (Rue du Marché au Charbon) — the very first mural of the route (1991), an affectionate couple strolling.
Le Chat (Boulevard du Midi) — Philippe Geluck’s deadpan cat.
Gaston Lagaffe, Lucky Luke, Boule et Bill, Olivier Rameau — dotted through the centre.
The Smurfs (Les Schtroumpfs) — a cheerful blue wall celebrating Peyo’s tiny creatures.

A full mapped list is in our best comic murals map guide.

Make a half-day of it

The central murals link naturally with the main sights, so you can weave the hunt into a normal day’s sightseeing:

Start near the Grand-Place / Manneken-Pis (the Tintin wall is right there).
Loop through the lower town (Marché au Charbon, Saint-Géry) collecting walls.
Visit the Comics Art Museum — set in a free-to-marvel-at Horta building (guide).
Finish with a coffee, having “caught” a dozen frescoes.

Self-guided or guided?

Self-guided is free and great — with a map, kids especially love spotting the next wall. A guided comic tour adds the stories: who drew them, the in-jokes, the history of Belgian bande dessinée. A comic murals walking tour covers the best walls with context, and a Tintin and street-art walk focuses on Hergé’s world. Combine either with the Comics Art Museum.

Why it’s worth it

It’s free, it’s outdoors, it’s brilliant with children, and it turns a walk through Brussels into a game. More than that, it captures the city’s playful soul better than any monument — a capital that decorates itself with cartoon characters isn’t taking itself too seriously, and that’s exactly why people grow to love it. Deepen it with Tintin in Brussels and the Comic Art Museum.

Frequently asked questions — Brussels comic strip route: a free mural treasure hunt

How many comic murals are there in Brussels?
Over 50 large comic-strip murals across the city, part of an official 'Comic Book Route' begun in 1991, with new ones still being added. Most central ones can be seen on a self-guided walk; the full set spreads into outer neighbourhoods.
Is the Brussels comic mural route free?
Yes — the murals are on public walls and free to find and photograph. You only pay if you visit the Comics Art Museum or join a guided comic-strip tour. A free downloadable or printed map makes the self-guided hunt easy.