Belgium is immensely proud of its comic art history, and rightly so. The country has produced some of the world’s most famous comics and characters, including Tintin and The Smurfs. To celebrate this rich culture, the city of Brussels developed the Brussels Comic Book Route, a street art trail in the city that features different murals of Belgian and French comic characters.
Inaugurated in 1991, the trail now boasts over 50 murals, showcasing some of the finest examples of street art in Brussels. These are mainly concentrated around the centre of Brussels but they have also branched out to the Laeken neighbourhood, near the Atomium museum. New murals are added periodically, showing that Belgium’s relationship with comics, or bande dessinée, is not just historic, but a significant part of their cultural identity today.
Exploring the Brussels Comic Book Route is one of the most exciting things to do in Brussels. It’s a great chance to discover more about this famous comic history whilst also exploring the city. You’ll pass by many of the city’s main attractions while walking the trail. What’s more, it’s completely free which is great for budget travellers. With this guide, you’ll find everything you need to easily complete the Brussels Comic Book Route, including an interactive map of the entire trail.
Note: This guide to the Brussels Comic Book Route covers the murals in the city centre, not the murals in Laeken.
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First published 03/11/2019 | This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Read more in my disclaimer.
Things to know about the Brussels Comic Book Route
- Walking the whole of the Brussels Comic Book Route is a pretty big undertaking – trust me, I’ve done it! The walking route takes about 3 hours in total, but this is based on Google Maps estimations so the actual time to walk the route may vary. It also doesn’t take into account time to stop at each mural, and the inevitable stops for rest, food and drinks!
- You may want to incorporate the route into your daily sightseeing or split it up into smaller sections. I’ve split the route up into four sections for this reason. They are: Marolles, Centre, Sainte-Catherine, Outskirts.
- I’ve included lots of different food & drink outlets along the route so that you can stay hydrated and full. The last thing you want is to be hangry when hunting for murals! You’ll find them included in the map below.
Brussels Comic Book Route Map
This map covers a comprehensive route of the Brussels Comic Book Route from start to finish. You can follow the whole route, or pick a smaller section. The sections are broken down as follows:
- Dark red markers: Marolles
- Yellow markers: Brussels Centre
- Green markers: Sainte-Catherine
- Dark blue markers: Outskirts
There are a few other coloured markers on the map as well. They are as follows:
- Black markers: key public transport stations
- Purple markers: food & drink outlets along the way
- Red markers: points of interest you may wish to see
You can open this map in Google Maps to have it handy while you’re walking the route.
The Murals of the Brussels Comic Book Route
Section 1: Marolles
Stop 1: La Patrouille des Castors
This comic series translates to ‘The Beaver Patrol’ and was created by MiTacq and Jean-Michel Charlier. Two scouts are painting the wall of the mural – but in the comics, they get up to much more exciting adventures.
Address: Rue Piermans. Co-ordinates: 50.83528, 4.34554
Stop 2: Jojo
This mural was created by André Geerts for the Brussels Comic Book Route. It’s located in the Marollen area of Brussels and is pretty easy to spot.
Address: Rue Piermans. Co-ordinates: 50.83584, 4.34454
Stop 3: Boule et Bill
Boule et Bill was created by Belgian artist Jean Roba and the mural depicts Boule having fun with his cocker spaniel Bill, the premise of this well-loved family comic.
Address: Rue du Chevreuil. Co-ordinates: 50.83778, 4.34564
Stop 4: Le Chat
Created by Philippe Geluck, Le Chat is a hugely popular comic strip character, who had his own daily strip in Belgian newspaper Le Soir for 30 years. The mural has been there since 1993.
Address: Boulevard du Midi. Co-ordinates: 50.83553, 4.34461
Stops 5-7: Le Petit Gilet, La Voie Lactée & Les Ancêtres Bienveillants
Some of the more recent additions to the Brussels Comic Book Route, these three murals were commissioned to brighten up some tunnels that cross under the railway line near Brussels Midi station.
Le Petit Gilet was created by Belgian artist Aurélie William Levaux and depicts different scenes which all provide a political commentary on our society. (Address: Rue Frédéric Basse. Co-ordinates: 50.83917, 4.34211)
La Voie Lactée depicts the Milky Way and different constellations. The Brussels-born artist of this mural, Mathilde Van Gheluwe, says she took inspiration from a similar mural at Grand Central Station in New York. (Address: Rue Sallaert. Co-ordinates: 50.8394, 4.34274)
The third mural in this mini-collection is by Belgian artist Fabienne Loodts. Les Ancêtres Bienveillants is a beautiful homage to the people of the Marolles neighbourhood, who are depicted watching over their neighbours. (Address: Rue de la Fontaine. Co-ordinates: 50.83988, 4.34363)
Stop 8: Odilon Verjus
This comic, created by Yann Le Pennetier and Laurent Verron, is an adventure comic set in the 1930s. The mural shows Odilon Verjus, the main character, with his apprentice, and Josephine Baker, who appeared occasionally in the comics along with several other historical figures.
Address: Rue des Capucins. Co-ordinates: 50.83859, 4.34613
Stop 9: Blondin et Cirage
Blondin et Cirage, also known as Blondie and Blinkie, have been around since the 1930s. The comic was created by Jijé, a renowned and pioneering Belgian comic artist.
Address: Rue des Capucins. Co-ordinates: 50.83838, 4.34669
Stop 10: Leonard
In this mural, Leonard, an inventor, is painting the Palais de Justice, which this mural overlooks. Leonard was created by Turk & De Groot.
Address: Rue des Capucins. Co-ordinates: 50.83813, 4.34736
Stop 11: Spirou
This mural celebrates Spirou, the famous comic strip character and mascot of the comic magazine of the same name. It was originally created by Robert Velter for the launch of Spirou magazine in 1938.
Address: Rue Notre Dame de Grace. Co-ordinates: 50.83809, 4.35073
Stop 12: Passe-Moi l’Ciel
Passe
Address: Rue des Minimes. Co-ordinates: 50.83831, 4.35165
Stop 13: Benoit Brisefer
This cute little character was created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (who also created The Smurfs) in the 1960s. Benoit Brisefer has superhuman abilities that certainly contradict his adorable appearance, and we can see that on the mural as he’s jumping to some height!
Address: Rue Haute. Co-ordinates: 50.83922, 4.35062
Stop 14: Blake & Mortimer
Blake & Mortimer follows the two title characters – an MI5 agent and a physicist – on all sorts of adventures, usually involving their enemy, Colonel Olrik. This Brussels Comic Book Route mural has had quite a journey to its current home on Rue du Temple – in fact, it has been featured on three different walls! It has been moved for several reasons but has been on its current wall since 2021, so hopefully it’s there to stay.
Address: Rue du Temple. Co-ordinates: 50.83986, 4.35122
Stop 15: Quick and Flupke
These two little troublemakers live in the Marolles area of Brussels, both where their creator Hergé grew up and where you’ll find this mural.
Address: Rue Notre-Seigneur. Co-ordinates: 50.84048, 4.3502
Want to dive deeper into the Brussels Comic Book Route? Why not book one of these guided tours?
Section 2: Brussels Centre
Stop 16: Stam & Pilou
Stop 16 on the Brussels Comic Book Route is somewhat of an unofficial stop, unfortunately, since it has been subject to a spot of controversy. Housed inside the courtyard of La Fleur en Papier Doré, a historic bar, the mural has been covered by a curtain to avoid discomfort as it has been described by some as sexist.
As of summer 2023, it was still possible to see the mural by asking at the bar, but it seems that Stam & Pilou has been removed from the official list of murals on the Brussels Comic Book Route. If you’d like to see it still, it might be worth asking!
Address: Rue des Alexiens. Co-ordinates: 50.84293, 4.35081
Stop 17: Le Jeune Albert
Le Jeune Albert was created by French comic artist Yves Chaland and tells the stories of this troublemaker of a young boy living in post-war Brussels.
Address: Rue des Alexiens. Co-ordinates: 50.8431, 4.35048
Stop 18: XIII
This mural is dedicated to the graphic novel XIII, one of the more realistic and mature comics represented on the Brussels Comic Book Route. It’s an action comic, created by William Vance and Jean Van Hamme, and follows the story of a hero with amnesia, who is trying to remember who he is. XIII is so popular across the world that it has been adapted into several languages, and subsequent video games and tv series have been made.
Address: Rue Philippe de Champagne. Co-ordinates: 50.84318, 4.34831
Stop 19: Yoko Tsuno
Yoko Tsuno was somewhat of a breakthrough comic, as she was one of the first women to get her own comic strip back in the 70s, and she definitely broke stereotypes. The Japanese character, created by Roger Leloup, is an electrical engineer, who is also multilingual, trained in martial arts, has great morals and is generally just pretty badass. What a great character for young people to look up to! It’s one of my favourite murals on the Brussels Comic Book Route.
Address: Rue Terre-Neuve. Co-ordinates: 50.8426, 4.34744
Stop 20: Thorgal
Written by Jean Van Hamme, who also gives his name to XIII, mentioned just a few stops before this, and illustrated by Grzegorz Rosinski, Thorgal is a fantasy comic series from the 1980s. It is a fantasy
Address: Place Anneessens. Co-ordinates: 50.84363, 4.34417
Stop 21: Froud & Stouf
Frédéric Jannin and Stefan Liberski created Froud et Stouf, two little blue dogs (seen in the bottom right of the mural). The comic was created after its television counterpart. The design of this mural is quite unique in the way it incorporates the boarded-up windows on the wall into the mural.
Address: Rue Philippe de Champagne. Co-ordinates: 50.84417, 4.34552
Stop 22: Kinky and Cosy
These two blonde troublemakers wreak havoc on the pages of Focus Vif., a Belgian culture magazine. They were created by Belgian comic artist Nix.
Address: Rue des Bogards. Co-ordinates: 50.84469, 4.3476
Stop 23: Monsieur Jean
This is one of the few murals on the Brussels Comic Book Route that celebrates the work of French comic artists. Award-winning comic writers and artists Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian tell the tales of Monsieur Jean, a young writer from Paris.
Address: Rue des Bogards. Co-ordinates: 50.84441, 4.34803
Stop 24: Olivier Rameau
This is one of the most exciting murals on the Brussels Comic Book Route. Made by Greg and Dany, it follows the adventures of two young notary clerks when they enter a sort of fantasyland.
Now that you’re heading into the very centre of Brussels, you’ll see some of the city’s most famous landmarks. Olivier Rameau sits just up the street from Manneken Pis, and you’ll pass it on the way to the next mural.
Address: Rue des Grands Carmes. Co-ordinates: 50.84459, 4.35037
Read more about Manneken Pis in this guide to the best things to do in Brussels
Stop 25: Tintin
Even if you know nothing about comics, you’ve surely heard of Tintin. Belgium’s most popular and successful comic character, his comics have been translated into 77 different languages and there’s even a Steven Spielberg film adaption. Hergé’s Tintin has been running since 1929, and yet still sells 1 million copies annually.
The mural is right in the
Address: Rue de l’Etuve. Co-ordinates: 50.84533, 4.35039
Discover the top things to do in Brussels!
Stop 26: Le Passage
François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters created Le Passage, centred around the idea of a parallel world that they coined the ‘Obscure Cities’. The comics take a lot of inspiration from Brussels for the setting, suggesting that perhaps the ‘Obscure Cities’ are a parallel version of Brussels.
Address: Rue du Marche au Charbon. Co-ordinates: 50.84644, 4.35043
Stop 27: LGBT
This mural was created for the Brussels Comic Book Route by Fotini Tikkou, a Greek portrait artist, and Ralf König, a renowned name in the LGBT comic world. It was created in collaboration with Rainbow House, the city of Brussels and Ancienne Belgique to celebrate pride in Brussels, as part of a campaign called “Out in the Street”.
I will note that this mural seems to have been removed from the official Brussels Comic Book Route list, however I’m choosing to keep it in my guide, as it’s one of my favourites and worth a visit! It’s also just round the corner from the next mural, meaning it doesn’t add any time on to the walking route.
Address: Rue de la Chaufferette. Co-ordinates: 50.84674, 4.34931
Stop 28: Broussaille
In 1991 the Brussels Comic Book Route was born, with the
Address: Rue du Marche au Charbon. Co-ordinates: 50.84641, 4.34898
Stop 29: Victor Sackville
Victor Sackville tells the story of the protagonist of the same name, who travels the world during the First World War, acting as a spy for King George V. Its artist, Francis Carin, is known for his incredible attention to detail which makes this comic strip popular with lovers of architecture.
Address: Rue du Marche au Charbon. Co-ordinates: 50.84624, 4.34872
Stop 30: Ric Hochet
Created by Tibet, Ric Hochet is a journalist who often works with the police to investigate cases, dabbling in the world of fantasy. In the mural, Ric Hochet can be seen swinging from the gutter to save a woman from a strange monster.
Address: Rue de Bon Secours. Co-ordinates: 50.84595, 4.34803
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Section 3: Sainte-Catherine
Stop 31: Ducobu
Docubu is the title character of this comic created by Zidrou. You’ll see him again later on the mural dedicated to the works of Zidrou. Most of the comic strips follow this little troublemaker through his life at school, so it makes sense that this mural is painted on the walls of a primary school.
Address: Rue des Six Jetons. Co-ordinates: 50.84656, 4.34502
Stop 32: Nero
Nero is a hugely popular Belgian comic, known as one of the ‘Big Three’ in Flemish comic culture. Marc Sleen based the comic heavily on current political events, with countless cameos from famous political figures. It still keeps a humorous and satirical theme, and the mural depicts some of the characters that give some comic relief.
Address: Place Saint-Gery. Co-ordinates: 50.84796, 4.34685
Stop 33: L’Ange de Sambre
This angel, hidden away in a small mural, comes from the comic series XXciel.com, created by Bernard Hislaire (Yslaire). The series takes a mysterious and dark look back at the war and violence of the 20th century in Europe.
Top Tip: Just down the road from this mural, you can see Zinneke Pis, the canine homage to the famous Manneken Pis.
Address: Rue des Chartreux. Co-ordinates: 50.84883, 4.34717
Stop 34: In My Area (For Kato)
This mural was created by Scottish comic artist Lucy McKenzie who now lives in Brussels and has a great appreciation for the murals of the Brussels Comic Book Route. The mural itself features an array of small homages to the Brussels comic art scene, making for a very unique piece of art.
Address: Rue des Chartreux. Co-ordinates: 50.84865, 4.34519
Stop 35: Lucky Luke
This western-themed comic strip created by Morris is one of the best-selling in Europe, with several spin-off products such as board games and live-action films being made. The comics follow Lucky Luke, the cowboy protagonist, his horse and the villains he meets, some of whom are popular American folklore characters!
Address: Rue de la Buanderie. Co-ordinates: 50.84756, 4.34143
Stop 36: Asterix and Obelix
These guys are comic royalty. Uderzo writes about a group of Gauls who are able to resist Roman occupation back in 50 BCE by using magic potions. There are 37 volumes of Asterix, set between Gaul and abroad, all containing hilarious adventures for the characters. Asterix even has its own theme park in France.
Address: Rue de la Buanderie. Co-ordinates: 50.84676, 4.34177
Stop 37: Tour a Plomb
This mural represents the most famous characters of artist Zidrou: Ducobu and Léonie, Tamara, Léonard, le Boss, and Sac à Puces, among others. Installed in 2018, this was the first mural on the Brussels Comic Book Route to celebrate a comic artist’s portfolio of work rather than one specific comic.
Address: Rue de l’Abattoir. Co-ordinates: 50.84773, 4.33955
Stop 38: Caroline Baldwin
Disproving the myth that comic art is just for children, Caroline Baldwin follows Caroline, a private detective, who navigates her way through a gritty and dangerous America. The comic is famed as artist André Taymans’ greatest success.
Address: Rue de la Poudriere. Co-ordinates: 50.84892, 4.33882
Stop 39: Les Rêves de Nic
This comic translates to ‘Nic’s dreams’ and there isn’t much more to explain than that! In the mural, Hermann has depicted one of those dreams, in which Nic is floating in the sky surrounded by animals.
Address: Rue de la Senne. Co-ordinates: 50.84882, 4.34101
Stop 40: Cori the Ship’s Boy
Turn around from Nic’s dreams and you’ll find yourself staring at Cori the Ship’s boy. Bob De Moor created this adventure comic following the adventures of Cori, an orphan who is rescued by the Dutch East India Company and subsequently explores Southeast Asia, Africa, America and the Arctic with them.
Address: Rue des Fabriques. Co-ordinates: 50.84845, 4.3422
Stop 41: Jardin aux Fleurs
Brecht Evans, the Belgian-born cartoonist, has created one of the largest murals on the street art trail. It seems that a lot of the most recent mural installations on the Brussels Comic Book Route are moving to celebrate artists more than comic characters, and this mural is a beautiful display of Evans’ unique style. It is painted on the walls surrounding a little garden and really brightens up the area.
Address: Rue du Grand-Serment. Co-ordinates: 50.85036, 4.34197
Stop 42: Cubitus
Comic artist Dupa created Cubitus, a dog, who like the famous Le Chat seen earlier in the route, has anthropomorphic powers. The comics follow his simple life at home with his owner. In the mural, we see Cubitus stealing Manneken Pis’ thunder by taking his place atop the fountain, perhaps an indication of the mischief he gets up to in the comics.
Address: Rue de Flandre. Co-ordinates: 50.85286, 4.34536
Stop 43: Billy the Cat
Colman and Desberg created Billy the Cat, a reincarnation of a young boy who now lives on the streets with his friends. Billy is in the forefront of the mural and the white cat in the background is Mr Hubert, who takes Billy under his wing. Although seemingly light-hearted, Billy the Cat has dark origins, as young Billy begins a new life as a cat after he is hit by a car and killed.
Address: Rue d’Ophem. Co-ordinates: 50.85366, 4.34504
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Section 4: Outskirts
Stop 44: Corto Maltese
Corto Maltese is the largest mural on the Brussels Comic Book Route, aptly displayed next to the Brussels canal. The series follows a Maltese sailor on his adventures in the early 20th century. Corto Maltese was actually created by an Italian artist but was published in the French magazine Pif in the 1970s, so it has earned its spot on the route.
Address: Quai des Péniches. Co-ordinates: 50.86069, 4.3487
Stop 45: Le Grand Loup qui Porte le Mouton
Known prominently in the contemporary comic scene, Dominique Goblet designed this mural from her book Les Hommes Loupes. Commissioned back in 2017, the mural was requested by the neighbourhood, and an effort began to get more female artists to design murals for the Brussels Comic Book Route.
Address: Rue Saint-Jean Nepomucene. Co-ordinates: 50.85569, 4.3546
Stop 46: Bob & Bobette
Comedy, fantasy and science fiction come together in Willy Vandersteen’s Bob and Bobbette (known as Spike and Suzy in English). This is a great family comic that follows their adventures, and it still runs daily in the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. The mural incorporates Belgian culture with Manneken Pis making another appearance. Here he holds up 5 of the main characters in Bob and Bobbette with just one hand.
Address: Rue de Laeken. Co-ordinates: 50.8547, 4.35216
Stop 47: La Vache
Step inside the Sleep Well Youth Hostel to see the mural of La Vache – a cow who doubles as a super smart secret agent! The mural, designed by the comic’s author Johan de Moor, pays homage to all things Brussels as well as many other famous comics such as Tintin and Le Chat.
Address: Sleep Well Youth Hostel, Rue du Damier. Co-ordinates: 50.8529, 4.35787
Stop 48: Crocodiles
The mural Crocodiles makes a strong statement on the sexual harassment of women, in a comic depicting men as crocodiles. It’s refreshing to see the opportunity for these murals to raise awareness of social issues through the medium of comic art, and shows how it has become so embedded in the culture of Belgium and Brussels.
Address: Rue du Canon. Co-ordinates: 50.85223, 4.35834
Stop 49: Gaston Lagaffe
This is probably the smallest mural on the Brussels Comic Book Route and is based on the comic Gaston, which follows the life of Gaston Lagaffe. He’s a lazy and humorous character who lands himself a job at the offices of the Journal de Spirou (which is somewhat comical in itself as the comic was published in Spirou). He was created by André Franquin.
Address: Rue de l’Ecuyer. Co-ordinates: 50.84929, 4.35351
Stop 50: Le Scorpion
Created by Stephen Desberg and Enrico Marini, the Scorpion is a historical action comic set in 1800s Rome. Make sure you pay a visit to the beautiful St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral as you move on to the next (and final!) mural.
Address: Treurenberg. Co-ordinates: 50.84767, 4.36194
Stop 51: Smurfs
As a reward for making it to the 51st and final stop on the Brussels Comic Book Route, you get to marvel at one of the best murals on the whole street art course. The Smurfs are up there as one of the most famous comics, not just in Belgium but around the world. Peyo first introduced The Smurfs back in the 1950s and since then they have been featured in movies, ice dancing shows, theme parks, video games, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
Address: Rue Infante Isabelle. Co-ordinates: 50.84563, 4.35586
After 51 murals around the streets of Brussels, you’ve officially completed the Brussels Comic Book Route! Go on, give yourself a pat on the back, you deserve it. Whether you walked the whole route, one or two sections, or even just did some armchair travel in reading this guide, I hope you learned a little about Brussels’ comic history.
And if you haven’t been to Brussels yet and are adding this to your plans, I hope this guide helps you complete the Brussels Comic Book Route. I’ve taken great care to make sure the guide and the map of the route are as clear and as helpful as possible, so let me know with a comment how you get on.
If you’re planning a trip to Brussels and want to experience even more cultural immersion, you might like my guide to the best museums in Brussels or this list of 10 fun and unique things to do in Brussels. Or, if you’re a street art lover, check out my complete guide to the Glasgow Mural Trail.
Such a great post! I was looking for something like this when I was there a few weeks ago.
Thank you so much. I could never find good information so I decided to just do it all myself!
Brussels is on my bucket list! I really enjoyed reading this Comin Book Route, it was unique!
This is nice and a good reference. Will definitely add this on our trip next year.
Interesting list 🙂 mark down
Wow! I’ve never even heard of this being in Brussels! You learn something new everyday!!
I love these murals! Dubai doesn’t have much of these yet. I found a few in Singapore and was delighted!
Thanks for this post, really bookmarking this!
The comic book route is literally my favourite part of Brussels! I love all the gorgeous murals and I wish i had your handy guide when I went. I had to try and track them down on Google maps!
It’s so much fun, isn’t it! I got so frustrated trying to find them all so I hope this will help people in the future!
Thank you so much Kirstie for putting in the hard effort to create such a brilliant and informative map. My husband and I followed your suggested route and had the BEST time exploring all these area of beautiful Brussels. Every time we found the art you were leading us toward, we high fived and then soaked up the fantastic images. What a great way to spend. a couple of days in Brussels. The comic art trail is really worth exploring, and thanks to you, it was lots of fun too.
Thank you so much for your comment Lulu. It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed the route and that my guide was useful! 🙂
Hi Kristie! Thank you so much! I was able to use your comic pictures to identify those that I took while visiting Brussels. Your comments helped me to better understand them. Although my trip to Brussels was in 2013 I am just now, finally getting around to build my photo album. Your comments about these comic murals will be copied in my album! Goes to show…your hard work will live on! Thank you so much! 🙂
Hey Pierrette, thank you for sharing this with me! I’m so happy to hear that I can not only inspire people to travel, but help them remember the trips they have been on 🙂