I spent a week in Brussels, and had an unexpectedly awesome time. Unexpected, because I hadn’t planned to be there for a week, and because I found a really wonderful fun and beautiful side of the city that the guide books should profile more. And, of course, I met some wonderful people. I would be quite happy to stay there for longer, and think it would be an easy city to live in. My French would need to improve, but wherever you are there’s always something to get better at 🙂 Yes, Brussels has an amazing Grand Place, and museums, and great beer/chocolate/fries, and other cool things that you could also find maybe in other cities. For design nuts though, Brussels is a treasure chest of art nouveau architecture, and their famous (and favourite) son Victor Horta has so many gorgeous pieces around the city that you must go and see. The other amazing design feature of the city is the comic – the very earliest form of story telling before we could read or write, stories were expressed in drawing. And Belgium is home to some wonderful comic artists and characters. Some were very familiar to me, others were new. And I loved that the architecture and comic world often blended. Many of the streets in the central city have a street name, and a comic name (look up as you walk around). Murals on the city walls connect to a deeper meaning about the artist, the time of drawing, or the building they are placed on. Herge, the artist who created Tin Tin, is from Brussels. Spirou, the character (and magazine) is a much loved character from many many years ago who brought people through the occupation by Germany into happier days. Lucky Luke. Marsupelami. The Smurfs! (Schtroumpf in Flemmish). And many many more. These are cartoon characters for sure, but the story telling behind them is deeper and more interesting, often political or uplifting (and celebrated) than the TV shows I remember. The best thing about comics too, there is no language barrier. The best way to get your introduction to the world of comics in Brussels is by visiting the Comic Strip museum, or MOOF. Or if you want to have the TRULY BEST experience, you should go on the comic strip photo walk with Silva (who is from Finland 🙂 ). You can book this experience through Air BnB. It’s wonderful, she is a talented photographer and designer, and she has made Brussels her home with her partner and their young son. I learned so much from her about the city as we spent a few hours together, finding the comic art around the city , visiting places that have significance in the comic world, and talking. I left the tour with a wonderful new friend, so please give Silva my very best regards if you go.
Gorgeous art nouveau examples are everywhere 
Comic depicting a secret mirror world inside Brussels 
Pop up smurfs are only there for a short time before the city removes them, but when you see one (just like a real smurf 🙂 you should capture it 
Home street of Tin Tin’s creator Herge 
A gift to me, traveler smurf 🙂 
Spirou 
Marsupelami – a fantastical creature 
Comic strip museum and Horta art nouveau design 
Really beautiful 
and depicted in comic 
Smurf (schtroumpf) creator 
No language barrier with comics 
Herge often used Brussels locations in his comics 
Here he is at the Place du Jeu de Balle market which I also visited 
Snowy always saved the day 
Gallerie Horta escalator, gorgeous 
Royal Galleries 
Lucky Luke 
love this