It’s easy to spot the Tintin mural in the narrow Rue de l’Etuve in Brussels. It shows Captain Haddock scrambling down a fire escape, followed by Tintin and his dog. But other comic murals are more hidden.
The comic wall project started in Brussels back in the early 1990s. The city wanted to deal with the ugly exposed side walls of buildings. The Comic Strip Museum commissioned an artist to paint a mural.
The idea quickly took off. There are now almost 60 murals dotted around the city. Many are skilfully designed to integrate with the urban architecture.
You can track them down with your kids (or on your own) by following one of three trails that cover central Brussels, the Marolles and Laeken. Or you can just pick a few murals that appeal.
The tourist office sells a map that helps you get around. Or you can download the map on the visit.brussels website.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
