Comic Street On many streets of Brussels, you can find nearly 60 murals inspired by comic book characters. Most of these murals appear as part of the "Comic Strip Route" project of the Brussels-Capital Region, which started in 1991. According to the website introducing the capital of Belgium "bruxelles.be," at that time, the leaders of the Brussels administration launched a fierce battle against oversized advertising posters that had made the face of the city center ugly. These posters, when removed, immediately revealed walls that were also... unsightly due to stains. So we need to beautify them. In this context, the first comic book character murals jumped from the pages to the walls. First was the character Broussaille by Frank Pé, in the residential area of the Plattesteen district. After that, this initiative spread, and many other districts of the capital city followed suit. Initially, the murals seemed to be reserved for comic book authors living in Brussels, but then they expanded nationwide, including Belgian authors from other regions like Liège. Then it was the turn of foreign authors – Hugo Pratt, Zep, Dupuy-Berberian, Uderzo, Mezzo... Gradually, a tourist route has naturally formed – the "BD Parcours," an indispensable part of the urban landscape of Brussels. Visiting the capital city of Belgium, besides the traditional routes, you can follow this new route; from the city center to the Laeken district. According to the website "bruxelles.be," you can find most of the famous characters from Belgian comics and some equally famous characters from foreign comics on the walls of Brussels. The largest mural is the one depicting Captain Corto Maltese by the Italian author Hugo Pratt, inaugurated in 2009 on the Péniches dock, covering more than... 850 m2! I've heard that the list of murals keeps increasing year by year. Now it might have exceeded 60. In fact, comics in Belgium, and especially in Brussels, have almost been elevated to a religious status. It is a true art form, with many places dedicated to it. Just like the grocery stores in Ho Chi Minh City, each neighborhood in Brussels has a bookstore specializing in comics. Some of them regularly organize exhibitions; others invite authors to sign exclusive comic books. This specialized bookstore also offers many derivative products based on comic book characters. Want to buy a comic book as a keepsake? Surely the opinion of the bookseller is significant. It seems that daily exposure to comics has turned them into true experts! The capital city of Belgium also has a famous comic book museum, an essential stop for a tour into the world of comics. The Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels contains many beautiful treasures; it perfectly showcases the characters of the ninth art. For those aged 7 to 77 who love comics! Among the sketches of famous cartoonists, the life-sized illustration of Thorgal, the statues of Boule and Bill, Tintin, the Smurfs, etc.… For us, this special museum is a goldmine. Besides the paintings, there are also explanations about different techniques, various styles of composition, and the history of Belgian comics. However, we were just "scratching the surface" because we only stayed here for two hours. Visiting this place, you should spend a whole day or even more to truly appreciate it! Too many things to admire.