Run this Town (Boston Marathon): Brussels: sightseeing

Although I enjoyed my time in Brussels, I would say it is not as beautiful of some of the other larger European cities I have been to. I would probably chose some of the smaller Belgian towns over Brussels, but there are some cool things to see. We wandered around with no specific plan but did go one day to the Old Masters Museum at the Musees Royaux des Beaux Arts. My main observations looking at the Old Masters art*:

1. Not a lot of color was used during those times.
2. For some reason all of the children had more adult-like faces that made them look creepy
3. Some of the paintings were so weird and out there it is definitely proof that hallucinogenic substances were used during those times.

*Note: I have no training in art or art history, obviously.

Royal Museum

Martyrs' Square

Jardin du Mont des Arts

Palais Royal

Palais Royal Gardens

For me, the highlight of Brussels was the comic strip culture all around the city. Internationally known comics Tin Tin and the Smurfs were created by Belgian artists. If you have any interest in comics, I recommend visiting Belgian Comic Strip Center and doing the comic strip mural tour . Even if you aren't interested in comics the building he Belgian Comic Strip Center is in is worth seeing, it was designed by a famous architect named Victor Horta.

Comic Strip Center

Quite a bit of the museum was dedicated to Tin Tin and his creator, Georges Remi.

I really loved that this statue of Tin Tin and the cartoon by another artist in another part of the museum that showed the destruction of the statue.

I was pretty happy when I found the Smurfenmuseum.

I spent a few hours one day following the comic strip mural tour guide that I picked up at Brussels International in Grand Place. It was a really great way to see the city. There are so many murals I won't post all of them here, just some of my favorites.