The Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve takes you on a journey through the life of one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, Gerges Remi, also known as Hergé.

The museum offers an extensive perspective of the artist’s life with thousands of sources related to the work of Hergé.

Hergé was not only Tintin. Graphic designer, caricaturist, cartoonist, illustrator and storyteller, he was a multi-talented artist who was a perfect reflection of the twentieth century.

More than 80 original plates, 800 photographs, documents and objects have been brought together under one roof.

The building itself was built in the verdant setting of Walloon Brabant by the architect Christian de Portzamparc: a little Grail-like figure hidden within a sacred grove.

Good to know:

Every day except Mondays, 1st January and 25 December.
From Tuesday to Friday : 10.30 am to 5.30 pm
Saturday and Sunday : 10.00 am to 6.00 pm

Musée Hergé: Rue du Labrador, 26 – B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve

By car

CPS coordinates for the Museum :
50° 40′ 16.42″N – 4° 36′ 45.28″ E – Altitude 119m
Enter Boulevard du Nord (the former street nae) rather than Rue du Labrador, as the latter reference ahs not yet been incorporated into all GPS networks.
Parking : click here.

Shuttle bus from Brussels

Visiting the Hergé Museum is easy! A shuttle bus can pick you up directly from your Brussels hotel (please confirm that your hotel participates in the shuttle service) or from the City Tours Brussels office. For more informations, click here.

By train

Take the train to the Museum! You can get a “B-Excursion – Hergé Museum” special ticket (train + museum admission).
Schedules on the SNCB web site (choose destination Louvain-la-Neuve).

The post This Sunday free entrance at the Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve appeared first on Brussels Express.

Belgium and comics have undeniable a long and solid love story. There is no secret about that. Tintin is one of the most famous comic strip heroes in the French-speaking literature.

The reporter firstly appeared back in January, 10 1929 in Le Petit Vingtième, a weekly supplement of the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle. Hergé – his real name was George Remi –  firstly drew and wrote Tintin’s adventures in the pays des Soviets.

Tintin is a kind and smart reporter who travels the World to solve investigations. He is always accompanied by his loyal dog, Milou, as well as Capitaine Haddock and, later on,  Professeur Tournesol. We can’t forget the brothers Dupont and Dupond.

His first adventure was in the USSR – Tintin in the land of Soviets – followed by many others destinations such as Congo (former Belgian colony), USA, India, China and also….the moon with his mates.

Tintin’s adventures are also an interesting way to analyse the World’s geopolitics back in the 20^th century and, ultimately, Hergé’s perception on politics and foreign countries. In Tintin in the land of Soviets, the author indeed aims to describe how the Soviet Union actually was. And in Tintin in Congo, how Congo was under the domination of Belgium until 1960.

Tintin in Congo remains until today a very controversial episode as Hergé was accused several times of racism. As an example, since 2007, the congolese Congolese campaigner Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo has been seeking a ban on the book claiming the portrayal of Africans was « a justification of white supremacy ».

Tintin’s adventures survived the last 89 years and remains in 2018 a very successful Belgian brand. Proof is that more than 240 millions albums were sold over the last 89 years in more than 80 countries and even Steven Spielberg adapted Tintin’s story to the cinema.

Tintin also inspired urban art in Brussels. As an example, the Stockel metro station is dedicated to Tintin’s adventures. The Hergé’s aficionados,  should consider visiting the Hergé’s museum in Louvain-la-Neuve.

The post Tintin: 89 years of Belgian glory appeared first on Brussels Express.