We know that Tintin travelled to America, the Soviet Union, China and South America… he even got to step onto the moon! But, where did the endearing reporter created by Hergé actually live? While the cartoonist never revealed it explicitly, there is no doubt that Brussels, where Hergé lived all his life, is the backdrop in the cartoon strips whenever the amusing reporter and his faithful dog, Snowy, are captured at home. We ventured into Tintin’s haunts and discovered the palaces, museums, hotels, theatres and parks in Brussels which Hergé converted into comic artefacts.

On their return from their first adventures in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Tintin and Snowy are welcomed as heroes by a crowd in the Gare du Nord, an exact copy of the former Brussels Gare du Midi. Now featured in the railway station is a mural inspired by a cartoon of Tintin in America to mark the centenary of the birth of Georges Remi, “Hergé”.

In the second of his 24 adventures, the iconic reporter and his faithful friend travel to the Congo, an album which Hergé was likely inspired to pen after various visits to the Royal Museum for Central Africa. Among many other nods, the leopard man that threatens Tintin in the comic is an imitation of the statue sculpted by Paul Wissaert on display in that museum.

The address, 26 Labrador Road, is well known to Tintinophiles. First mentioned in The Broken Ear, don’t waste your time looking it up in a Brussels street finder. Instead, head for 26 de la rue Terre-Neuve, where you will come across an uncannily similar building to the one where the young reporter’s flat was located!

Built in the late-19th century on the south side of the Royal Park, the Royal Palace stands out as one of the most emblematic landmarks in Brussels. This majestic building was where Hergé drew inspiration for the Royal Palace of Syldavian King Muskar XII in King Ottokar's Sceptre.

Dating from 1873, the Flea Market or Marché aux Puces, located in the Place du Jeu de Balle, is the Brussels mecca of collectors, antiquarians, treasure hunters and bric-a-brac seekers. It was at this flea market that Tintin discovered the model ship at the opening of The Secret of the Unicorn.

However, it was most likely in The Seven Crystal Balls that Hergé captured most of Brussels’ architectural landmarks. For example, in this thirteenth instalment of The Adventures of Tintin, one of the city’s most emblematic hotels appears – the Metropole. Also easily recognised in this comic album is La Monnaie theatre, renamed the Music-Hall Palace. And, the mansion where Professor Hercules Tarragon lives is the spitting image of the opulent villa on Avenue Delleur 6.

Also in The Seven Crystal Balls, we come across the character, Rascar Capac, a mummy inspired by a relic on display in the Cinquantenaire Museum. Hergé was a regular at this gallery, where he went in search of ideas. It was also where he discovered the fetish created by the Arumbaya, the focus of the storyline in The Broken Ear.

Another prime magnet for Tintinophiles is the southern Brussels district of Uccle, one of the nineteen districts making up the Belgian capital. In Uccle we find the Brussels Planetarium, an observatory which Hergé portrayed in The Shooting Star. Interestingly, the Centre Culturel d'Uccle has a statue of Tintin on display, while in the district cemetery, a short distance away from where he lived until his death, is the artist’s grave. A plaque at 33 Rue Philippe Baucq, in the more central district of Etterbeek, reminds visitors that this was the birthplace of Georges Remi “Hergé”. (The house is not open to the public.)

At Louvain-la-Neuve, less than half an hour from the centre of Brussels, stands the Musée Hergé. Designed by the French architect, Christian de Portzamparc, the Hergé Museum is three storeys high and has 8 exhibition halls, featuring 80 original prints, 800 photographs and countless documents and miscellanea related to the life and work of the creator of Tintin and Snowy.

Highly recommendable for Tintin lovers in particular, and enthusiasts of the ninth art in general, is a visit to the Brussels Comic Strip Centre (Rue des Sables 20) which features thousands of original works relating to some of the most outstanding Belgian creations in the comic world, notably The Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Spirou and Tintin, among others.

The huge dragon from The Blue Lotus painted on the ground at the entrance to rue de la Colline 13 announces your arrival at the Tintin Boutique. This is the ideal store for stocking up on all types of objects and souvenirs associated with the illustrious reporter and his endearing troupe of cartoon companions.

Fire up and venture into the world of Tintin – book your Vueling to Brussels here.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Oscar W. Rasson, Julien, Andrea Carrozzo, CTJ71081, Dustin Hackert, Laurence Livermore, Su-Lin, Stephane Mignon

Our free days are a pleasant surprise on the calendar and the best way to get the most out of them is to board a plane bound for some fresh, entertaining and getatable destination. That spot is Gran Canaria, a whirlwind of sensations, halfway between Europe, Africa and America.

Gran Canaria is just a two-hour flight from the Iberian Peninsula. So, getting there is really easy. A comfortable trip with no stopovers will convey you to that diverse land which emerged millions of years ago from submerged volcanoes in the depths of the Atlantic.

One of the perks offered by a Gran Canaria getaway is, of course, the winter sun. Temperatures on the island remain a constant 24 degrees all year around, enabling you to make the most of any outing to Las Canteras, Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés or Puerto de Mogán, some of the best known and famous beaches.

The Gran Canaria seaboard is the perfect setting for letting off steam by engaging in watersports, but, if what you’re after is making forays into the island’s interior, you should make a point of visiting the towns of Teror, Agüimes, Tejeda and Artenara, or such stunning spots as the Guayadeque Gorge, an ancient pre-Hispanic settlement which nowadays is noted for its striking, cosy cave houses.

Any trip to Gran Canaria should include a visit to the island’s summit, a central area in the Biosphere Reserve where the Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga outcrops stand. Oh, and remember to get your camera ready. There, you will literally feel like you have arrived in heaven when the weather phenomenon known as the “sea of clouds” spreads out at your feet, as if you were the main subject in a painting set against the memorable scenery of steep mountains and deep gorges.

The north coast of Gran Canaria features some must-see sites such as Puerto de Las Nieves and the Valle de Agaete, a lush garden with tropical fruit housing the only coffee plantation in Europe. Gáldar awaits you with the majesty of the Cueva Pintada (Painted Cave), the largest native Canarian archaeological site, while Arucas, for its part, is the headquarters of Arehucas Rum, a peerless drink which has livened up the festivities of many generations of Canary Islanders.

Well worth visiting is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a carefree capital with a wealth of cultural activities. Its Vegueta district is the city’s historic centre and you are urged to venture into the monumental area to see close-up the Cathedral of Santa Ana, Museo Canario, Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno and Christopher Columbus House Museum, a beautiful enclave where the Genoese navigator stopped over on his way to discovering America and which highlights the relationship between the Canary Islands and the New World.

If you’re up for an intense day of shopping at more than reasonable prices, the Calle Mayor de Triana is the ideal spot for it. Large, national and international firms and prestigious brands have stores in this shopping area, and the latter is a pleasure on the eyes, as the district features picturesque buildings in various architectural styles.

Gran Canaria is a lively island, an urban travel destination where you can soak up the atmosphere of its street markets and craft stalls, as well as the various events held there during the year. The last quarter of 2016 will see such long-awaited events as the start of the ARC Transatlantic Race, the Underwater Photography Contest, the Bethlehem built of sand on Las Canteras beach or the Gran Canaria Walking Festival, a grand event for trekking enthusiasts which in this upcoming fifth edition will be including new routes and a night itinerary for star-gazing on the Cumbre de Tejeda.

All these offerings make Gran Canaria a unique destination for an exciting long weekend or warm autumn or winter holiday. Here, time flies by and the island has lots of travel plans to be savoured in advance.

Why wait to experience all this first-hand? Check out our flights here.

Images by Patronato Turismo Gran Canaria