They’re here to save the day. They have superpowers. They are strong and colorful. And they wear pants over their tights… Europeans also have the right to be ridiculous in very-tight superheroes’ costumes.

Naughty children face the same threat across Europe of terrifying beings coming at night to scare, kidnap or even eat them. In Spain, a hairy hand may grab their feet. In Luxembourg, a Kropemann may drown them in the bathroom...

The French are said to be snobbish, the Brits well-mannered, and the Germans hard workers. These – mostly false – stereotypes don’t really teach us much about how our European neighbours are, but they do teach us about how they are perceived.

Tintin, Asterix or Spirou are without doubt comics with international fame, and not only in Europe. But did you notice that each European country has developped over decades its own national comics art?

“Mayfair”, “Rue de la Paix”, “Schlossallee”. Every European citizen knows the name of the most expensive lot on its Monopoly board. But did you know that in Italy and Germany the street names are fictive?

When Picasso meets Turner or Delacroix, when Rembrandt appears next to Munch or Bruegel, when Klee goes with Klimt, this is the expression of a vivid common European heritage. Have a look at some of the most famous European paintings.