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There are many things to do in the Belgian capital of Brussels…museums, historic buildings, parks, peeing statues…
Peeing statues? What?
Yes, there is a peeing statue. In fact there are three, but the most famous peeing statue, Mannekin Pis, is one of the most visited sites in Brussels. Go figure…a small naked boy urinating into a fountain’s basin brings thousands of tourists to a street corner in Brussels. He is so famous in fact, that he has his own wardrobe that is changed throughout the year with the changing accompanied by a brass band and much fanfare!
When I first visited Brussels, many years ago, one of the first things I did was to visit this statue. He was adorable and fascinating, however, you could not help but be quite shocked as to how small he actually was. So many people tell you that you absolutely “must” see the statue, that in your mind you envision him to be of epic proportions. Instead, he is a diminutive 24 inches. Everyone is right, however, you absolutely “must” go and find him!
On my past visit to the Belgian city, I decided to go out in search of Mannekin Pis’ female counterpart, Jeanneke Pis. I had heard of Jeanneke Pis, but had no idea where she was located. While relaying my plans to a friend, she surprised me with a question.
“Are you going to go find the dog, too?”
A peeing dog? In Brussels? Really? I had never heard of this one. I decided to add him to my to my sightseeing list for the day.
With vague instructions from my friend and a little help from Google, I headed out onto the streets of Brussels and found that Het Zinneke, the peeing dog, was located quite near my hotel. Although he is not actually a fountain like Mannekin and Jeanneke, he is still something of a tourist attraction with many people stopping to snap a picture or mimic his pose.
The statue, sometimes erroneously referred to as Zinneke Pis, was erected in 1998 and created by Tom Frantzen. Sadly, his position on the street level leaves him very vulnerable to vandals and street traffic. In August of 2015, he was struck by an automobile, but was later restored by the sculptor.
Many consider Het Zinneke to be a mascot of the city which is logical as his name in Brussels dialect means “someone of mixed origins”, absolutely a representation of the mixture of populations living in Brussels.
Moving on, I made my way to the Rue de L’Ecuyer. Checking my Google maps, the location showed as being in front of the Theatre Royal des Galeries. Walking back and forth, and then into the shopping arcade, I saw nothing. No crowd of gawkers, no statue.
After traipsing back and forth, several times, I finally ducked into a gallery and asked for help. For some reason, my map was showing Jeanneken Pis’ location directly on Rue de l’Ecuyer, however, although it is extremely close, it is behind a building on the Rue de l’Ecuyer, accessible by small alleyways. The friendly employees at the gallery began to explain to me how to find the statue, however, one of them, probably seizing the opportunity to duck out for a smoke break, offered to take me there. Walking down the Rue des Dominicains, we took a right onto Rue des Bouchers and then finally another right onto the Impasse de la Fidélité. There, by the famous Delirium Bar, Jeanneke resides in the alley, locked behind bars.
Though there were a handful of tourists admiring the statue, there were nowhere near the number that visit her brother and I was a bit dismayed to find her in a dark, damp alley that smelled of stale beer. Not a proper place for a little girl.
Commissioned in 1985 by Denis-Adrien Debouvrie and erected in 1987, Jeanneke Pis, like Mannekin Pis is constructed of bronze and depicts a little girl with a short pig-tailed hairstyle, squatting and urinating on a blue-grey limestone base. Protected by large, red steel bars, it is hard to get a good picture unless you poke your camera past the metal railings, however, once you’ve made the trek and actually found Jeanneke, you can reward yourself with one of the unique selections of beers at Delirium Bar across the alleyway.
My last stop that day, would conclude my Peeing Statue tour. Mannekin Pis. Since, I had visited the dog and his sister, of course, I would, once again, have to see the centuries old statue that started it all!
The current Mannekin Pis, standing at the intersection of Rue de l’Étuve/Stoffstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat, is not the original that was designed by Brussels sculptor, Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder, and placed in this location in the early 1600’s. The original figure was repeatedly stolen and finally replaced with the current piece dating from 1965. The original restored version is kept at the Maison du Roi/Broodhuis on the Grand Place.
There are many stories behind the statue’s existence with the most famous being one about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven, a two year old lord. In 1142, his troops were battling the troops of the Berthouts and the lords of Grimbergen in Ransbeke. It is said that the troops put the infant lord in a basket, hung in a tree to encourage them. The young lord urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.
Once again, standing before the small effigy, I marveled at the massive crowd gathered before him. How could such a small statue, hold such a large place in the heart of Belgium? Well, he just does. Everyone loves Mannekin Pis.
So, if you are in Brussels and wondering what your first port of call should be, head down to the intersection of Rue de l’Étuve/Stoffstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat, fight the crowds and take a selfie with the iconic figure of Mannekin Pis. Go to one of the many souvenir shops and buy a chocolate Mannekin Pis and if you are lucky, you might see him in costume or be there on a day when he is connected to a keg of Belgian beer! Grab a cup of the brew and go find his sister, Jeanneke and his friend, Het Zenneke.
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Mannekin Pis
- http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm/4328
- Address: Lievevrouwbroersstraat 31, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Hours: 24 hours, daily
- Admission: free
- Getting There: Take the left lane next to the Brussels Town Hall from the Grand Place and walk a few hundred meters southwest via Rue Charles Buls/Karel Bulsstraat. The statue is located at the junction of Rue de l’Étuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eik.straat
Jeanneke Pis
- http://www.jeannekepisofficial.com/
- Address: Impasse de la Fidélité 10-12, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
- Hours: 24 hours, daily
- Admission: free
- Getting There: From Rue de l’Ecuyer, head southwest on Rue des Dominicains. Take a right onto Rue des Bouchers and another right onto the Impasse de la Fidélité. From the Grand Place, head northeast onto Petite Rue des Bouchers. Take a left onto Rue des Bouchers and then a right onto the Impasse de la Fidélité.
Het Zinneke
- Address: Rue des Chartreux 35, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
- Hours: 24 hours, daily
- Admission: free
- Getting There: Northwest of the Grand Place, just off of Rue des Poissoniers, head west on Rue des Chartreux. Het Zinneke is on the right side a few blocks up the road.