Statue of the Pissing Boy . . .BELGIUM

The Manneken-Pis, situated in Rue de l’Etuve, is as funny as it is well known. Crowds of tourists patrol the meandering cobbled streets near Brussels’ Grand’ Place hoping to find this small statuette of a little boy in the midst of a never-ending pee. Sometimes known as ‘Little Julian’, the statue is, in its own way, a typically Belgian symbol of cultural self-mockery. Since its creation by J Duquesnoy in the 17th century, the Manneken-Pis has attracted a great deal of attention, having been stolen (by the English in 1745 and the French in 1747), vandalised and dressed in over 600 costumes, which are on display at the City of Brussels Museum.

Contact Addresses

Office de Tourisme et d’Information de Bruxelles, Hôtel de Ville, Grand-Place, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (02) 513 8940
Website: www.belgium-tourism.org