Manneken Pis, meaning “little man weeing” in the Brussels dialect, is a bronze fountain statue of a small boy that has stood in the old town near the Grand Place since 1619, though the figure on public display today is a replica; the 1619 original by Jerome Duquesnoy the Elder is kept safely in the Brussels City Museum.
The site has served as a public fountain since at least 1388, and the tiny, 55-centimeter statue has become one of Brussels’ most beloved symbols despite its modest size. Two competing legends explain its origin, one about a boy who extinguished a fuse meant to destroy the city walls, another about a boy who angered a witch, but its real fame today comes from its wardrobe: since 1698 the statue has received costumes, and the collection now numbers over 1,000 outfits chosen and rotated by a dedicated non-profit society.
Most visitors spend just 15 to 30 minutes here, taking photos and checking which costume the statue is wearing, before continuing on to the nearby Grand Place.
