Manneken Pis
The Menneken pis, created in 1388, is located in the old part of the Belgian capital (next to the Grand-Place).
From the top of its fifty centimeters, this statuette attracts the attention of several thousands of tourists each year, as well as their curiosity…
Indeed, several legends would explain the gesture, somewhat daring, of the small boy:
- The boy of the statuette would have extinguished a lit wick in a very original way, thus avoiding the city to be set on fire.
- It is said that the cradle of the son of Godfrey the Bearded was hung on the branch of a young oak tree at the site of the Battle of Ransbeek. During the battle, the child was found urinating on a tree.
- The son of a Brussels nobleman was said to have left a procession to urinate on the wall of a witch’s house. The latter, furious, would have cast a spell to turn him into a statue.
The Manneken Pis is one of the most important visits of the city. You will not fail to see it at different stages of your stay, in different forms (pictures, souvenirs…)