Description: Manneken Pis has got to be one of the most random tourist attractions I have ever seen in any city. It is Brussels’ prized attraction and so it was I found myself huddled in front of it last week, amongst hundreds of other tourists, wondering what the fuss is all about. The best way to get to the statue is by walking down the street to the right of the town hall (on Grand Place) as you look at it and then follow the signs. It is about a five minute walk from the main square.
The statue is of a little boy peeing. That is it. It is surrounded by n ornate frame and a fence and some flowers and things, but ultimately it is a one and a half foot high metal statue of a naked little boy having a wee. Odd, but I already told you that! There are a couple of legends that explain the statue and its popularity. One says that the boy peed on a fuse to put out a bomb that was going to eradicate the city of Brussels. Another says that he was put in a basket in a tree to attract enemy soldiers during a battle and when they he approached, he peed on them. Another one tells that the boy was the son of a wealthy merchant who got lots in the city and was eventually found happily peeing in a garden somewhere. As a thank you to the people who helped him search for his lost son, the merchant had the statue built. I like the second one best but the third one is the one that is most peddled to tourists in the form of postcards and tea towels and the like. I suppose if you were going to believe one, the third is the most believable as well.
The statue itself was created in the early 1600s although it has suffered theft and vandalism a plenty over the years, hence the gate surrounding it. This is also why the statue on display at the corner of Rue des Grandes Carmes and Rue de l’Etuve, is a replica. The original is displayed in a museum on the Grand Place. Interestingly when it was stolen early on its life, the thief was sentenced to twenty years hard labour. On the other hand, the student who stole it in the eighties was given a E200 fine! How times have changed.
Also as a sign of the times, the statue is regularly dressed up. It looks extremely tacky but I guess pays for its keep as businesses are able to sponsor particular outfits. The first time we saw it, the little boy was wearing a green and white tracksuit and looked awful. Thankfully it is only dressed on certain days and only for a few hours. There is a timetable on the gate in front of the statue that has the dates, times and costumes that will be next displayed – it’s worth having a look so you can avoid the tackiness.
There is another statue that has been erected as a feminist response to Manneken Pis, called Janekke Pis. This is another very small and strange statue, located on a side street of Rue de Bouche. The guide book says that it is sign posted from the popular restaurant lined street, but if there was a sign, we didn’t find it. This time the statue is of a little girl squatting to have a wee. This one is equally ridiculous. Despite only being created in the late eighties, this statue also apparently has a legend, but it is a much more wishy washy one that I can’t quite remember.
There is a nice walk you can take between the two statues that covers the old city and some nice buildings along the way. It is probably worth doing a walk like this to encompass the two statues as neither of them are much on their own and at least you can orientate yourself with the city a bit. You have to go and see both the statues, just to see how odd they both are. Be prepared to be both amused and underwhelmed!
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