Manneken Pis

Went to Brussels end of November to see the Christmas market, and wow we were not disappointed superb day out food and drink and great atmosphere. Topped off with a visit too Manneken Pis.

While the statue itself is smaller than you might expect, its charm lies in its unique history and the playful tradition of dressing it up in various costumes. It’s surrounded by a lively area filled with shops and cafes, making it a fun stop while exploring the city. Not a grand monument, but definitely worth seeing for its cultural significance and the cheerful vibe it brings to the heart of Brussels!

It’s a fun place to visit when in Brussels even though I don’t understand the hype we went there as well. So you could say, at least go there for 2 minutes to see what it is all about. It’s definitely fun that this is such a special place in Brussels.

It’s a statue and although it may have its history it was overcrowded and unless you are planning on doing something else in that area I don’t think it’s worth the visit. It was Christmas and I imagine it was busier than usual and perhaps if you were to go another time of the year it may be more worthwhile.

A very small cute statue not too far from Grand Place that attracts a lot of attention from Tourists. The statue can also be dressed in an array of outfits which is cute! It’s no statue of David but it’s sweet. Won’t ruin your trip if you miss it!

Manneken Pis - not just a cultural icon but also a fashion icon Finally met the world’s most famous little boy! After reading about Manneken Pis, we learned he’s not just a cultural icon but also a fashion icon—he has an entire wardrobe collection! Amazingly, he doesn’t spend a cent on his outfits; they’re gifted by prime ministers and leaders from around the world. Still, I can’t help but wonder—does he have a "nanny" to help him change into all those clothes? Managing such an extensive wardrobe must be a challenge! The Belgians’ witty sense of humor never fails to impress me. But I was left a bit speechless when I saw waffles shaped like certain sex organs being sold nearby. Let’s just say it was a memorable lesson in Belgium’s cheeky creativity!

Manneken Pis is an iconic statue located near Grand Place in Brussels. We arrived around about 7pm and there were still plenty of people getting their picture taken around it. The statue was smaller than I'd expected, and I'm aware that on some days it can be dressed up. But not for our visit (edit - we were passing on day 2 and he was dressed up). My little boy found it very funny of course. I think if you are in Brussels then you need to add it to your list. It's 5 minutes of your time so definitely worth a pit stop. Plus there's plenty of bars and restaurants nearby.

The most visited statue in Brussels. Very touristy. Very crowded. Has a nice story behind it. They keep changing Manneken' clothes according to the occasion/event in the city.

The Manneken Pis is a landmark that should not be missed when visiting Brussels, Belgium, as it showcases the city's playful and humorous side. With its intricate details and rich history, this iconic statue is a great place to learn about the city's heritage and take some memorable photos. The most famous legend claims that the statuette depicts a young boy who saved Brussels from disaster. The enemy was at the gates ready to bring down the city walls with gunpowder. Fortunately, a little boy who happened to be around desperately needed to relieve himself and in doing so he extinguished the fuse. If you are lucky, during different holidays - they dress this statue up. Enjoy!

The Manneken Pis is a funny little statue and "fountain" in Brussels, right off the Grand Place central plaza of the town. It's in the "folk humor" style so you do have to be able to view the little guy with a sense of humor to truly appreciate it. There are several outfits that people dress the statue up as, that are sold in the museum nearby. But I think it's best to see it plain to have the actual experience of viewing the fountain the way it was meant to be seen and not covered up in a funny costume. It's a pretty busy little spot with lots of tourists (including myself in that), so you have to be able to put up with people crowding you a bit (thought it will only take about a minute to see the statue and move along). Take a look at images of the Manneken Pis and make up your mind for yourself if it's worth a quick stop for you in Brussels while you're there.

It's a famous statue, and when I began to travel here in 2007, I was told it was the most photographed statue in the world. Maybe it was. Anyway, to come to Brussels without seeing it is to miss a little bit of fun and a chance to wonder at the story behind it.

A fly-by is recommended while in Brussels. You'll snap a quick photo and then probably be on your way. Try to come earlier in the day as it can get very busy as crowds of people show to check him out. That being said, they do dress him up from time to time to celebrate various alliances and occasions. He is dressed for almost half of the year. The official calendar is published once a month - simply google Manneken-Pis dressing calendar.

Whoa - this fountain is super teeny! All this time I thought it was something huge like Rome's Trevi Fountain but nope. In fact, had there not been a crowd of people standing around the street corner, I'd totally have missed it.....even with Google telling me I was standing right on top of the destination I also had no idea there was such an extended appreciation to the point there are often times when it's dressed in costumes & it was an actual thing to see the "little man" dressed up. No fancy dress while we were there - shame. Would have loved to have seem that - especially as Valentine's Day was only a couple of weeks away

The little pissing man was cool to see since it is one of the top visited statues around the world. It also is dressed up throughout the year. Stop by for a quick picture so you can say that you saw it.

It's a fountain of a boy statue urinating. There's not much else to it. It's fenced off. There's no seating area. It's not the Trevi fountain. You really don't need to spend more than a couple of minutes here. You aren't missing out if you don't stop by while in Brussels.

As a tourist attraction, it was a bit underwhelming. It would've been better if he was dressed in one of his many costumes. There is a museum that displays his extensive wardrobe.

Anyone who's ever known me or read my reviews knows I'm all about stepping up to see historical sites or must see attractions...... Yea......this isn't one of them. Overrated by a long shot. But listen, all is not lost. Look behind you. There's a great bar/cafe that will be my next review. Go see Manneken Pis and walk your ass over to have a drink and a really really good sausage and cheese board.

Manneken Pis is a classic and a must see when in Brussels. While to some it's a small statue of a peeing human, the history behind it is interesting and special to the city. We were able to see him without a costume, with a costume, and then the official dresser changing him into another costume. How cool! The area does get VERY crowded so I recommend going first thing, around 9-10am if you want photos without anyone around.

Pissing statue #1 This is a very famous statue of a boy taking a piss. Why this little guy became a very popular thing amongst tourists, I would never understand. There are 2 other pissing statues in Brussels: Jeanneke Pis (girl) and Het Zinneke (dog). But this is the most photographed statue. Manneken Pis is a mascot for nearby waffle places, he's on magnets, t-shirts and other souvenirs. He's rarely fully naked. He has outfits and hats.

Totally worth going to see. I wasn't the biggest fan until I found out they dressed him up! I kind of regret not going to the museum to see all of the thousands of costumes. We went the week between Christmas & new year & it wasn't too crowded.

Located very close to the Grand Place, this small fountain of a little boy peeing, attracts a lot of people to take pictures. It's a real quick stop...nobody really hangs around too long, so one should be able to get a close up picture even if busy.

Five freaking stars! Why? Because if you're visiting Brussels, you know that you WILL visit Mannekin Pis. And by the way? It's pronounced pie, NOT piss! Get it right, you uncultured swine! He's a tiny little guy mounted up on a wall, just peeing his little heart out; and, because of several attempted (and successful) thefts, he's a replica kept behind a gated fence! The real one is in a nearby museum. He's also SUPER popular, so there will probably be a crowd...bring your telephoto lens, people! The first of three peeing statues/fountains located around town, we took our obligatory selfies and subject photos and continued on our mission to find the other two (spoiler alert, we succeeded!). 33/2020

Manneken Pis is the famous statue/fountain of Brussels that literally is a kid who pees. There is always a ton of tourists around trying to take pics with this itty bitty popular statue. It symbolizes humor, resilience from historic wars etc. There have been wars that abducted Manneken Pis. Long story short many legends told... he survived, then was stolen, retrieved, destroyed and remade several times. It's cute, funny, and a talking point of the city. In the walking tour discovered a ton of facts about it. There is an official dresser who dresses the statue up and for each major holiday/festival. And he might have more outfits than you. In different festivals he is urinating wine/beer etc for people to drink. Side Note- If you want to see the female statue which was made much later... Its named Jeanneke Pis that is near Rue des Bouchers/Beenhouwersstraat. It's literally a small girl squatting and urinating.

What is Brussels' obsession with peeing statues? It's pretty funny. This guy is worth a glance but the crowd are always heavy so he's protected by a tall fence. Mannekin Pis is the most famous pissing baby in the world. You'd be surprised to learn this little guy is not actually original. This is a replica after the original was stolen hundreds of years ago. The denizens dress him up for every possible occasion, he has his own store front housing all of his outfits for the year.

It's a decent walk to see his famous fountain. It's crowded but not that amazing once you get there. It's as the pictures lend it to be, a tiny boy taking a leak into the fountain. The amusing part is they had it dressed in military garb on that particular day. No idea what for.

We came we saw, and we quickly crossed the street to drink beer and watch the other more into it tourist brave the constant.Mist stand around taking endless selfies posing in front o the lil dude. They say it's a tourist thing to do. So ok we came we saw we got drunk across the street! I don't know if it's true but my sons pal Pooja who had been there site seeing for 2 days prior told us an interesting story. Apparently this part of town historically was the tannery district. And what tans hides best is ammonia. Well according to Pooja the tanners would pay kids a penny per pee into little buckets that they would use to tan the leather. This lil dude is a tribute to that early folk tale.

There's a reason this is the most overrated tourist attraction in the world. Blink and you'll miss it. While I'd been told how underwhelming it was, but since I was in Brussels I figured I'd go and give it a look. I was navigating there with my maps app, and both my husband and I looked around puzzled when it said we had arrived. Then we saw the huge group of people, and only then did we see the minuscule fountain. I literally said "Oh." I suppose statue depicting public urination is a good symbol for a city known for beer. I guess it's worth seeing? If you're walking around the touristy part of Brussels why not.

The 8th wonder of the world! I'm gonna borrow a joke from my New Europe Tour guide Fraser, "this is the second best statue in the world! First being the Statue of Liberty... ah I didn't mean to offend my Danish friends! This statue is just like the Little Mermaid statue: equally disappointing!" Apparently this statue has been stolen and replaced 7 times in the past? Simply amazing. The statue is small. If you visit it before 10 AM, you will likely miss it because not too many tourists are around just yet. If you come later during that day, you won't miss it because too many people are trying to snap selfies in front of it. Yes, it is very small, but it's iconic.

I knew I had come to the right place as soon as I spotted a horde of tourists gathering at the small street corner. Everybody had their arms stretched way out for an obligatory selfie with the bronze peeing boy. I had seen replicas and models of Manneken Pis before but little did I know that the actual size of the statue was so small. Like a lot of people, I was surprised. Okay, now that I've seen it. Another point of interest checked off the list. What's the big deal of such a tiny little fountain, right? Then, I thought I'd better exercise due diligence and find out more before denigrating this ostensibly trifling landmark. As one of the legends goes, a mischievous boy urinated at the doorstep of a witch who turned him into a statue as punishment. Another scuttlebutt has it that a brave boy had prevented a catastrophe that would have otherwise destroyed the city by putting out a lit gunpowder fuse with his piss. Astonishingly, the statue has been standing for centuries and survived sundry wars and battles. Throughout history, Manneken Pis is the centerpiece in numerous satirical cartoons of current affairs. Some depictions are quite poignant. More than just a fountain, the boy figure symbolizes defiance to the locals and many others. Petit mais gentil.

The Manneken Pis is undoubtedly the most visited landmark in Brussels. While visitors may skip many of the fine museums, no one leaves Brussels without visiting the Manneken Pis: a unique water fountain that features a naked little boy urinating into a fountain. This odd statue has risen to fame and is a popular tourist attraction in the city. The name simply translates to "little man pee" and it has been given this name for obvious reasons. The statue isn't always naked, however, as it has a wardrobe that would make any celebrity jealous: It has 900 costumes that are changed frequently. Visitors can view them at the City Museum. This little boy has put Brussels on the tourist map; people travel to this city from all over the world just to catch a glimpse of him urinating. The legend behind the Manneken Pis (which translates to a little peeing man in Dutch) varies widely depending on who you ask. One popular story is of a little boy relieving himself on a witch's doorstep. Catching the boy in the act, the witch wished to punish him by turning him into stone, forcing him into that compromising position for eternity. A local, who witnessed the entire incident, ran to the boy and replaced him with a statue in the nick of time, making the boy miss the curse entirely. Another very popular story is that of a little boy stopping Brussels from meeting its demise. Enemy forces, intent on destroying Brussels, lit a small fire with the hopes it would spread and burn the city to the ground. A wandering little boy, who apparently really needed to go to the bathroom, saw the fire and put it out with his natural resources, thus saving the city. The statue takes a little bit of skill in hunting down (unless you see it as part of a tour) but it is worth persevering. You will find it by taking the right lane away from the town hall. If you are curious enough, then you can see the other 2 pissing statues apart from the Manneken Piss (the little boy). Jeanneke Pis (the little girl), and Zinneke Pis (the dog). Manneken can be found very close to Grand Place. Jeanneke was semi-hidden down a small side street downtown and protected by an iron gate, so getting a photo without metal bars in the shot was more than a little tricky (I went there drenching, my friend was pissed at me, she was like why do you want to see pissing girl and I was like I need to complete the trio). Zinneke (pissing dog)- I did not find. Love him or hate him, there is always a reason to return to the Manneken Pis -- whether it's to see what he's wearing or to watch him spout wine or beer (which happens several days each year).

What can I say about this cute tiny statue of a little boy pissing that hasn't already been said? It's smaller than I thought, cuter, and was easier to find than expected. They say this statute represents the rebellious spirit of the citizens of Brussels and I can see that. It's cute that he is routinely dressed in different costumes a few times a week. We saw him in one and without one the very next day. A fun stop while visiting the city for sure and close to several chocolate shops and waffle shops. It's about a 10 minute walk from the Grand Place.

London has Big Ben. Paris has the Eiffel Tower. Rome has the Colosseum. Brussels has... a statue of a peeing boy? You got that right. There are plenty of urban legends associated with this statue and how he got there. The boy does have a name - he's actually called Julien. Some say that he's an homage to the tanning guild for urine makes the leather more supple. Others say that he was a gift of gratitude because the boy was found (in that position) after being lost or the boy helped save the city by peeing into... whatever he was peeing. Nowadays Manneken Pis embodies the Brussels concept of zwanze, a form of self-depreciating humor. Being a statue of notoriety he was the subject of a few kidnapping attempts. One attempt involved cutting him open into 11 pieces and required a specialized welder to put him back together. Several more attempts over the years (with the last attempt having him been broken by the knees) have him now permanently settled in the Museum of the City of Brussels inside the Maison du Roi. An identical copy takes his place back at the fountain. Representatives from various countries or companies of interest to the Belgians can give the boy a gift in the form of clothes. There's a process involved to get an outfit approved. Once approved a civil servant acts as a dresser and puts on clothes according to a set schedule. Over the years he as amassed a wardrobe that can seriously rival any socialite; as of now he has over 1000 clothes on display at the nearby museum "Garderobe Manneken Pis". Sometimes the boy doesn't even squirt water; on that rare occasion he has been known to squirt beer and even milk. Luckily he doesn't squirt actual urine otherwise that'd be a universal massive health code violation. I was with a beer and chocolate tour when I came across Mannekin Pis. Like any other day there were swarms of people wanting to get their selfie shot with the boy. The dress of the day consisted of the famous brewery "Delirium" with the boy and a lot of other people dressed in a costume containing a pink elephant. Had I arrived earlier I could've gotten free beer.

The world famous symbol of Brussels, it's a little boy holding his boy parts and peeing. Peeing and peeing and peeing, it's a fountain. And it's very small. The fountain, that is, and the penis. Well, it's a boy. And once you've seen the fountain and the boy and the crowds, that's pretty much it. It's crowded and that's always a great place for pickpockets. Not that I saw anything, but it's certainly a place to be on the lookout. There are a number of shops nearby catering to the tourists with cheap waffles and trinkets. There are even a few spots here with beer, but this really isn't the place for the great beer. Round number review #7500.

Since I was a kid this is one of the first memories of a landmark that I can remember. Growing up we had a hanging Manneken Pis on one of our side doors. The first time I visited the Manneken Pis was 1981 and since than I have seen it a few times again. I don't remember if they dressed up the Manneken years ago but in recent visits we have seen it dressed up multiple times. According to my research he has around 500 plus clothing styles. The Manneken is always mobbed by tourists and to a little extent even the locals. They have all sorts of stories about the origin of the Manneken Pis most of which are hard to believe. The Manneken Pis is the symbol of Brussels and if you are there this is a must visit site. 5 stars all the way plus enjoy a waffle and frites while you are there.

What a disappointment to see this tiny little statue lol. Idk why anyone would hype this up. It's literally tiny, much smaller in person, just in the corner of a cross street. Not much to see except a blockage of people in the roads.

I have no idea how to rate this landmark. It is a little boy peeing. Like it's a fountain originating from the little boy. I knew I had arrived by the hoards of folks taking selfies with it. You can earn well bet I took a selfie too. How could I not? So, so weird. That's really all I have to say.

Brussels loves this statue because it is what Brussels is known for. EVERYONE wants to take a photo of the peeing boy. With that said, there will be a lot of people there. Just try to sneak in when there is the small window of a few seconds no one is in front of the fountain. It is in the center of Brussels and you will not miss it.

The statue was disappointing but the pub with the same name right across the way was fantastic!

I was warned about this place before my visit, not to get disappointed but yet when I actually saw it, i didn't know what to think. When I first learned I will visit Brussels, the first thing came to my mind was this manneken pis. Couldn't think of anything else. Lots of gift shops sell replica of this boy, stop by once to check it out, take a few pictures, think about which of the rumors may be correct for the origin of this boy... Five mins is all ones may take. There are lots of restaurants, gift shops, chocolate and waffles shops around. Smell of waffles and chocolate is heavenly. Enjoy.

This has got to be one of the most underwhelming landmarks ever. I heard of the same from locals when I was researching Brussels and still ended up visiting the little boy because we were in the area. Why not? Maybe it would blow my socks off! It didn't. We turned around the corner and the reason why there was a hint that it was no ordinary peeing boy fountain was because there was a small crowd of tourists surrounding it and a small sign in front of it telling you a bit about its significance. The boy statue was a lot smaller than I thought. The actual corner the boy was in dwarfed it but there is a nice bit of flowery goodness underneath. Opposite it is a Godiva along with Elisabeth, another local chocolatier that seems to also specialize in marshmallow chocolates and meringue. The side road is lined with touristy shops that includes a lot of waffle shops. All in all, the peeing boy would probably take a couple minutes of your time so if you happen to be nearby, go ahead and take a look! If it's out of the way, just google his pictures.

I've been here twice already; once to see this place for myself and once to show visiting guests what the hullabaloo was all about. So this small statue of a boy urinating is what everyone comes to see when visiting Brussels. It's so famous that the adjoining streets have souvenir shops filled with small statues, magnets, bottle opener's, umbrellas, scarves etc. with this guys image on it. Even the Belgian chocolate shops have chocolates in the shape of this statue. Apparently every so often the statue gets a change of clothing. Once you spend all of five minutes here to get the necessary obligatory touristy pictures in front of it, take advantage of all the wonderful Belgian waffle shops surrounding the statue. I don't know how I feel about the landmark itself, but I guess I'm glad I saw it just so I can tell people about it.

What is there left to say about this little statue of a boy pissing happily into pool below? They dress him up in different outfits throughout the year and you'll see Manneken Pis memorabilia around the city. Not sure what I expected, but eh... it's underwhelming and I can't really see anyone spending more than 5/10 minutes here (most of the time will be spent waiting for others to take their photo). It's definitely a tourist spot, a really popular one. The statue is really small..... so small that we passed it because no one was gathered around it. Lol. Once you've taken your obligatory photos there's nothing much else to do. It's a fun little stop sure, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here.

My first stop on my many tourist attraction spots when I visited Belgium (Brussels). Not much to see here...literally. It's a statue of a small kid peeing. Yeap...that's it. But I guess you didn't go to Brussels if you didn't visit the peeing Belgian boy! Take pictures and continue on. Tons of waffle shops, souvenir shops and other shops nearby.

This historic landmark is located within close walking distance of the Grand Place. Make sure you see the grand Place first. I was shocked when I saw this for the first time. I was expecting the statue to be much larger. I was underwhelmed when I saw it. On a positive note, there are very cool shops close by that serve waffles, chocolates and souvenirs.

A little boy taking a piss. It's unassuming & very easily missed. In fact so small is this famous son of Brussels that I walked passed it a few times while in search of it. On a warmer day you can find it by the crowds of tourists, however on a dismal winter day. You'd better know where it is beforehand. Yes it's just a small statue that's easy to miss, is sometimes dressed up for holidays and events. But nothing to write home about.

Not to offend anyone, as far as city landmarks go... This is a tiny bit... Small... It's a cute little statue, dressed from 9 to 5 and on holidays, that pees... Can't get very excited about it... Street smells like chocolate, so that for me is the biggest plus... And it's close to Grand Place...

This is the famous statue of a little boy shamelessly taking a leak. Lots of people hating on this lil guy, but I won't be one of them. Just stroll past on your way to or from the Grand Place and you're good. It's just about a block away and you can find it easily. We were fortunate enough to see him go through a wardrobe change into a new outfit and then, ahem, out of his new threads to get things going. Visiting dignitaries to Belgium have gifted so many new outfits for him that he can wear two different costumes each day for a year and never wear the same one twice! There is a museum in town that houses over 800 of them if you'd like to see those. He's a bit smaller than you'd expect. You can also see his "sister", the Jannekin Pis, outside the Delirium bars.

I really can't give anything that is a symbol to a city I'm visiting less than 4 stars but in saying that.....I'd say I wasn't impressed. It was funny because our tour guide said the "fountain" was much stronger than usual on the day we walked by, to the point people were standing in the "piss" for photo ops. We walked by the following day on our way to eat, and yes, it was not as strong as the previous day. I also found it funny all these shops near there sell basically life size replicas of the manneken pis to take home with you. I mean, let's be honest, you're in Brussels, you kinda have to see this statue, but it provided little more than a few chuckles and jokes. As our tour guide said, the weirder something is in Brussels the more they like it-well there you go.....

If you aren't paying attention you might miss this little statute. I went during the summer and there was a large crows right next to it so I couldn't miss it. However, the next morning I passed right by it because it's so TINY.

This reminds me of my son for some reason! Probably because he's the same size and halfway potty trained. This place to be so hard to find it was kind of a letdown only because instead of a bronze sculpture at fountain he was clothed. Rumor has it that the sculpture has over 300 outfits but I would have loved to see him nude for my photos. I know- totally a child molester moment but hey when you want to see a naked baby- you want to see a naked baby dang it! Lol! Not so humbly submitted, Michael C.

I think this is the most disappointed I've been in seeing a naked boy. Wait, that came out wrong. The Mannekin Pis statue looks WAY bigger in postcards and in photos. It's on a seemingly random corner, with a fence around it. There are also security cameras because apparently drunk kids love to steal it. I visited the statue during the day (SO MANY TOURISTS) and then once again at night (lighting was harsh and hard to take photos). I guess it's worth checking out, especially since the little guy has multiple outfits and they change him depending on the day and weather.

Nothing special. Crowds of tourist lined up to take pictures of it. It's really small and just a statue peeing. I wouldn't waste my time to go see it again. They usually put outfits on it which is cool, but still. Not worth it

Manneken pis is a tourist staple but let me warn you it's extremely underwhelming. I expected the statue to be much bigger and have a bit more to see or read since it's a big tourist attraction. Just a short walk from the Grand place it's located right in the city on a corner surrounded by restaurants and shops. You cannot miss it as you will see a crowd of people taking pictures. The statue is small and located behind a gate. You will only need minutes to capture the details and take pictures before your on your merry way to eat more waffles.

You have to stop and see if it if your first visit to Brussels. This was our son's first visit and so we stopped but it is tiny, cute, and very crowded. We saw the larger version in Helsinki a couple of years ago and that was fun too.

Before going to Belgium, we had read so much about this famous peeing boy, we didn't expect to be staying in a hotel across the street from him! We got to see this little guy get changed everyday by the workers. The point of this statue is to attract people to the Grand place, for them to check out the museum and decking him out in different outfits was to refer to the closet of the rich and famous way back when. From 6am-1am everyday, there's a crowd of people taking photos with this little guy. Belgium is known for their waffles, beer, chocolates, tapestry, lace and the peeing boy! :)

Our server was very helpful and welcoming. Even offered to take our photo and then took one with us.

Due to the historical nature of the little peeing boy, this is likely a must see when visiting Brussels. That being said, meh, it literally is a tiny peeing boy that is behind a gate and worthy of a single picture. Not much else as the statue is literally a foot tall or so and continually pees. Overall, a neat photo opp, but nothing more than that.