Come closer... you’re almost there. Brussels’ most famous statue stands just 55.5 centimetres tall. And it’s not even the original one! 

The statue visitors photograph on the corner of Stoofstraat and Eikstraat is a replica. The original one, sculpted in 1619 by Brussels artist Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder, had quite an eventful life. 

Stolen, broken and restored many times, Manneken-Pis disappears for the last time in 1965. Only his feet remain. Months later, the rest of the statue is recovered from the Brussels–Charleroi Canal. 

This time, the City of Brussels decides to keep it somewhere safe. The original statue is now displayed at the Brussels City Museum, on the Grand-Place. A replica takes its place. But its fame remains undiminished. 

For centuries, this little bronze boy has fascinated and amused visitors. Countless legends try to explain his origins. According to the most famous of them, he saved Brussels by urinating on a burning fuse that enemies had lit to set the city on fire. 

Whether it’s true or pure myth, the story suits him perfectly. Because Manneken-Pis embodies the spirit of Brussels. Free-spirited, cheeky, and never easily impressed. Because a hero doesn’t always wear a cape or armour. As its symbol, Brussels chose a mischievous little boy who never takes himself too seriously. 

Today, you still come across his name at a nearby bus stop. Proof that in Brussels, size isn’t everything.