Jeanneke Pis

Jeanneke Pis forms a counterpoint in gender terms to Brussels' trademark statue, Manneken Pis. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/33801608 (Braim)

Nearly everyone who has so much as stepped foot in the city of Brussels has heard of the city’s trademark statue Manneken Pis, but few have heard of its counterpart, Jeanneke Pis.

Squatting at a height of a little under a meter, this modern statue portrays a small, pigtailed girl with her knees spread while happily urinating. This limestone memorial was originally created by Denis-Adrien Debouvrie in 1985 and officially unveiled in 1987. Because it is such a new addition to the city’s history, Jeanneke Pis remains widely unknown to travelers who do not live in Brussels.

The statue is located across the street from the Délirium Café on the nearly-hidden Impasse de la Fidélité near the Rue des Bouchers, which may also explain its lack of popularity in comparison to Manneken Pis. The girl is also (perhaps mercifully) afforded greater privacy than her male peer, as anti-vandal iron bars now cover her cosy niche.

A visit to Jeanneke Pis can also be an altruistic one as passersby are encouraged to throw coins into the fountain beneath the squatting girl. The money goes towards a cancer research charity.

Know Before You Go

To find the urinating girl, look for the Impasse de la Fidélité alley off Rue de Bouchers (not far from Grand Place and the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert arcade). She's near the end of the alleyway, hidden behind bars but clearly signposted.