//
Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A short walk from the Grand-Place/Grote Markt is the Manneken Pis, a small bronze statue thought to represent the "irreverent spirit" of Brussels. This is a statue of a child urinating into a pool. Belgians have created hundreds of outfits for this statue. There are many stories of the statue's origins. It is believed to have been inspired by a child who, while in a tree, found a special way to drive away invading troops. Another story goes that a father was missing his child and made a declaration to the city that when he found him he would build a statue of him, doing whatever it was that he was doing. It has also been said a witch turned him to stone for peeing on her property. Yet another story goes that Brussels was under siege and enemies had planted explosives in the city; a boy saw the lit fuse and urinated on it, preventing the explosives from blowing up thus saving the city. The most likely scenario is that it was the location of the market for urine, which was used for its ammonia content to tan leathers. None are definitively true. In 1747, Louis XV's soldiers stole the statue, upsetting many of the city's residents. Louis XV made it up to the city by giving the statue a medal of honor (so that he must be saluted when French soldiers pass by) and by giving him an outfit. He now gets dressed up on special occasions. Although a famous icon of Brussels and a source of inspiration for countless souvenirs, Manneken Pis is an overhyped attraction that frequently tops polls ranking the world's biggest tourist traps, and definitely not worth a major detour to take a look at.
Manneken Pis is a landmark 55.5 cm (21.9 in) bronze fountain sculpture in central Brussels, Belgium, depicting a puer mingens: a nude boy urinating into the fountain's basin. Though its existence is attested as early as the mid-15th century, Manneken Pis was redesigned by the Brabantine sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder and put in place in 1619. Its blue stone niche in rocaille style dates from 1770. The statue has been repeatedly stolen or damaged throughout its history. Since 1965, a replica has been displayed on site, with the original stored in the Brussels City Museum.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A 36m² mural of Tintin, one of Belgium's most famous comic book heroes, and his sidekick Captain Haddock escaping the building on an emergency ladder. The mural was painted by Georgios Oreopoulos and David Vandegeerde in 2005, and is one of over 50 comic book themed murals in Brussels. The project started in 1993, when deputy Michel Van Roye banned ugly advertising panels within the inner city, and the Comic Book Museum (Stripmuseum) suggested to fill the liberated areas on building walls with large murals after the example of Angouleme where a similar comic book wall existed, a work of Erro from 1985. The collection of murals is still expanded very year, and travelers will encounter many in the inner city.
Escape The City: The Secret of Manneken Pis is an outdoor treasure hunt that invites players to explore the history of the inner city, and guides them along numerous iconic locations within the old city walls. Players cross the city in a small team, solve enigmas, and unravel the mysteries of a strange backpack they've been given. Making a reservation in advance is necessary, and it is advised to reserve well in advance. Keep in mind that the weather in Brussels is unpredictable, so late spring and summer are the best seasons to bet on. The treasure hunt takes between 90 and 120 minutes, and is suitable for children from 10 years old.
Escape rooms with 2 adventures, lasting up to 60 minutes each: The Dalton's Escape in the Lucky Luke setting, and Blacksad: Private Detective with a traditional detective/mystery theme.
GardeRobe Manneken Pis
This small museum houses the wardrobe of Manneken Pis, Brussels' most famous statue. Because Manneken Pis has nearly 1000 different costumes, of which some historic specimens are sensitive to decay resulting from variations in temperature and humidity, only about 100 costumes are shown to visitors at a time. The collection on display rotates regularly. The costumes in storage can be viewed through an interactive database.
Musée Mode & Dentelle/Mode & Kant Museum
Lace was one of the fine trades that gave Brussels as a city its fame during the 19th century. From 1977 onwards, the city council decided to dedicate a museum to lace textile and costumes to emphasize its importance to the city's history. During the museum's 40-year history, the collection has continuously expanded. It covers the entire reange of civil fashion in Western Eurpe from the 18th century up to the present. On display are items gifted to the museum by lace enthusiasts, and specialty items acquired by the museum. There are strict norms regarding temperature, light and humidity in the museum to optimize the conservation of the collection. Because of these constraints to conservation, not the entire collection is on display at any time, but alternating fractions are presented to the public in the context of changing yearly expositions. The museum has a strong emphasis on contemporary fashion, including the acquisition of Belgian and Brussels items.
Église Notre-Dame de Bon Secours/Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Goede Bijstandkerk
Church in Italian Baroque style, with an unusual circular three-aisled layout and a central hexagonal dome to which 3 semicircular apes connect. The facade consists of 3 bays, delineated by ionic pilasters on high plinths. Above the circular arch portal is the emblem of Charles of Lorraine — a reconstruction after the original was destroyed by French revolutionaries during the French occupation of Brussels. In the circular arc flanked by fire vases, a statue of Our Lady with Child, by Godefroid Van Den Kerckhove, decorates the facade along with shell motifs referring to Saint James. The impressive dome allows daylight to enter the building. The side aisle stands were innovative for their time. The high altar, in marble and timber, was designed by Jan Peiter van Baurscheidt the Elder in 1705. The later added cherubs and medallions on either side of the altar are attributed to Gilles-Lambert Godecharle. The side altars, dedicated to Saint Jacob and Saint Joseph, contain images of these saints by Jan Baptist van der Haeghen. The church originated as chapel of a 12th century inn, catering to the needs of travelers and pilgrims to Santiago de Compostella. By the end of the 16th century these pilgrimages had become less popular due to the religious disputes between the Netherlands and Spain. Jacob Meeus, the innkeeper, tried to increase business by organizing religious services centered around a 14th century Our Lady Mary statute that was attributed magical powers. It became a success, and the chapel was quickly too small, leading to the construction of the current church in 1664. Construction took over 30 years, with the original plans drawn by architect Jan Cortvrindt and after his death the work completed by 2 other architects. A few years after completion the church was heavily damaged in the bombardment of Brussels: the roof, dome and furniture were damaged and needed repairs. The church was briefly closed from 1797 to 1803 during the French Revolution, but reopened as an auxiliary of the St. Catherine's church. The bell tower, a design of Hendrik Partoes from 1850, now replaces the original one that had been removed in 1727. The facade was renovated in 1904.