Zinneke Pis (Het Zinneke) in Brussels
The bronze peeing dog of Rue des Chartreux — exact location, map and history of Brussels' third Pis statue.
Where Is Zinneke Pis?
Zinneke Pis stands on the pavement outside number 35 on Rue des Chartreux in central Brussels, in the Chartreux (Kartuizers) district. It is a small bronze sculpture set against a lamppost, and it takes about 10 minutes to walk there from Grand Place.
- Address
- Rue des Chartreux 35, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
- Plus Code
- R8XW+G7 Brussels, Belgium
- Coordinates
- 50.84879, 4.32664
- Walk from Grand Place
- About 10 minutes via Rue au Beurre and Rue des Chartreux
Admission: Free — an open-air street statue, no ticket, accessible at any hour
About Zinneke Pis
Het Zinneke, commonly known as Zinneke Pis, is the famous bronze peeing dog statue on Rue des Chartreux in central Brussels. It is small, sits almost at knee height beside a lamppost, and is easy to walk past if you do not know it is there.
From the statue you can walk to Manneken Pis in about 8 minutes, to Grand Place in about 10 minutes and to Jeanneke Pis in about 12 minutes, so it fits naturally into a short loop around the centre.
Het Zinneke shows a scruffy street dog lifting its leg against a lamppost. It was created in 1999 by Brussels sculptor Tom Frantzen and completes the set of three 'Pis' figures in the city centre, next to Manneken Pis (1619) and Jeanneke Pis (1987). The word 'Zinneke' comes from Brussels dialect and describes a mongrel born from a city dog and a village dog — a joke that Brussels people use about themselves. That is why the statue reads less as a monument and more as a wink at everyday city life. Most visitors spend five to ten minutes here. There is nothing to buy and nothing is fenced off: the dog simply stands on a narrow street of cafés, food shops and cobblestones, a few steps away from the busy shopping streets but noticeably calmer.
How to visit
- Free and always accessible — no ticket, no gate, no opening hours
- About a 10-minute walk from Grand Place via Rue au Beurre and Rue des Chartreux
- Most people stay 5–10 minutes: there is nothing to queue for
- Morning is the quietest time to photograph the statue without people in frame
- Combine it with Manneken Pis (8 min), Jeanneke Pis (12 min) and Grand Place (10 min)
Also known as
- Het Zinneke
- Zinneke Pis
- Zinneke-Pis
Sources and notes
Basic Information about Het Zinneke (Zinneke Pis)
Official / listing name
Het Zinneke — Zinneke Pis
Alternative names
Zinneke Pis · Zinneke-Pis · Het Zinneke Pis
Attraction type
Bronze statue, tourist attraction, public art
Country
Belgium
City
Brussels (Brussels-Capital Region)
Created by
Tom Frantzen, 1999
Google Maps rating
4.2/5 · 7,125 reviews
Address
Rue des Chartreux 35, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Rating and review count are a snapshot of the public Google Maps listing for Het Zinneke and may change over time. Last checked in October 2026.
Visiting Zinneke Pis
Access
Free and open at all hours — it is on a public street
Best time of day
Morning (8–10): quietest street, clean light on the bronze
Evening (18–20): warmer light, café terraces open nearby
Best time of day
Afternoon (14–16): comfortable walking weather for the full Pis loop
Midday (11–14): the best natural light in the darker months
This is a live street with traffic, not a pedestrian zone. Keep to the pavement when you step back for photos.
Tickets and Cost
Seeing the statue
Free of charge, no ticket
Parking
Limited street parking. De Brouckère or the Grand Place car parks are a short walk away, and metro De Brouckère is about 8 minutes on foot.
Self-guided visit
Five to ten minutes on site is enough; no guide or reservation is needed.
How to Get to Zinneke Pis
From Brussels Airport
Train to Brussels-Central takes about 20 minutes, then walk 15 minutes, or take the metro one stop to De Brouckère and walk from there.
From Grand Place — 10 minutes
Leave Grand Place by Rue au Beurre, continue along Rue des Bouchers or Rue Grétry, then turn into Rue des Chartreux. The dog is on the pavement at number 35.
From Brussels Central Station — 15 minutes
From the station walk to Grand Place, then follow Rue au Beurre and Rue des Chartreux. The whole walk is about 15 minutes at normal pace.
Public transport
Metro lines 1 and 5 stop at De Brouckère, about an 8-minute walk away. Bus routes to De Brouckère or Bourse stop just south of the statue.
Walking loop
Grand Place → Manneken Pis → Jeanneke Pis → Het Zinneke → Grand Place can be done in roughly 45–60 minutes without rushing.
By car
The street is narrow and central Brussels has a low-emission zone. Parking under Grand Place or at De Brouckère and walking is simpler.
History and Meaning of Het Zinneke
What Is the Peeing Dog Statue in Brussels?
The famous peeing dog statue in Brussels is Het Zinneke, better known as Zinneke Pis. It is a bronze sculpture of a mongrel dog urinating against a lamppost, installed in 1999 on Rue des Chartreux in the Chartreux district, roughly a 10-minute walk from Grand Place. It is much smaller than most visitors expect — roughly the size of a real dog — so look down at the base of the lamppost rather than scanning the rooftops. Its official Google Maps listing name is 'Het Zinneke', which is why searches for the Dutch name return pictures of the same bronze dog.
What Does "Zinneke" Mean?
In Brussels dialect the word 'Zinneke' described a mongrel: a dog born from a city dog and a village dog, a street animal of mixed origin. 'Zinne' itself echoes the Senne (Zenne), the river that runs through the city. The word became a nickname for the mixed population of Brussels and for the Brusseleir identity — neither purely Dutch-speaking nor purely French-speaking. That double meaning is the whole joke of the statue: a small mixed-breed dog is a more honest emblem of Brussels than any official monument.
History and Creation
Het Zinneke was created in 1999 by Tom Frantzen, a Brussels sculptor known for his humorous bronze animals. Visit Brussels lists the work as being part of the city's contemporary public art in the Chartreux district. Frantzen gave the dog a deliberately casual pose, caught mid-movement, which is why it reads as a snapshot rather than a formal monument. The statue sits directly on the street instead of a plinth, so passers-by can walk right up to it.
The Three Pis Statues of Brussels
Zinneke Pis is the third of Brussels' 'Pis' figures: 1. Manneken Pis (1619) — the little boy, the best known of the three 2. Jeanneke Pis (1987) — the little girl in the Impasse de la Fidélité 3. Het Zinneke / Zinneke Pis (1999) — the dog, the newest of the three They are all within roughly a 15-minute walk of each other, which makes it possible to see all three in one loop starting and ending at Grand Place.
About the Artist
Tom Frantzen (born 1954) is a Belgian sculptor whose public works include animals, figures and fountain groups in Brussels and other Belgian cities. His style is narrative and often comic, with movement exaggerated enough to read from a distance. Het Zinneke is his best-known small work because it is installed at eye level on a street that thousands of people walk every day.
Recommended Walking Route Around Zinneke Pis
Start at Grand Place, add the two other Pis statues, and finish back in the centre. With photo stops and a café break the loop takes about two hours.
Start at Grand Place and admire the Town Hall and guild houses
Walk down Rue au Beurre to Manneken Pis (about 5 minutes)
Continue into Impasse de la Fidélité for Jeanneke Pis (about 3 minutes)
Walk north through the shopping streets to Rue des Chartreux
Find Het Zinneke at number 35 and take your photos (about 8 minutes from Manneken Pis)
Browse the Chartreux district — food shops, cafés and cobblestone lanes
Return to Grand Place via Rue des Bouchers (about 10 minutes)
End on a terrace at Grand Place with waffles or Belgian beer
Photo Spots at Zinneke Pis
Front view
Stand in front of the dog on the pavement to get its whole silhouette against the lamppost
Side angle
A profile shot shows the raised leg and the flow of bronze detail along the body
Close-up of the bronze
Step in tight on the head and curled tail for texture — a short focal length is enough
With the lamppost
Include the full lamppost to show the composition the sculptor intended
Street context
Cross the street and shoot wider to place the statue in the Chartreux district
After dark
Street lighting picks out the bronze, though low light needs a higher ISO or a tripod
Plan the Rest of Your Walk
Statues nearby
Where to Stay Near Zinneke Pis
Boutique hotels near Grand Place
~€120-250/nightWithin a 10-minute walk of the statue, close to the main sights of the centre.
Mid-range chain hotels
~€80-120/nightPractical options around De Brouckère and the boulevards, easy metro access.
Bed & breakfasts
~€60-100/nightA quieter way to stay in Brussels' residential streets.
Heritage hotels
~€150-300/nightRestored historic buildings in the older parts of the city centre.
Zinneke Pis Photos
Het Zinneke on Rue des Chartreux, 1000 Brussels — front, side and detail views
Het Zinneke (Zinneke Pis) bronze dog statue on Rue des Chartreux, Brussels
Close-up of the bronze dog head and curled tail of Het Zinneke
Side view of Zinneke Pis lifting its leg against the lamppost
Het Zinneke with its lamppost outside number 35 Rue des Chartreux
Profile of the Zinneke Pis statue showing the bronze surface
Rue des Chartreux street scene with Het Zinneke in Brussels
Bronze details and patina of the Zinneke Pis dog sculpture
Cobblestone street beside Het Zinneke in the Chartreux district
Frequently Asked Questions about Zinneke Pis
Where is Zinneke Pis located?
Zinneke Pis stands outside number 35 on Rue des Chartreux, 1000 Brussels, in the Chartreux district. It is about a 10-minute walk from Grand Place. Plus Code: R8XW+G7 Brussels.
Is Zinneke Pis free to visit?
Yes. Het Zinneke is an open-air street statue with no ticket, no fence and no opening hours, so you can see it at any time of day.
When was Zinneke Pis created?
The bronze was created in 1999 by Brussels sculptor Tom Frantzen, according to Visit Brussels.
What is the peeing dog statue in Brussels called?
It is called Het Zinneke and is also known as Zinneke Pis. Its Google Maps listing uses 'Het Zinneke', while 'Zinneke Pis' is the name most visitors search for.
What does “Zinneke” mean?
In Brussels dialect, 'Zinneke' was a mongrel dog — the result of crossing a city dog with a village dog. The word became a nickname for the mixed population of Brussels and for local Brusseleir identity.
How do I get to Zinneke Pis from Grand Place?
Leave Grand Place via Rue au Beurre, continue north and turn into Rue des Chartreux. The statue is on the pavement at number 35, roughly 10 minutes away. Metro De Brouckère is about 8 minutes' walk from it.
How long should I spend at Zinneke Pis?
Most visitors spend five to ten minutes. There is no queue and no interior to visit, so it is best combined with Manneken Pis, Jeanneke Pis and Grand Place on one walk.
Are Manneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis nearby?
Yes. Manneken Pis is about a 8-minute walk away, Jeanneke Pis about 12 minutes, and Grand Place about 10 minutes. All three can be seen on one loop.
Can I take photos at Zinneke Pis?
Yes, photography is free and unrestricted. Morning is quietest, and because the statue sits on a working street you should stay on the pavement when composing a shot.
Google Maps Rating for Zinneke Pis
7,125 Google Maps reviews
This number is a snapshot of the public Google Maps listing for Het Zinneke and changes over time. This website does not collect reviews and cannot verify individual ones — please read them on Google Maps.
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