Rue des Bouchers (or Street of the Butchers) is probably the street most visited by tourists in Brussels, mainly because of the great variety of restaurants and its constantly lively atmosphere. 

This cobbled street was given its name because in the Middle Ages it was home to the shops of butchers, charcutiers, and tripe and offal sellers. The former butchers’ shops have now been replaced by numerous restaurants, the terrace bars of which invade the road. Here, you can find both restaurants that serve Greek, Italian, Chinese or Indian cuisine, and Belgian speciality restaurants. This, and the zone’s cosmopolitan nature, therefore make it well worth stopping to have lunch or dinner in this street, which is also known as “the stomach of Brussels”. 

What is more, in 1960, the Town Hall decided to declare this zone an Îlot Sacré, or Sacred Island, because of the area’s great historical importance. It thus banned the destruction or alteration of the facades of houses, and you will therefore observe that they have retained their doorways with decorations that date from the seventeenth century. 

And if, at the end of the street, you reach what is called the Alley of Fidelity, you will come across another very curious figure: a girl with her hair tied back who is crouching and urinating. There is no cause for concern however as this is Jeanneke-Pis, the female version of Manneken-Pis, sculpted by Debouvrie in 1985 and established here in 1987.