On 18 June 2015, a field near the city of Waterloo in Belgium filled with men dressed in historical costumes. They were there to reenact the Battle of Waterloo, on the battlefield where it happened that day exactly 200 years ago.
It was during the Battle of Waterloo that British troops along with a multinational army led by the Duke of Wellington and a Prussian army under the command of Bülcher defeated Napoleon Bonaparte and his French army. You can read more about this battle on Wikipedia. What I wanted to find out for you is whether it's worth it visiting Waterloo today.
Visiting Waterloo: the Waterloo Battlefield and other sites
There are some smaller historical monuments related to the battle scattered in the Waterloo region in the Braine-l Alleud region of Belgium. However, the three main sites to explore are:
- Wellington's Headquarters
- Lion's Mound Hamlet
- Napoleon's Headquarters
The Duke of Wellington's Headquarters
This is where the Duke of Wellington from Great Britain spent the night before and after the Battle of Waterloo on the 17 & 18 June 1815. You can still see the room where he slept and the desk where he wrote his report of victory on the battlefield.
When buying your ticket, you get an audio guide that tells you all about the battle in chronological order and follows the layout of the rooms.
The museum is housed in a rather old building not far from the battlefield which is much bigger than you'd expect at first glance. A lot of original items are on display, as well as detailed maps of the movements during the battle that summer day in 1815.
The Lion's Mound Hamlet
The Waterloo lion was inaugurated in 1826 on the spot on the battlefield where William II of the Netherlands (The Prince of Orange) was wounded and knocked off his horse. It's a 41-meter monument made from the earth of the Waterloo battlefield, with a cast-iron lion statue, the lion of Waterloo, weighing 28 tons on top of it.
You can climb the 226 steps up Lion's Mound to get a great view over the former battlefield where over 250, 000 men fought in 1815. If it's not foggy, that is…
For someone with a fear of heights, 41 meters is pretty high, but I hadn't really thought of that until I'd already started climbing Lion's Mound. Even when I felt that famous fear creeping up on me, I didn't return. I was in Waterloo and climbing the Lion's Mound is just something you need to do.
I rushed up the stairs, eyes fixed on the steps, and definitely not taking any photos or filming. When I arrived at the top I was exhausted. I'd completely lost my breath and my legs were shaking. Partly because I practically ran up the steps, but partly, also because I'd been so afraid while going up.
Luckily you can sit on top of the mound as there are a couple of “steps” around the lion. So that's what I did. After a while, I dared to look behind me and up, but I couldn't even see the lion from there as it's too high up.
I tried getting a view shots of the view (from the steps I was sitting on, no way that I was going to stand by the railing!) but it was too foggy that day to properly see very far.
The Battle of Waterloo Movies
After I was safely down, it was time for some movies. You need a special ticket to watch these unless you have the Pass 1815. The first movie is modern and a well-made summary of the events that had lead to the Battle of Waterloo and what happened on the Waterloo battlefield itself.
The second movie took place in another, more run-down room and consisted of fragments from the older movie “Waterloo” (1970), which tells the story of the Battle of Waterloo.
Waterloo Battlefield Panorama
The last thing to do at the Waterloo battle site is the Panorama, a round building that shows a 110m round, 12m high, 360° fresco of the battle. It was painted in 1912 to celebrate the centenary of the battle and restored in 2008.
Napoleon's Headquarters
2.5 miles/4km south of the Waterloo Battlefield is the small farmhouse -Le Caillou- where Napoleon, his military commander Marshal Ney and the French troops spent the night before they were beaten by the British and Prussian troops in battle on the 18th June 1815.
The collection of the French Emperor's personal items is the most extensive in Belgium and includes a map of the Waterloo battlefield site, a painting of him in exile, various drawings and letters, a bust, both English and French weaponry, medals and much more from both sides of the Waterloo Battle. Surely reason enough to visit?!
Practical information
Some useful info if you plan on visiting Waterloo:
Wellington's Headquarters
Chaussée de Bruxelles 147
Waterloo
Getting there:
- by bus: from Brussels, take line W or line 365 and stop at Waterloo Église
- by train: take the train to Waterloo station, then follow Rue de la Station for 1 km
- by car: only 20 minutes from Brussels. Park for free behind the church and tourism office (across the street)
The Lion's Mound Hamlet with films and Panorama
Route du Lion 315
Waterloo
How to visit Waterloo
Getting there:
- by bus: take line W from Braine-l Alleud, Waterloo or Brussels. Coming from Brussels you can also take bus 365 to Waterloo and then line W
- by train: from Brussels, take the train to Braine-l Alleud and then bus W to the site
- by car: only 20 minutes from Brussels. There's free parking available on site
Musée du Caillou
Chaussée de Bruxelles 66,
1472 Vieux‑Genappe
Getting there:
- by car: the best way to get there; it is around 2.5 miles/4-km along the N5 road from the Lion’s Mound – free parking is available
- by bus: Bus 365 – stop Genappe-Musée du Caillou. Be aware that the bus is very infrequent
Entry is €4.
Pass 1815
The Pass 1815 is a special pass giving you access to the Wellington Museum, the Lion's Hamlet (including both films and the Panorama) and Musée du Caillou. It's €13,5 for adults.
In comparison: Wellington's Headquarters costs €6,5 and the Lion's Hamlet €9, so even if you only visit those two, a pass is cheaper.
Hotels close to the Waterloo battleground:
- in Waterloo, a bit more fancy: Le Côté Vert
Check the latest prices - in Waterloo, more budget: Ibis Brussels Waterloo
Check the latest prices - in La Hulpe, a bit more fancy: Hotel Dolce La Hulpe Brussels
Check the latest prices - in Uccle, more budget: Best Western Hotel Brussels South
Check the latest prices
For more information and to purchase a Pass 1815, you can also always go to the Tourist Information Center or “Maison du Tourisme” of Waterloo, which is located right across from the Wellington Museum.
Pin for later
I received a Pass 1815 from the Tourism Office of Waterloo to be able to write about the sites of the battle. Partnerships like this allow me to travel more and gather new content for this blog. They will never affect my opinion of the places I visit.
nancy alexander says
I really enjoyed visiting this place. i love history and museums but the most interesting part wad the battle field tour. The audio guide takes you back to 1815 and makes you part of this piece of history.
The Guy @flightsandfrustration.com says
Wow that Lion’s Mound is very steep and tall! Great for a landscape view.
This sounds like a place that would really fascinate me. I have an insatiable knowledge for history and such a notable site as this which was defining in European and maybe global history would be right up my street.
There is one problem though. Ever since I read the title to this post I seem to have the sound of Abba going around in my head. Any ideas why?
Sofie says
Oh yes, it is, unfortunately:)
Thanks, now I’m thinking of the song as well!
Corinne says
Sofie, I’ve got to go to Waterloo, you’ve convinced me.
Sofie says
That’s one of the best comments I could get:-)
David Trower says
I have bough a ticket for the reenactment on Friday. I am coming from the United States, it will be my first time in Europe.
Sofie says
That’s so cool! I hope you will enjoy it. Will you visit some other things in Belgium as well?
David Trower says
I will be doing fun things. I got some ideas off this website.
Sofie says
Happy to read that:)
carl hansen says
Can you do everything in one day or two to see more. I’m thinking of staying in Waterloo and the hotels look fine. I’m arriving from Villers Britenaux then off to Bastoigne so bit of a historical military tour
Sofie says
A day should be enough. The museum in the center is the size of a house. Everything else is next to each other so no need to move around a lot. The new museum, which is the one by the battlefield, is quite big and there’s is a lot of information. If you’re into war history – and it seems you are – you can probably spend a good few hours here. I’d say you could arrive late morning, visit the museum in the center, have lunch somewhere, then go to the new museum, the battlefield etc. That could be a full afternoon. Hope this helps :)