Waterloo Battlefield

Really interesting, and a significant piece of history. The museum was interesting, well laid out and informative. Climb up the to the mount a bit of an effort, but steady away, and its fine. Beautiful view at the top, although the cast iron lion was covered in scaffolding, for repairs.

Field is clean and looks like is being continuously improved, the experience of the Lego gallery is funny and gives an air of new proposal as museum, also the audio guided is very helpful for people who don't speak/read french, because the whole Lego gallery is in french. The panorama painting is a work of art and is very interesting to observe the battle from the immersive point of view as the panorama painting allows you to look out for. Going on top of the hill and check the monument of the battle is kind of tired if you don't have a basic physical condition but you can always make it top the top taking some pauses while going up in the stairs, the stairs are solid and the whole top is rounded with handlers to be safe, also the top has enough space to host between 20 people walking slowly to check the surrounding. Seeing the sunset the is a very nice experience, I would like to come back with my family

Visiting the Battle of Waterloo remembrance site is a fascinating journey into one of the most pivotal moments in European history. The museum does an excellent job of bringing the past to life, showcasing the events that marked both the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Through immersive exhibits and detailed displays, it offers a deep understanding of how this single battle reshaped the political landscape of Europe for decades to come. A highlight of the visit is climbing the 41-meter-high Lion’s Mound, the impressive monument built by King William I of the Netherlands to commemorate the battle. From the top, you can enjoy a panoramic view over the former battlefields—an awe-inspiring sight that helps you imagine the scale and intensity of the conflict that unfolded there in 1815. Overall, the Waterloo remembrance site and museum provide a meaningful and educational experience for anyone interested in European history, military strategy, or the legacy of Napoleon’s empire. It’s a place where history truly comes alive.

If you love history this is a must see. Located a few miles outside the town if Waterloo, the battered is well preserved (except for the fact that they dug up a portion of it to build the Lion Mound). There's a nice modern museum and on-site restaurant (with bathrooms). A huge and detailed 3D model of the battlefield is in the museum and it is worth studying. Also, it's a good idea to read up on the battle and how it progressed before coming because they don't do a very through review of that. The battle was fought over a large area, so climbing the Lion mound is a good idea if you want to see the area in its entirety. The climb, however, is 225 steps at a fairly steep angle so if you're not in good shape or are afraid of heights be sure you're up to it.

The museum is interactive and tells a very well thought out story. The details are everywhere from fun little Lego characters to computer screens that either tell cool stories or morph between images from what's on the screen to what's behind it. Very cool displays throughout the museum. I was also loving the presentation of the battlefield by the use of telescopes to find the moving soldiers on the battlefields throughout different dates. Everything was engaging and creative and had multiple languages. Definitely recommend a visit. We took our 12 year old and she was engaged in parts and not so much on others.

Very informative. Loved the Lego exhibition of Napoleon's life. The Lions butte is a bit of a climb; 226 steps but the views at the top of the battlefield site are well worth it.

Had a great experience at the Waterloo battlefield, Lion’s Mound and the museum. Surreal to walk around the grounds and learn even more about the place and battle that ultimately ended Napoleon’s reign. The staff are all friendly and welcoming, the experience is value for money and it’s worth a trip!

Napoleon’s final defeat happened here, and the museum very closely captures what took place. Basic tour was great, with visit to the top. A lot of stairs, so if you are used to less walking those please consider. Additional extra there is also a Lego-exhibition for children or lego-enthusiasts. Reserve around 1,5h to check all.

This is highly worthwhile, especially if you are interested in history / the battle itself. I try to do appreciable advance research relating to our trips. However, there are sometimes levels of detail that are not evident until you experience things first hand. So as an introduction to this site, I'll first discuss travel logistics. Assuming that you are staying in Brussels without a car, you'll need to take a train / bus combo to visit this site. Trains from Brussels Central or Noord run fairly frequently to Braine-l'Alleud. You can probably get one within 30 minutes or so of walking up, but you may want to consult a schedule. The out there takes around 30 -35 minutes, I think. You purchase this ticket from a machine via a credit card (I'm not sure if there is a way to purchase with cash other than finding a human-staffed desk at a large station). I think the fare was in the neighborhood of 10 Euros. Once you reach Braine-l'Alleud, you walk directly from the platform across a small parking lot to a street. Across the street is the stop for the 'W' bus, which will take you to the battlefield. The stop is between a Chinese restaurant and a motorcycle dealer (when we went). The bus runs roughly every 30 minutes and there is a schedule posted at the stop. It varies between weekdays and weekends. There is also an app you can get (my daughter found it) that lets you track the buses in real time. We saw a bus pull away just as we exited the station, so coordinating the schedules would have saved us a few minutes. The crucial detail that we missed was that bus far is cash only - no credit cards. It was our last full day and we had tried to spend our Euros so as not to have too many left. Hence, we could not ride this bus! We got off and found an ATM across the train tracks. We obtained 25 Euros to have some buffer. The bus fare one-way to the battlefield is less than 3 Euros per person. We got back and waited for the next bus, which we then rode to the battlefield. The total route on the bus is probably about 1.5 miles and there are sidewalks the whole way. Later, we noted tha the return bus was delayed by 30 minutes, so we ended up walking back to the train station from the battlefield. It wasn't a bad walk. As to the battlefield and museum itself, here are the highlights: * I bought tickets in advance, but it didn't seem like that was necessary on the day we went. These were not timed, but were good for the entire day. It doesn't hurt to have them, though. The museum is built underground, perhaps so as not to disturb the views of what the battlefield looks like. There were references to audio tours and some app that you could have downloaded to help with the visit but we didn't see these until we were well into the exhibits. You may want to ask when you arrive. The layout of the museum first a short high-level timeline of how the battle came about - monarchies, the French Revolution, and the rise of Napoleon. This is covered in 2 - 3 intiial rooms. You then move into a long hallway that slopes slighly up as you go. Along each side behind glass are manikins dressed as representatives of the states engaged in the battle. Some are mounted on horses. The timeline here is more dense, showing the maneuverings in the days leading up to the battle itself. You can then view a 10 - 15 minute 3-D film about the battle, which gives you even more of a feel for it. If you have the audio tour, you may get translations for the French / German bits also. After the film, you can check out some details about the aftermath of the battle, as well as an animated bird's eye view of the engagement. * The Panorama - This is a huge painting that wraps around to 360-degrees and attempts to tell the story of the battle. This is housed in a large round stone building adjacent to the museum. Apparently, this type of painting was popular in the late 1800s (pre-movies) and traveled to various cities. There is also one related to the U.S. Civil Ware in Atlanta, GA. I think there is one at the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania as well. Having seen the one in Atlanta a few times, this was neat to compare. * The Lion Mound - a memorial to one of the fallen nobles/military leaders. This is about 130 feet high with over 200 steps leading up. It was a workout, but has nice views at the top. * Hougoumount Farm - this place figured prominently in the battle, and is preserved as a separate site. It is about a mile from the museum and can be reached by a wide paved path. They have a regular shuttle cart (think of the type that cover huge parking lots in places like Disney World in the U.S.) that runs at ~ 25 minute intervals. We walked out to the site and took the tram back. The site has some exhibits and is worth the short side trip if you have time. They also have a café and table-service restaurant on-site. Go early (before 12:30 p.m.) for the best chance of service. There are few other walkable eateries

Of course, Waterloo. With a country so rich in history you can't ignore such historic places. There are several things you can do here, most of which have a fee tacked on-- from climbing up to the lion, to exploring the museum, to checking out the panorama. It's your grade 1 class field trip all over again. However, it does have a bit of tech involved. While I personally am more a fan of climbing up to see the view the museum was very interactive. Moving paintings, puzzles, and questions. Lots to mess with and see. At first I thought oh, this will be rather kiddie, but for an adult it was pretty entertaining too. It had a good equilibrium of those science museums for kids and what would usually be dry history. At the end there was a 3D movie. Probably not something I'd want to go on again, but for the first time it was neat. The most outdated thing there was probably the panorama. It looked like it's been around for awhile in terms of panorama x museum life. We could include the Lion.. but he was remarkable as ever. Very educational.

On the afternoon of 18 June, 1815, the allied armies under the Duke of Wellington ended the Napoleonic Wars, Empire, and Era with a massive and decisive defeat of the French Emperor's forces here. The battle was the last of its kind, a major set-piece engagement between professional cavalry, artillery, and infantry corps of similar size and experience and led by some of the most brilliant military minds in history. As turning points go, the event marked the end of French and Britsh rivalry on the Continent, and was the last time either would square off with the Prussians as allies. Within 50 years, the US Civil War would bring on the first massive waves of mechanization and trench warfare. After Waterloo, it would require a stretch of the imagination to find anything brilliant or heroic or romantic in the many ways we find to kill each other. Today, you can take the quick option and visit the Butte de Lion, or you can spend an afternoon tracing the routes of the battlefield. There are memorials and vistas all over the ridge that stretches 4km south from the Lion (the British lines) and then east across the N5 to Napoleon's farmhouse headquarters. The area is all working farmland now, but crisscrossed with paths where the Belgians come to stroll with their pets. We used to ride bikes around here as children. In winter, the winds can be daunting, but in summer, with all of the historic scars long healed, this is one of the many beautiful landscapes of Wallonian Belgium.

The museum is interesting. It is full of costumes of soldiers. In addition there is a huge 3D model of the battlefield. If you love history you will like this museum. If you only have a few days in Belgium, I would head to Brugge instead.

Well, what is a trip to Belgium without a visit to Waterloo. While it is a short trip out of Brussels, getting to the actual site can be somewhat difficult and having a car (or arranging a tour) is probably quite helpful. We ended up renting a car to come down here (which can be problematic when you are used to driving on the other side of the road to the Europeans). Anyway, the Bute, which is a huge hill with a lion on top, was the original memorial to the battle, however much more recently they have constructed a huge museum underground which is basically a multi-media extravaganza. Also, the audio tour is required to activate half of the exhibits (though I have never been a fan of audio tours after the incredibly boring one I picked up at Stonehenge). However, it is free so that is helpful. Mind you, to climb the Bute you do need to go to the museum, but the museum is pretty much worth it anyway.

This historic piece of land and the battle behind it all is incredible. So educational and I do recommend you to check out the museum. The movie and information center is worth the time. Not much to see as there is to learn but you will be left with an impression on the scenic view from the Lion Mound (Le Butte Du Lion). The 200 plus steps up the mound is challenging for someone who is not fit but worth the effort. Simply beautiful.

There is not a lot to see but if you watch the movies played in the visitor center (not free) it will make it a bit more impressive to see this battlefield... (When I went there, there was so much fog, I could not really see it... Loser...)

I thought they were doing a nice job here. For 7€ (the adult price) you can go up onto the lion mound. For 9€ you get the lion mound, the two movies (about 12 mins each or so) and entrance to the panorama. (This appeared to be the everyday price, no coupon needed). For the extra 2€, it's worth getting the package. The movies really do make it all come to life. I walked to the battlefield from the town of Waterloo. If you're in town, the Wellington museum is very interesting, too. From town it's a direct walk on the main street (The Chaussée de Bruxelles) until you get to the lion, about 4 kilometers. You'll see the mound once you get close and you just have to make a right at the traffic light that takes you to it. Since I walked, when you get close, the sidewalk disappears. I ended up walking up onto the edge of the farmland that now occupies the space. The open land there is vast and it was amazing to think about all that happened! (There's a bit of sidewalk on the other side of the road, headed back into town, but even that isn't consistent.) Going up the stairs to the lion is strenuous even though the mound didn't seem to be as big in person as I had imagined. (I guess I thought it was going to be visible from anywhere in Waterloo.) The view from the top was wonderful! After I was up there for a few minutes a pregnant woman showed up with her young family. She said she wanted to see if she could do it even if it meant taking some breathers. All in all, I think everyone should go to the top of the mound to complete the Waterloo experience!