Waterloo
Drive back to 1815!
Are you a history buff? Are you Belgium lovers? Then there is an amazing place for the history buffs best known for its battlefield of Waterloo i.e ‘WATERLOO’. The place has its traces back from 1815. You can have an adventurous trip which will take you centuries back.
It’s a great place for history buffs, but for those not too keen on exploring the ins and outs of the historical fight, there are plenty of other things to see and do in and around Waterloo.
Raise your knowledge:
Waterloo is a town south of Brussels, in Belgium. It’s known as the site of the final defeat of Emperor Napoleon I, in 1815. This remarkable place has many treasures in its heart. Even today many places have been preserved during the time of the battlefield. History buffs will love visiting these sites in Waterloo.
Address to reach the memorial :Route du Lion 1815, 1420 Braine-l’Alleud
Scroll down to make your trip to Waterloo a worth visit:
Wellington Museum is a beautiful museum that explains well the events that happened before and during the Battle of Waterloo on the Wellington side. The Wellington Museum is not very large but has many objects and iconographic material related to the Battle of Waterloo. The museum was erected within the original headquarters where Wellington’s Duke Arthur Wellesley established his headquarters the day before the battle. There are interesting relics and a clear reconstruction, through wall panels, of the phases of the battle. The comments of the audioguide are sober and very clear. The collection of lithographs and engravings illustrating the various aspects of the Battle of Waterloo is rare. It’s amazing experience. To be in the rooms where Lord Wellington spent his time is so real. This place is highly recommended.
This place is perfect for nature lovers. The Sonian Forest or Sonian Woods is a 4,421-hectare forest in the northeast of Waterloo and stretches out all the way to the southeast edge of Brussels. Forest consists of tall oak trees and beaches, with several trees that are more than 200 years old. Inside the forest is the Bosmuseum Jan van Ruusbroec or Musée de la Forêt, which presents displays about the flora, fauna, history of the forest.
You will have a great nature walk and sight beautiful beaches here.
Memorial 1815 is an incredible place full of history , the calm you feel on these fields are almost a reminder of the huge battle between Napoleon and Wellington. You can discover every single detail of the 1815’s war in this underground, really modern, museum. In the entrance you can find a souvenir shop and then you start your experience in the museum.
The skeleton of the soldier of Waterloo is one of the highlights of the collection. There is also a 4D movie made for the second centenary of the Battle of Waterloo, in 2015, it’s so strange yet so fascinating! The museum showcases articles/history of the Waterloo war, life size images of infantry, cavalry, weapons etc. the soil once drenched in blood and corpses is now filled in green. Hope it remains the same for a very long time!
The Church of Saint Joseph of Waterloo is an 18th-century Belgian church in Waterloo dedicated to Saint Joseph. It’s a historical church with a beautiful altar.The church has been renovated recently. For people interested in history. The bulb may be impressive, the building especially gives a great impression that it falls into ruins. Everything is beautiful, be it stained glass, columns, sculptures and so on. There are several memorial plaques to officers who fell at the Battle of Waterloo inside the building. The church is in French baroque classicism style, while the former presbytery has a beautiful neo-classical façade.
Hougoumont Farm is an absolutely brilliant place. For any history enthusiast this is a must-see. Not only was it pivotal in the battle the museum helps you understand the battle and there is a fantastic audiovisual show in the main barn.
The printed guide which you get at the desk explains everything in good detail and the audio visual presentation is excellent. The staff are friendly and helpful. Definitely would return to this site when next in Belgium. The whole experience is an eye opener historic event, Waterloo battle. It left us rethinking many thinks about how humans kill others for power and control.
The Panorama is a big, round building to the north of the Lion’s Mound and holds a panoramic painting that depicts the battle of Waterloo. The action-packed circular art of the battle scenes. You view it from inside, an excellent audio guide and 3D film to help you understand across a foreground littered with fallen helmets, broken-down fences, dead horses, and the odd corpse. There’s a rumbling soundtrack of battle cries, bagpipes, cannon fire, and thundering hooves. Within the newly renovated Visitor Center, organizers have combined the use of technology to explain events leading up to the battle.
