Everyone with the slightest hint of European history knows of Napoleon Bonaparte! And, you've also heard of Napoleonic wars, the last one of which he lost! Did you know, that very site is actually in today's Belgium?! I've been wanting to visit this place since ages. Its located very very close to Brussels, but I didn't go! Reason - the public transport to reach here is a poor. I'll tell more about it at the end of the post. Anyways, the prime site - Waterloo is well connected by public transport from Brussels and we reached there. In a whole there are 7 sites - 5 together at Waterloo, 1 in Wellington and 1 in Maison du-Roi.
Close to this site is Mont-Saint-Jean Farm. Its again a 15 mins walk from Lion's Mound but in the opposite direction. This farm served as the make-shift field hospital. Today its a museum which explains how, not just primary care, but even surgeries were performed here. So that's the 5 sites that are together. The 2 other sites are not at a walkable distance. One in Wellington and another in Maison du-Roi which are both 30 minutes by bus on either directions of Lion's Mound.
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Wellington is where the Wellingon Museum is and in Maison du-Roi is the Last Headquarters of Napoleon. Wellington Museum is dedicated to the Battle day and the Last Headquarters is primarily an exhibition of the French army, incl. even the Emperor's cot! While the buses to Wellington is every hour, the problem with Maison du-Roi is that the buses are only once in 2-3 hrs. After considering a bit, we skipped both these places.
Here's a tip: Make sure to take the audio guide 1 per person even if you are not interested in each and every exhibit's explanation. You will need it for the 3D movie whose dialogues are in the audioguide in your language. This is applicable to both Memorial 1815 and Hougomont.
Here's 1 more tip: Carry a few euros in coins if you want to use the telescopes perched atop on the Lion's mound.
Here's 1 more tip: The Lion's Mound does NOT have an elevator. So its not wheelchair friendly. If you're traveling with a kid, do carry a babycarrier.
Here's 1 more tip: The Lion's Mound does NOT have an elevator. So its not wheelchair friendly. If you're traveling with a kid, do carry a babycarrier.
To Get There:
From Brussels to Lion's Mound: 30km.
Car or private vehicle is definitely the best mode of transport.
Intercity Trains from Brussels Central take you to Braine-l'Alleud / Eigenbrakel and from there, a bus can be taken. However that bus is not really frequent. So we chose to walk that 2.3km.
Wellington can be reached by train as well, and its the previous stop to Braine-l'Alleud / Eigenbrakel when coming from Brussels. Buses are available every half an hour from Lion's Mound to Wellington.
From Brussels to Lion's Mound: 30km.
Car or private vehicle is definitely the best mode of transport.
Intercity Trains from Brussels Central take you to Braine-l'Alleud / Eigenbrakel and from there, a bus can be taken. However that bus is not really frequent. So we chose to walk that 2.3km.
Wellington can be reached by train as well, and its the previous stop to Braine-l'Alleud / Eigenbrakel when coming from Brussels. Buses are available every half an hour from Lion's Mound to Wellington.
The bigger problem is to reach Maison du-Roi, the buses are once every 2-3 hrs which is not very comfortable to rely on! While the bus is once every hour in weekdays, it becomes once every 2-3 hr in weekends!
There is a shuttle bus that goes from Lion's Mound to Hougomont which operates every half hour. Instead it would be great if they connect all places by shuttle, even if they reduce the frequency by once every hour and even if its made a paid service with a small extra cost of say, 5 euros.
On Google Maps: Lion's Mound, Memorial 1815, Panorama, Hougomont Farm, Mont Saint Jean Farm, Wellington Museum, Last Headquarters of Napoleon
P.S: I was invited to Waterloo Tourism to experience the monument for review purposes, however the opinions are my own and this post does not to advertise the product/service.
On Google Maps: Lion's Mound, Memorial 1815, Panorama, Hougomont Farm, Mont Saint Jean Farm, Wellington Museum, Last Headquarters of Napoleon
Entry Tickets & Timings:
€20 - Pass 1815 is a combined ticket for all 7 places
Wellington Museum and Napoleon's Last HQ: 9:30AM - 06:00PM & 10:00AM - 05:00PM in summer & winter respectively.
Memorial 1815: 9:30AM - 6:00PM & 9:30AM -05:30PM in summer & winter respectively.
€20 - Pass 1815 is a combined ticket for all 7 places
Wellington Museum and Napoleon's Last HQ: 9:30AM - 06:00PM & 10:00AM - 05:00PM in summer & winter respectively.
Memorial 1815: 9:30AM - 6:00PM & 9:30AM -05:30PM in summer & winter respectively.
P.S: I was invited to Waterloo Tourism to experience the monument for review purposes, however the opinions are my own and this post does not to advertise the product/service.