The battle represented the grand finale for French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte who had reshaped Europe through a series of audacious military campaigns. After abdicating in 1814, he was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba, and returned in March 1815 to reclaim his throne in what was known as the Hundred Days.
Fought in the current communes of Waterloo, Lasne, Braine-l'Alleud, and Genappe, it was where Napoleon's French army of 93,000 soldiers was defeated on the battlefield by the 125,000 troops of the Seventh Coalition, which was made up of armies allied with the United Kingdom.
Tens of thousands of men were killed by cannon fire, bullets, bayonets, and swords in violent skirmishes in the Belgian countryside. The loss of the battle ended Napoleon's Hundred Days of restored power in France, resulting in his abdication and bringing in a new era of European peace after decades of war.
Historical Weekend
To commemorate the occasion, the Waterloo Battlefield Estate 1815 and Napoleon’s Last Headquarters are organising the annual Historical Weekend on the site of the Battle Of Waterloo this Saturday and Sunday.
Over the weekend, thousands of re-enactors will wear period uniforms on the battlefield which will take place on Saturday evening and Sunday morning at Hougoumont Farm. Fierce combat between French and allied troops will unfold there.
This event is loved by children and adults every year and again will be full of animations and numerous activities at the Waterloo Battlefield Estate 1815 site, as well as at Napoleon’s Last Headquarters.
Schedule
Bivouac opening
June 22nd: 10:00am - 5:30pm
June 23rd: 12:30pm - 5:00pm
Re-enactment show
June 22nd: 6:00pm
June 23rd: 10:30am
Buy your entry ticket for the Historical Weekend here.
In the footsteps of Napoleon
You can also relive history on a 2 day trip in the footsteps of Napoleon around the Waterloo area.
Day 1
We recommend a visit to the Waterloo 1815 Memorial - which an unmissable site in Walloon Brabant to remember the battle of 18 June 1815. Plan half a day to visit the whole site.
The 1815 Memorial site features 4 unique points of interest on the battlefield including the Memorial Museum, buried at the foot of the Lion’s Mound, which tracks the history of the battle before, during and after the clashes. With your smartphone, immerse yourself in history. Life-size soldiers will lead you into combat.
After that, if you fancy a little exercise, climb the 226 steps to admire the unique view over the battlefield from the famous Lion’s Mound.
Then take a horse-drawn carriage to the final attraction at the battlefield site, Hougoumont Farm. Here you can talk to the grenadiers, learn how to handle the cannon, and watch the corporal giving orders to the soldiers. You will be completely immersed in the lives of soldiers of the time.
Day 2
After experiencing the Battle of Waterloo alongside Napoleon, if you want to see it from another perspective, we recommend following the fate of the Allies.
Head to the Wellington Museum in the centre of Waterloo. The Duke of Wellington made this old coaching inn his headquarters. Relive the day of the victory alongside him and plan around 2 hours for your visit.
From here, visit the English Hospital at Mont-Saint-Jean Farm. On 15 June 1815, the Duke of Wellington used the hospital as his field hospital where nearly 6,000 soldiers were treated during and after the Battle of Waterloo. When visiting the permanent exhibition ‘Le revers de la médaille’, you will see the work of surgeons in battle and the surgical instruments used.
Mont-Saint-Jean Farm contains many treasures such as a microbrewery, where you you can try delicious beers, including the Waterloo beer and a microdistillery, where they make Waterloo gin and whisky.
You may want to plan 1.5 hours to visit the museum and half a day to visit all attractions on site (including eating).
