Waterloo Battlefield, Heritage battlefield site in Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
Waterloo Battlefield is a protected area of open farmland and woods where the battle of 18 June 1815 was fought. Five farm buildings from 1815 still stand on the site: Mont-Saint-Jean, La Haie Sainte, Belle-Alliance, Papelotte and Hougoumont. The Butte du Lion, a mound topped by a lion, was built between 1824 and 1826 on the spot where the Prince of Orange was wounded.
In June 1815, soldiers from seven nations clashed here in a decisive battle that ended Napoleon's military career and cost approximately 44,000 lives. This event reshaped the political map of Europe and made the location a symbol of an era's end.
The circular panorama building beside the Lion's Mound holds a painting 110 metres around and 12 metres high, made in 1912 by French military painter Louis-Jules Dumoulin with other artists. A 360-degree sound system recreates the battle noise, and between the viewers and the canvas stand cannons and models of soldiers and horses. The site is split between four communes, and Waterloo alone draws the main tourist income.
The site is accessible year-round through a visitor center where guided tours depart and cover the main locations of the conflict. Trails cross open farmland leading to preserved buildings, so visitors should wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for changing weather conditions.
The Butte du Lion, a mound topped by a lion, was raised between 1824 and 1826 on the spot where the Prince of Orange was slightly wounded. It stands on the territory of Braine-l'Alleud, and the boundary with Waterloo runs along the path leading up to it, so the monument and the town that gave the battle its name are not in the same municipality.
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