Side Trip to Waterloo

Side Trip to Waterloo

Waterloo, like Stalingrad and Hiroshima, changed the course of history. The defeat of the French here in June 1815 ended Napoléon's attempt to dominate Europe.

The British army's top officers were at a swanky Brussels ball on the night of June 16, 1815, when they were called to face Napoléon's men. After joining their rank-and-file troops in Waterloo, they garrisoned Hougoumont farm, which still exists today, and spent the night of June 17 being lashed by heavy rain. Their allies, the Prussians, were camped in nearby Wavre.

At midday on June 18, the French soldiers, led by their cancer-stricken emperor, started their offensive at the farm. Heavy fighting raged all day and the bad weather that had soaked the British troops actually came to their defence, hindering the heavy French artillery and lessening the impact of cannonballs. The allies held their positions and eventually the French army were being attacked from all sides. In the early evening, Napoléon and his men retreated, escaping back to France. Later, he surrendered to the British and was exiled to Saint Helena, where he died in 1821. The short, brutal clash, which made a hero of the British Duke of Wellington, took a gruesomely heavy toll on both sides, with 48,000 deaths.

What Victor Hugo once called the morne plain (dismal plain) is now a patch of open space in a prosperous suburb complete with large, whitewashed villas and smart boutiques. Home to two American schools for international children, Waterloo has a cosmopolitan feel. More than one-fifth of the population is foreign, including a large percentage of American, French, and Canadian expats.

The battle site itself is rather shabby, with souvenir shops, frites stands, and an abandoned go-cart track. But the regional government, inspired by the Gettysburg site in the United States, is pouring millions of euros into a plan to vastly improve the area by 2008. A bypass is being constructed to pedestrianize the area, buildings are being restored to their 19th-century state, and there will be a proper parking lot, along with an access route lined with a memorial wall featuring the names of the regiments that fought in the battle. An underground exhibition space will be filled with scale models, 3-D films attempting to re-create the battlefield experience, and audioguides in 10 languages.

What to See

Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, spent the night of June 17, 1815, at an inn in Waterloo, where he established his headquarters. When he slept here again the following night, Napoléon had been defeated. The inn is now the Musée Wellington. It presents the events of the 100 days leading up to the Battle of Waterloo, maps and models of the battle itself, and military and Wellington memorabilia in well laid-out displays. There's some information in English. Chaussée de Bruxelles 147. 02/354-7806. EUR 5. Apr.-Oct., daily 9:30-6:30; Nov.-Mar., daily 10:30-5:30

The actual Champ de Bataille (battlefield) is south of Waterloo (signposted "Butte de Lion"). Here Wellington's troops received the onslaught of Napoléon's army. A crucial role in the battle was played by some of the ancient, fortified farms, of which there are many in this area. The Hogoumont farm was fought over all day; 6,000 men, out of total casualties of 48,000, were killed here. Later in the day, fierce fighting raged around the farms of La Sainte Haye and Papelotte. In the afternoon, the French cavalry attacked, in the mistaken belief that the British line was giving way. Napoléon's final attempt was to send in the armored cavalry of the Imperial Guard, but at the same time the Prussian army under Blücher arrived to engage the French from the east, and it was all over. The battlefield, made up of rye fields, is best surveyed from the top of the Butte de Lion, a pyramid 226 steps high and crowned by a 28-ton lion, which was erected by the Dutch 10 years later.

The visitor center offers an audiovisual presentation of the battle, followed by a mood-setting film of the fighting seen through the eyes of children. You can buy souvenirs here, too -- from tin soldiers and T-shirts to soft toy lions and model cannons. There are also plenty of books, some highly specialized, about the battle and the men who led the fighting. The adjacent Panorama de la Bataille, first unveiled in 1912, contains a vast, circular painting of the charge of the French cavalry, executed with amazing perspective and realism. Rte. du Lion 252-254. 02/385-1912. www.waterloo1815.be. EUR 12, covering all Waterloo sights. Apr.-Sept., daily 9:30-6:30; Oct., daily 9:30-5:30; Nov.-Feb., daily 10:30-4; Mar., daily 10-5

From the prevalence of souvenirs and images of Napoléon, you might think that the battle was won by the French. In fact, there were Belgian soldiers fighting on both sides. Napoléon's headquarters during his last days as emperor were in what is now the small Musée du Caillou in Genappe, south of the battlefield. It contains the room where he spent the night before the battle, his personal effects, and objects found in the field. Chaussée de Bruxelles 66. 02/384-2424. EUR 1.50. Apr.-Sept., daily 10:30-6:30; Nov.-Mar., daily 1-5

Where to Stay & Eat

La Maison du Seigneur. In a peaceful, whitewashed farmhouse with a spacious terrace, Ghislaine de Becker and his son Pilou offer elegant, classical French cuisine. The seasonal menu could include sole with shrimp sauce. Chaussée de Tervuren 389. 02/354-0750. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Mon., Tues., Feb., and last 2 wks of Aug.

L'Amusoir. Popular with resident Americans, this is an unpretentious steak house in an old white-walled building in the center of town. It serves mouthwatering filet mignon, prepared with a variety of sauces, and hearty Belgian traditional dishes. Chaussée de Bruxelles 121. 02/353-0336. AE

Les 65 Colonnes. This large, light-filled brasserie turns out Belgian and French staples for great prices. Its speciality is seafood, but you can't go wrong with the steak frites either. Chaussée de Bruxelles 389. 02/351-5929. MC, V

Hotel Le Côté Vert. This relaxed hotel is in the center of Waterloo town, but surrounded by greenery. The spacious, spotless rooms are simply decorated in blue. A buffet breakfast is served on a pretty terrace. Rte. du Lion 367, B1410. 02/387-0060. 02/387-1292. 30 rooms. In-room: safe. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, minibar. AE, DC, MC, V

To & From Waterloo

To reach Waterloo, take bus W from Brussels (on place Rouppe); it runs at half-hour intervals, and the ride takes around 50 minutes. There is also frequent commuter train service from the Gare du Midi to Waterloo; the trip takes 15 minutes.