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Let’s travel back in time to the intriguing world of Waterloo and its Lion’s Mound in Belgium. This is a captivating landmark that holds the history of being the place of the second bloodiest single day battle of the Napoleonic Wars.
This guide will take you on a journey through time, unraveling the fascinating past of this iconic monument. And at the end of this guide, I will tell you another way to travel back in time in a very fun way! So, stay tuned and have fun reading.
For your information, all these pictures were taken in November 2023.
Napoleon Bonaparte, born in 1769, is known for being the French emperor during the French Revolution and leading successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. He is considered to be one of the best military commanders in history and Napoleon is apparently responsible for the Napoleonic Wars where around three and six million people died.
Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba after a disastrous winter battle in Russia where only 110.000 soldiers remained of the 500.000 and he was forced to abdicate in April 1814. Napoleon escaped in February 1815 and took the control of France back. That’s when the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 happened, after the Allies formed a Seventh Coalition. After his defeat by an allied army led by the British and the Prussians, the British exiled him to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.
The Lion’s Mound (or ‘Leeuw van Waterloo’ in Dutch) is a large conical artificial hill in Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium. It was constructed in 1820, on behalf of King William I of the Netherlands on the supposed location where his eldest son, the Prince of Orange, was injured and was completed in 1826 to commemorate the location of the battlefield of Waterloo, just 5 years before.
The artificial hill was made with earth from many parts of the battlefield and it’s 43 metres in height. After climbing 226 steps to the top, the hill offers a view over the battlefield and you will be greeted with a statue of a lion standing upon a pedestal. The lion symbolises courage and is also represented on the crests of the Royal Arms of England.
The roads in Belgium are pretty good and well marked, so the easiest way to reach Waterloo’s Lion’s Mound is by car. Also, Belgium has a lot of highways.
When I visited this place in the colder months, the parking was pretty full. But that makes sense as it’s quite a famous landmark here in Belgium.
Traveling with public transportation can be easily done from the capital Brussels, but know that it will take quite some time. The best is to look it up online before going to the landmark. Find more information about the bus here.
The Lion’s Mound lies in the heart of Belgium and is quite easy to reach from different places around the country. The drive took me one hour to get there and I assume that this would be mostly the case for the biggest part of Belgium. There is a huge car park at the front of the Lion’s Mound.
As I’m born in Belgium, I have lived my entire life here and can say without no doubt that spring and summer would be the better times to visit my home country. The weather is more pleasant and the days are much longer. But I visited the Lion’s Mound in autumn and it still was quite a pleasant experience. But know that the Belgium weather can be very unpredictable. It really all just depends on what you prefer.
The domain of Waterloo 1815 is 20 ha big and has 7 different museums to visit, which I will discuss beneath. It’s open every day for the whole year 10 AM till 6.30 PM and from 9.30 AM till 7.30 PM in the summer months. The price for entrance is €23 for an adult in high season. Check out the website for more information.
The Lion’s Mound offers some good views around the area and it’s such a fun way to explore or see the hill from different angles. This is totally free to do. Just know that it’s not possible to walk around the hill as it’s enclosed by highway.
Relive the Battle of Waterloo through the Memorial Museum, which offers an immersive course! The museum has different sections that stimulates a sensory experience in a narrative scenography. Here you can find out more about the famous battle through uniforms, historical object, interactive maps, a wide 3D movie and many many more!
The highlight of this visit is definitely to get to the top of the Lion’s Mound. At the very top of the hill, there is a colossal lion that symbolizes the victory of the monarchies. After climbing all the 226 steps, there awaits a view over the entire battlefield.
The Panorama is a large round building that was designed by Louis Dumoulin in 1912. He was a famous painter who painted the panorama ‘Tour du Monde’. With this painting, you will transfer back into the heat of the battle. And it has impressive dimension: 110 meters in circumference and 12 meters in height.
Around the Hougoumont Farm, there were fierce and deadly fights. It’s located in a forward position that helped protecting the Allies’ right flank. This is the place where Napoleon’s brother went into the attack first. This farm was only supposed to be a diversionary manoeuvre, but ended up being the most violent point of the battle as there were French assaults throughout the day.
This historic farmhouse, the last authentic witness to the battle on 18 June 1815, accommodates a multimedia installation that tells the story of the “battle within the battle”.
If you want to learn more about Napoleon and his battles in a more relaxing and fun way, you are in luck as the long-awaited film Napoleon by Ridley Scott, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby is in the movie theaters! This movie is not only for historians but also entertains young and old.
Napoleon is a spectacle-filled movie that details the checkered rise and fall of the French Emperor and showcases his relentless life alongside his relationship with his one true love, Josephine. It highlights his visionary military and political tactics for some of the most dynamic battle sequences.
So, what are you waiting for? Go watch this movie to learn more about important history of our beautiful small country!
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Hello, I’m Ellen and welcome to this blog! I’m in love with exploring the world and hopefully I get to inspire you with these blog posts and pictures to feel the same. You will find detailed itineraries, hidden gems, tips and so much more!
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