Waterloo

For other places with the same name, see Waterloo (disambiguation).

Waterloo is a historic town in the Walloon province of Walloon Brabant in Belgium (close to Brussels). The town is known mainly for the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 where Napoleon Bonaparte went down to his final defeat, leading to his second exile on Saint Helena. However, it has also become one of Belgium's most economically affluent and dynamic towns, thanks to its proximity to Brussels and the presence of international firms.

Get in

By bus

The most convenient way to get to Waterloo from Brussels is the hourly bus to Charleroi operated by TEC. It starts at Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid station and, after about half an hour, has a stop that is just 300 meters away from the Lion's Mound.

By train

The 1 Braine-l'Alleud Train Station is the closest one to get to the Lion's Mound and NOT the 2 Waterloo Train Station, which is located much more north. Hourly trains run from Brussels and (on weekdays) Antwerp to Nivelles, stopping at Waterloo and Braine-l'Alleud. From the Waterloo station it is a 5-kilometer walk to the site, from the Braine-l'Alleud station 2.5 kilometers.

By car

The site of the Waterloo battlefield can be easily reached by car from the R0 motorway. You need to get off at exit 25. From there the site is very near. Next to the Lion's Mound site is a free parking lot.

Get around

City buses are infrequent especially on weekends/holidays. The town center is small and easily walkable.

See

• 1 Waterloo Battlefield, Lion's Mound, Route du Lion, 1815 B-1420 (R0 exit 25 and/or Chaussée de Nivelles), ☏ +32 2 385 19 12, info@waterloo1815.be. Apr-Jun 930-1830, Jul-Aug 930-1930, Sept-Oct 930-1830, Nov-Mar 930-1730. Discover the Waterloo Battlefield where Napoleon lost his final battle. See the battlefield exactly like it was June the 18th of 1815 when Wellington faced Napoleon for an ultimate battle that changed Europe's face forever. The Lion's Mound is an artificial hill of 43 metres high with a statue of a lion on top, roaring southwards in the direction of Paris. It can be climbed by stairs and offers a splendid view over the whole battlefield. There is a museum next to it, underground, about the battle. Admission is for the museum, access to the mound and the panorama. If you are coming from Germany and exit the highway at Waterloo exit, do not expect to find large road signs or anybody in Waterloo to indicate where the battlefield is. €16/adult, €15/concession, €8/youth, children free, +€2 for activities. (updated Jul 2020)
• 2 Church of Saint Joseph, Rue de la Station. The main church of Waterloo dating back to the 18th century. There are several memorial plaques to officers falling at the Battle of Waterloo inside the building.  

Do

• Cinema Wellington, Chaussée de Bruxelles 165, ☏ +32 2 3549359, +32 2 3549359. It's in downtown Waterloo with French, Flemish and English spoken films as well as French and Flemish subtitles. Screencasts most mainstream American films as well as French movies. The Wellington Passage. 

Sleep

• 1 ibis Brussels Waterloo, Boulevard Henri Rolin 5, ☏ +32 2 351 00 30. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. (updated Jan 2018)