Waterloo, Important Historical Site and Tourist Center
The memory of the famous Battle of Waterloo fought between Napoleon Bonaparte’s army and the Anglo-Dutch forces in 1815, is well preserved through a number of attractive monuments and museums near the site of the battle. Waterloo, conveniently located a short distance from Brussels, has developed into a popular tourist center.
Waterloo, important Historical Site and Tourist Center
Rafi Samad
Author, Freelance Journalist and News Analyst
Lion Hill, Waterloo
Waterloo, a small town, a population of less than 30,000, is located about 18 kilometers south of Brussels. Its claim to fame is the famous battlefield located 4 kilometers south of the town. Here, Napoleon Bonaparte, attempting a comeback after the debacle of his troops in Russia in 1812, suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the allied forces, which finally brought an end to his eventful career.
The memory of the famous victory on the 18th of June 1815 of the Anglo-Dutch army under the Duke of Wellington together supported by the Prussian army, over the French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte, is well preserved in several monuments erected in and around the town of Waterloo. The important monuments include a circular building which provides a panoramic display of the Battle of Waterloo, a Bronze Sculpture of a lion atop the 40 meters high Lion’s Mound, the Wax and the Duke of Wellington Museums at the town center, and the Caillion Museum, 4 kilometers south of Waterloo at the site of Napoleons last Headquarters.
The Panorama of the famous battle is enacted every day for the tourists in a circular building near the Visitors Center at Waterloo through a huge fresco depicting lifelike scenes of engagement between the two adversaries. In the battle fought at the village of Mont Saint Jean, near Waterloo, almost 60,000 strong French artillery and cavalry contingents fought tense long drawn out battles with equally strong and well-armed Anglo-Dutch forces. The reverberating sound effects of gun bombardment and cannon fire, together with the frantic neighing of the horses and the crashing of the horse wagons, provide tremendous support to the visual presentation
Lion Monument, Waterloo
Behind the visitor’s center, lies another landmark of Waterloo, the Lion Monument. From the platform at the ground level it is a tough climb of 226 steps over the hill before one reaches the base of the monument. The Lion Hill, also known as the Butte du Leon, is 40 meters high. On top of the platform is a massive brass sculpture of a lion with its right paw on the globe, looking towards the south in the direction from where the French army came. The 4-meter high sculpture weighs more than 28 tons. It was commissioned in 1826 to honor William II of the Netherlands, who fell from his horse and died when a musket ball hurled by the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte struck him.
Over the years Waterloo has become a highly popular tourist site. It has also developed into an important cultural center. Chic boutiques, modern cafes and a large number of souvenir shops have sprung up, providing color and entertainment.
Liked it
