Waterloo Battlefield

Waterloo Battlefield is the site near Waterloo in Walloon Brabant, Belgium, where the Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815. It is one of Europe’s most significant Napoleonic battlefields.

The site contains several preserved and interpreted locations that explain troop movements and key actions on the day - notably the Butte du Lion (Lion’s Mound), farmhouses such as Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte, and a visitor centre with exhibition material. The landscape is largely open farmland with marked trails and viewpoints that trace the positions of allied and French forces.

The battlefield was the scene of a single decisive engagement on 18 June 1815 between forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte and the coalition commanded by the Duke of Wellington and Prince Gebhard von Blücher. After the battle Napoleon’s rule effectively ended and he was subsequently exiled.

The field lies around the town of Waterloo in Wallonia, roughly south of Brussels. The terrain is gently rolling agricultural land with small villages and farmhouses still marking the main action points of the 1815 fighting.

• Best viewpoint: The best panoramic view of the battlefield is from the Lion's Mound, which was built in 1826 to mark the battle site.
• Anniversary: Commemorative events are held each year on 18 June to mark the date of the 1815 battle, drawing historians and reenactors.

What to See #

• Butte du Lion (Lion's Mound): An artificial hill with a lion statue erected in 1826 that marks the approximate centre of the battlefield and offers panoramic views across the site.
• Hougoumont: A fortified farmhouse that was a focal point in the fighting and retains surviving walls and displays explaining its role on 18 June 1815.
• La Haye Sainte: A farmhouse and defensive position that saw intense fighting during the battle and is preserved as an interpretive site within the battlefield.
• Visitor centre / Memorial 1815: A modern visitor centre and museum on the battlefield with exhibits, maps and interpretive material about the battle and its participants.