ブレン・ラルーのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

The museum is worth a visit, followed by a pleasant walk around the former battlefield. Far too many people died here.

The museum is worth a visit, followed by a pleasant walk around the former battlefield. Far too many people died here.

The panorama offers a good overview of the battle; it's very impressive. But the desire for peace today is largely lost in the shuffle.

The museum is worth a visit, followed by a pleasant walk around the former battlefield. Far too many people died here.

Le Bivouac is also the name of a brasserie (café-restaurant) located at the parking lot and near the bivouac on the grounds. And it's also at that building that the highlight is located. The bivouac itself, as others have described, is located a bit further away, behind the fence on the grounds with the hill and lion. Anyone looking for the brasserie can also find some photos and is advised to visit https://www.restaurantswaterloo1815.be/. P.S.: Nice terrace, and don't forget to say hello to Wellington before you go in.

Anyone familiar with the region, or driving to the Lion from, say, Lasne, can't help but be impressed by the beautiful rolling hills that, without the dense development, would undoubtedly surpass the beauty of the nearby grape-growing region. Wellington not only chose well, he was also lucky: the day before, it had rained heavily. And so the soldiers had to do more than just climb with all their packs. They also had to wade through the Brabant mud and were therefore exhausted before they even began. But the French attacked around this spot around 7:30 p.m. By 8:00 p.m., they were already withdrawing, and the Duke of Wellington was able to advance his troops stationed there and defeat the French. Soon after, Napoleon was on Saint Helena.

Since I was mainly there for a walk, I quickly passed by the panorama. This panorama is both the name of the building (it's printed on it in large letters) and of a special work by Louis Dumoulin, an artist born in Paris in 1860 who frequently traveled to Asia and was an Orientalist painter who undertook several official missions, including one to Japan. He later co-founded the Colonial Association of French Artists, which he chaired until 1924, the year of his death. His panorama of the Battle of Waterloo is, as Willem says, 110 meters long and 12 meters high. The canvas depicts many well-known scenes from the battle. You see the Hougoumont farm burning (which you can also walk to) and, of course, you can also see the main characters. If you have time, definitely take a look from above from the special viewing point in the rotunda-shaped building with its special effects. More information at https://www.waterloo1815.be/nl/desite/#lepanorama

I quickly browsed the museum because to climb the hill, you can buy a ticket (currently) for 24 euros, which includes the museum and the famous panorama in a separate building. But the museum is definitely worth a visit, especially for those who want to know how we actually evolved from the Enlightenment to the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon, the victory of the monarchs who defeated him, and certainly also the two world wars. It should be noted, however, that many of the rights that citizens acquired back then, and which many today consider self-evident, are under increasing pressure now more than ever, with some world leaders who like to see themselves as kings or emperors. The photos make it look like there are many paintings, but several of them are animated, which creates a very special effect. There's something for everyone, regardless of age and the themes that fascinate you most, from the political context and battles to the weapons used, the victims, and much more. All information at https://www.waterloo1815.be/nl/desite/#museedumemorial