Domaine de la Bataille de Waterloo 1815

Domaine de la Bataille de Waterloo 1815

Domaine de la Bataille de Waterloo 1815
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Buried at the foot of the Lion's Mound, the Memorial of the battle of Waterloo 1815 enables you to to experience one of the most turbulent times in our History... as if you were there. Dive into the heart of the battle, in a multi-sensory experience, full of special effects, the only one of its kind in Europe! 1815 m² of immersive journeying in a narrative set design which focuses on the experience of the battle! The Panorama is an impressive fresco with a circumference of 110 m and a height of 12 m, made in 1912. The painting puts you at the heart of the battle thanks to an impressive sound system. The Lion's Mound offers a unique view of the battlefield after a memorable ascent of 226 steps! As last authentic witness of the battle, the Barn of Hougoumont features a brand-new scenography made of 4 exhibition rooms as well as an impressive multimedia show.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • scrappy121
    Georgia714 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Superb...But Avoid the Climb if You have a Tricky Ticker!
    Longtime desire to stand in a place that literally changed World History realized on a cool and rainy day. The Museum and Panorama offer world-class insights into THE battle of battles. The Lion Mound with its 225 (by my count) steps was literally breath taking. Strongly advise anyone not in good condition and/or with a shaky heartbeat to abandon the thought of an ascent. There should be at minimum a defibrillator pack at base or summit. Suggestion box, here I come.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 10, 2023
  • Chipper2004
    Edmonton, Canada28 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth the visit!
    We went to the Memorial on June 17, 2023. We took a train from Amsterdam to see "it all" in what ended up being only 5 hours. MISTAKE! If you're interested in the whole encompassing history of the battle...you need way more time than that. We hurried through the battlefield and the museum and still missed going to the Wellington Museum in town, Hougoumont farm, Napoleon's last headquarters...etc. Highly recommend going to visit though. Only gave 4 stars because we were running short on time and were worried about missing our train back to Brussels. I asked the staff in the Museum gift shop and at the restaurant where we had lunch if someone could call us a taxi and nobody was willing to assist us. We had changed our phone Sim cards to European cards but had all sorts of troubles so our phones were not of any use to us.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 7, 2023
  • Emily R
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful museum
    I went to the museum, panorama, and climbed the steps to the Lion's Mound. The museum is now one of my favorites, very interesting and well done. The audioguide is on your phone and easy to access with the wifi. The steps to the Lion's Mound are steep and it was a workout, but worth it for the view. I followed Rick Steves's directions to get here from Brussels - train to Braine L'Alleud and then the W bus. It was pretty easy but you need cash for the bus. There is a restaurant on site - food and service were mediocre but it's nice that there's somewhere right there to get something to eat.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written October 19, 2023
  • Pat M
    Parrish, Florida275 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Incredible Museum in Belgium
    Family visit to an amazing historical location. Parking is included and there is a restaurant in the location called Brassiere Wellington. Adult entrance is $23 euros children $11.50 euros. This include the museum which is pretty modern and spectacular (movies and children technology educational tools); panorama 1912; Lion’s mound; Hougmont farm. There is a shuttle to take you to the farm (the driver doesn’t seem to be happy whit his job and didn’t pick us up after 5 pm). The guide tour at the farm was very kind and great. We strongly recommend this place.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 31, 2023
  • Walter T
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania168 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Battlefield of Napoleon's defeat
    The battlefield is not in Waterloo, but in Braine-l'Alleud. Of course that confusing fact meant we went to Waterloo only to turn around and go back 10 minutes to the battlefield site. The Memorial to the battle of Waterloo is a well designed museum as well as access to the Lions Mound which commemorates the battle that defeated Napoleon. It has a display of a series of events that led to the battle, a panorama depicting the battle, and the Lion's Mound which is very steep and should not be tried to climb unless you are moderately fit. It remains a moving tribute to a battle that changed the face of Europe.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 28, 2023
  • Davenium
    Vancouver, Canada168 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive historical journey with great views
    Great museum with lots of in-depth information and great visuals including replica uniforms, diorama of the battle and plenty of background. The museum had free wifi which allowed you to listen to audioguides of various displays, so I would recommend bringing headphones if you want to listen along. Ticket included admission to the museum, the impressive panoramic art piece, and the ability to walk up the hill (quite intensive climb, lots of steps) so you could get a glorious view of the various farms that now occupy the area where the battle was fought. We took a train and a bus to get there, the bus was a little difficult to figure out, but once we were on the right one it took us very close to the museum (5 minute walk).
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 30, 2024
  • Luc W
    Juarez, Mexico69 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Revisiting some pre-Belgium history
    This was my second visit to the this memorial site after an absence of a few decades. It was however still as impressive as I remembered it to be. I visited with my daughter and my wife, who were both equally impressed. We visited the extensive museum first, which houses a pleiade of memorabilia, models, uniforms, and what not. Afterwards we had a look at the impressive panorama, which is 110 metres long and 12 metres high. I still remembered being awestruck by that many years before. Next we went on to visit the interactive encampment next to the mount, where people in uniforms of the time explained about the guns and the battle. You could even get dressed up and take part in "drill exercise". After this fun and informative intermezzo we prepared to undertake the climb to the top of the mound. 226 steps will take you the an majestic sight across the surrounding former battlefield, now fields and crops. We even spotted a kestrel on the hunt, which appealed to the amateur nature photographer in me. Last, but not least, after having recuperated somewhat from the climb, we descended again and walked around the mound for some photographs of it and its massive lion from different angles.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written March 6, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,684 reviews
Excellent
964
Very good
521
Average
128
Poor
38
Terrible
33

Orla
Limerick, Ireland13 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Very poorly curated museum, moves back and forth in the years before the battle. No sequencing of the exhibits or recommended route through the museum. The audio guide kept skipping back to the welcome even when you punched in the exhibit number, as advised. The numbers move from 20s to 50s and back to 30s, very confusing.

Too much focus on the uniforms, while interesting, lacking a human focus, personal testimonies etc

Architecturally impressive and modern but the content of museum very poor. Compared to the Battle of the Bulge museums, this one was a let down.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear visitor, we're sorry your audioguide did'nt work well as planned. It's too bad you did'nt ask for a new one right at the beginning and not keep the same one for the whole visit.
Written February 3, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Janka K
Brno, Czech Republic6,340 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
I wanted to see great battlefield where Napoleon finally surrender. I did. If you want to go inside of museum the prices are quite expensive, in my opinion, and a lot of things come in packages only. So for example it was not possible to climb the lion's hill without buying a ticket to museum itself. In the end I skipped this and just took some pictures outside. I didn't have time to go to the museum and I didn't want to spend that much money just to go to that hill.
Written September 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Jana, I understand you did not have enought time for the whole visit that lasts at least 2 to 3 hours. see you soon !
Written September 21, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SnowyShasta
Portland, OR2,151 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
We spent about three hours at the site, and felt like that was an adequate time although we could have stayed longer. We bought the combo ticket and ended up visiting the Lion's Mound first since there was an upcoming demonstration of the historical cannons happening right then. We did things in reverse order (Lion's Mound, then Panorama, then Memorial Museum) and I'd probably ideally recommend the opposite, but we still had a great time. The cannon firing was interesting, and the hike up the stairs to the top of the Lion's Mound was worth it for the closeup view of the Lion and the views out over the Belgian countryside. The panorama is also worth a visit. We spent our last couple hours inside the museum and still didn't listen to all of the audio included with our guide, but we enjoyed the visit and got to see everything we wanted to. The 3D movie towards the end was also interesting, worth our time, and gave a good overview of the battle. We ran out of time and energy, so didn't make it to the Hougoumont Farm, maybe next time. Definitely recommend a visit here if you're in the area!
Written June 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much, we're looking foreward you come back for the Hougoumont farm !
Written July 3, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

I_over_P
Munich, Germany134 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
We didnt know what to expect and were surprised at how much there is to see and visit with the red pass that we purchased at the museum. The museum at the memorial is extensive and includes a good panorama film presentation. the view from the lion mount is great. We also enjoyed the canon demonstration. You can then walk to the farm house or take the horse carriage. We only noticed later that you can also drive there and park at the farm. This would have saved us 30min of walking back and forth. Definitely watch the presentation at the farm house barn. It goes for 20min and is a really well-done multimedia show. After the memorial we also went to the Wellington museum which is also included in the pass. This can be given a miss as it is by far not as well-done as the other sights. Don’t go to the Waterloo Beer Restaurant. They were really rude there. Our son went in before us and was completely ignored by the waiters. Only when we joined him, we got served.
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for visiting the whole site of Waterloo! Thanks for appriciating our Mémorial as well. have a nice stay in Belgium!
Written August 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lozza1uk
Altrincham, UK611 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
I honestly think this is the best museum experience I’ve visited, and I’ve been dragged round a fair few historical sites by my husband (and by my parents as a child!)

The museum part is brilliant, great interactive exhibits which really bring the battle of Waterloo to life. My 10 year old was fascinated. The 4D film is excellent. During the summer holiday they do outdoor activities - as we arrived early we basically had the lovely English guy to ourselves and he explained the life of a solider clearly before firing the gun, and later the cannon. Again great for kids and adults! We spent the entire day on site and still didn’t manage to get to Napoleon’s base or where the Prussians were - it was a very hot day for a 10k walk, although we could have driven it. Ticket also included the visit to Wellington’s base in Waterloo town which was a drive away.

The only thing that would improve this visit is if they developed an augmented reality app that worked outside on the fields (we visited bois st jacques a few days later and their app was great) to really help picture who stood where.

I’d recommend this to Waterloo battle fans, ambivalent partners (me) and to children!
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

emanuele g
The Hague, The Netherlands112 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Very well devised museum; I really wanted to bring my kids in Waterloo to see a really iconic battlefield and let them know a bit of history. I did not really wanted to go inside the museum, but it's not that you have that many choices. Anyway, you get your gizmo to listen to the audio guide at your own leisure and pace (I totally hate guided tours), plus the kids could play some interactive games in some panel. You can spend quite a long time in the museum part, also enjoying a 4D movie, which we skipped. After the museum, you can go to the Mausoleum and to the Lions Mound. The latter is quite impressive and you can see the size of the battle field (the staircase to go to the top is rather steep, so better be in shape). I definitively merits a visit
Written May 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your visit and the time you took write your comment !
Written July 3, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Richard P
Tucson83 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
My expectations were pretty low, so I was quite surprised at how good the experience was. The memorial is comprised of a very good museum located underground, a large cylindrical building housing a terrific diorama, and a man-made hill that provides a great perspective of the battlefield. An interpretive audio program is available through their website (accessible through their on-site Wi-Fi). However, you have to bring your own device and your own headphones or earbuds (or simply hold your device up to your ear). It generally worked well, except for the movie where it didn't work at all, but I can see the system being a challenge for a family with children who don't have their own devices. It's a mighty steep staircase up the side of the hill, but the view is worth the effort. I definitely recommend a visit.
Written November 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chipper2004
Edmonton, Canada28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Family
We went to the Memorial on June 17, 2023. We took a train from Amsterdam to see "it all" in what ended up being only 5 hours. MISTAKE! If you're interested in the whole encompassing history of the battle...you need way more time than that. We hurried through the battlefield and the museum and still missed going to the Wellington Museum in town, Hougoumont farm, Napoleon's last headquarters...etc. Highly recommend going to visit though. Only gave 4 stars because we were running short on time and were worried about missing our train back to Brussels. I asked the staff in the Museum gift shop and at the restaurant where we had lunch if someone could call us a taxi and nobody was willing to assist us. We had changed our phone Sim cards to European cards but had all sorts of troubles so our phones were not of any use to us.
Written July 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jami C
San Antonio, TX4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
We almost missed this memorial and it became the highlight of our trip! I don't know why there isn't more buzz around this place, it's fantastic.

First, the museum. It was redone for the 2015 bicentennial and I am not exaggerating when I say that it is the best designed exhibit I have ever experienced. And I once worked in the museum industry! It's fabulous. The audio guide is so good (it's phone based though, charge your phone before visiting!) and the secondary focus of the Belgian experience of Waterloo was a fabulous touch.

Outside the museum is the centennial memorial of 1915, which is an interesting look into turn of the century thought and practice. The panorama, a handpainted 360-degree mural of the battle is stunning. The views from the top of the memorial are breathtaking (though they do need to fix up the map up there, it would have been nice to get the full battle view).

The park also has walking trails around the fields and exhibits in other buildings. We would have loved to spend all day exploring, but we arrived around 3PM thinking we would just take a few hours, not knowing how fantastic this site would be.

Absolutely recommend. Please go.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

binflynn1
Irvinestown, UK667 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Friends
I’ve been wanting to see this for a long time , we got here early on the hottest day of the year it is so informative with plenty to look at and the sound of the battle is fantastic toilets are all over , and to be fare there is a bit of walking .out you have the mound like pyramid with some class views of the battle fields and a big pussy cat at the top , the British do like their pussy cats , and they show you how a canon is loaded and fired .. it is load so be ready , all together a worthwhile visit for €20 and try the beers in the restaurant when you finish the tour , they where ice cold , parking everywhere so don’t worry
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your visit and very interesting comment.
Written August 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Domaine de la Bataille de Waterloo 1815, Braine-l'Alleud

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