Waterloo Tour: Near the Lion's Mount

You won't find any pictures, taken from on top of the Lion's Mount here. That is because I agree with Wellington who said that it is a hideous thing and I find it a shame that they destroyed most of the battlefield on the Allied side to build it. You won't see me climb those steps unless I have too :-)

The Visitor's Center

The Battle of Waterloo visitors center is where you can see a audio-visual overview of the battle, followed by a short movie. There are lots of souvenirs to be found and it is the way in for the Lion's Mount and the Panorama. It is located right next to the Mount on the Braine-L'Alleud - Ohain road.

The Souvenir Shops

A typical souvenir shop. This one, that is located in front of the Visitor's center is very interesting because it also houses a wax figure museum. In this museum some scenes as for instance Napoleon with his generals are depicted. It's small but worth the while and you can have a tasty "Napoleon" beer in the pub right next to it. :-)

The Panorama

Inside this round building, you will find a panoramic view of Marshal Ney's cavalry charges painted on the wall. It is very well painted and it depicts this crucial phase of the battle in great detail. It is definitely a must should you visit Waterloo.

The Lion's Mount

The Lion's Mount was erected from 1823 to 1826 by the Dutch on the place where the Prince of Orange got (slightly) wounded during the battle. It was approximately on this place too that the Allied squares stood firm during the French cavalry charges. It took about 290.500 m3 of earth to build the 40,5m high mount. Earth that was taken from around the mount. This way the terrain was very effectively destroyed and Wellington himself called the Mount a hideous thing (I tend to agree with him although it allows a great view of the battlefield for people who don't care about historical details like terrain, etc...). After climbing 226 steps you are standing next to the Lion that weights 28.000 kilos.

View South

This picture was taken from near the Lion's Mount, 200m to the East of it looking South at the French side of the battlefield. Remember that this place was the top of a slope in 1815.

View East

This picture was taken from the same spot as the previous one. The farm in the middle of the picture is of course La-Haie-Sainte. About 1000 Hanoverians of the King's German Legion under Major Baring defended this farm until they were chased out by the French at about 1800 hours. A monument was erected in honour of these brave soldiers.

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