Your private tour starts with pickup from your Brussels hotel by luxury private minivan. After a 40-minute drive south, arrive in the city of Waterloo. It was here where, in the year 1815, one of the most significant battles in European history took place — the Battle of Waterloo.
Listen as your guide explains the history of the battle, during which the French army fell to the Duke of Wellington’s British and Prussian forces, leaving 12,000 dead and 35,000 wounded. A pivotal point in these nations’ histories, the Battle of Waterloo led to the final defeat of controversial French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, effectively ending the era of France’s domination in Europe.
See where the complex battle plans were laid out at the Duke’s former headquarters (now the Wellington Museum) and La Belle Alliance, an inn that Napoleon commandeered as his headquarters. Take in panoramic views over the battlegrounds from atop Lion Hill, a man-made hill erected as a monument to honor William II of the Netherlands.
Then take a driving tour of the battlefield itself, and stop at a few significant sites to go more in depth with your guide. You’ll see where some of the bloodiest episodes took place at Hougoumont Farm, Papelotte Farm and Ohain Road. You’ll also visit La Haye Sainte, a series of farm buildings that served as a hiding place for the Duke’s men.
Commemorate fallen soldiers at the Gordon Monument, in honor of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Alexander Gordon of the Scots Guards, and the Prussian Monument, in the now peaceful village of Plancenoit where the Prussian allies attacked Napoleon’s forces and won a key victory during the battle.
After this fascinating overview of the Battle of Waterloo, hop back in your private vehicle and relax on the drive back to central Brussels.