"Waterloo memorial 1815 now open" Topic

Dear Napoleonic friends,
The new memorial/visitors centre/museum at Waterloo has just opened yesterday. As I only live 15' away from the battlefield, I went there today as I had a few hours to spare.
This is really a great new museum, highly recommended. A much broader presentation than just the battle of Waterloo, encompassing the whole period. Lost of very nice high tech gimmicks that add extra spice. A central gallery with some 40 plus (recontstructed) uniforms from all participants. (the "button counters" might find some minors flaws here but in general very well done to with most of the French in campaign dress and greatcoat. A spectacular 3D or is it 4D? movie with a combination of computer animation and re enactor scenes really plunges you into the battle, I was particulary taken by the images of d'Erlons attack. The visit with an audio guide (also used to activate various interactive screens) takes about two hours. You can also visit the old apanorama painting and the actual lion mound (226 steep steps!) on the same ticket. Only minor point is that it's quite pricy 16 euro's (or 13 reduced price) but well worth the visit.I never expected it to be that good, a vast improvement over the previous visitors centre (that is now closed). Some aspects are not quite ready yet such as the elevators for the disabled acess, but this will be sorted out soon I think. Having said all this, I still miss the good old Cambronne café that was so ruthlessly demolished.

Thanks Marcel. I look forward to June 19 and will certainly visit the centre.

'er in the Cambronne was a hard faced woman though, till you showed you had a few words in French. God help you if she thought you were American. Irish worked well…….

The various old "facilities" on the battlefield were often far from welcoming…….unless you were very thick skinned and could give as well as you got! Then they lightened up….

Glad to hear it has opened.

Was there 18 months ago and it was really a big hole in the ground and did not appear to have moved much from 12 months prior to that.