Our ever-popular Classic Waterloo Anniversary tour is scheduled to allow attendance at the largest re-enactment since the bicentenary weekend ensuring a plethora of re-enactors in period uniform on the battlefields. The tour covers the battles of Ligny, Quatre Bras and especially Waterloo itself. We stay in the historic Waterloo town, home to Wellington’s headquarters. Enjoy the reenactments of the battle and events which are scheduled for the week-end. Travel from London is by comfortable Eurostar train. Note, we cannot explain why the organisers have selected these particular dates for the reenactment.

When Napoleon arrived in Elba in May 1814, monarchs, aristocracy and diplomats (amongst them the Duke of Wellington) were gathered in Vienna to redraw the map of Europe. But whilst they dallied and danced their time away, the exiled Emperor had been scheming. Aware of the political unrest in France and disharmony amongst the Allies, he embarked on his final gamble. Returning to France with less than 1000 men, he sent the whole of Europe into panic. With his overtures for peace rejected, the restored Emperor set about creating the finest fighting force he had commanded since his glory days of Austerlitz. It was only a matter of time before he struck and so anxious Allies urgently mobilised their armies and hurriedly drew-up their plans before it was too late. On the night of 14 June 1815 near Charleroi in Belgium, the Emperor crossed the border with his Grand Armée taking his adversaries by surprise. However during a whirlwind campaign of just 4 days, the resolute and skilful leadership of forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian commander, Marshal Blucher, resulted in the decisive defeat and rout of the French army on the field of Waterloo in a battle that would be referred to by the Duke as ‘a near run thing’. Napoleon, abdicating for a second time, would end his days on the remote Atlantic island of St Helena from where death would be his only escape.

Day 1: Brussels

We travel by Eurostar arriving in Brussels in time to visit the spectacular Grand Place with its awesome gold-painted Guildhalls and Town Hall. We pause for lunch here before embarking on a guided walk of Brussels Old Town with its Wellington sites. We proceed via the Rue Royal to see where Wellington was based and the Royal Park where his troops assembled. Check-in to our comfortable Brussels hotel, our base for the tour. (D)

Day 2: Ligny & Quatre Bras (including the Waterloo battle reenactment)
At Ligny we see where Napoleon’s right wing clashed with the Prussians on 16 June 1815. We view Napoleon’s windmill at Fleurus, walk through the hotly contested village of Ligny and travel up to Blucher’s command post on the Prussian ridge to get a wonderful panorama of the battlefield and discuss how he managed to slip Napoleon’s trap and retreat to Wavre. After a light lunch we stand on the crossroads at Quatre Bras where Wellington halted the advance of the left wing of Napoleon’s army and then follow his skilful withdrawal to the defensive position at Waterloo. After an early supper in Genappe we attend the spectacular Waterloo battle re-enactment. An epic day! (B,D)

Day 3: Waterloo
Today we spend the whole day on the battlefield of Waterloo amidst the many re-enactor camps, starting at Hougoumont – key to Wellington’s critical right flank. Then to the centre of the Allied ridge where, aided by the Lion Mound viewing platform, we see where Napoleon’s infantry columns were seen off by the British cavalry counterattack. We then walk down to the fortified farmhouse of La Haye Sainte to hear the story of its heroic, but doomed, defence. After lunch we see where French cavalry attacks were brought to a halt by Wellington’s resolute infantry squares. In picturesque Plancenoit village we see where the Prussians fell on Napoleon’s right flank. (B,D)

Day 4: The Museums
First thing this morning we walk the route of the advance of the Imperial Guard and its defeat by Wellington’s elite Guards and Light Troops. We then visit the new Waterloo Visitor Centre with its excellent audio-visual display and the remarkable Waterloo Panorama. We complete our anniversary weekend in Waterloo town at the building where Wellington planned the battle and wrote his famous Waterloo despatch. Return to Brussels for our return Eurostar journey to London. (B)