Remembering Waterloo

IF you're a traveller with a yen for European history a new museum to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo is destined to be on your to-do list when you're next in the UK.

Near the town of Waterloo, 32 kilometres south of Brussels, the museum, 1815 Memorial, has been built on the site of the terrible battle which occurred on June 18, 1815. From Brussels south station, the regular train only takes 15 minutes to Braine-l'Alleud, which is about a 10-minute drive to the battlefield.

The museum, which is interactive and also has a 3-D film of the epic struggle, shows the events that led up to the battle. Linked to the museum is a magnificent panorama depicting the battle between the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France and the Duke of Wellington, commander of the British, Dutch, Belgian and German allied army.