Waterloo and Villers-la-Ville

Today I went on an excursion with my study abroad group to Waterloo and Villers-la-Ville, two beautiful villages located less than an hour away from Brussels. Waterloo is famously known as the battleground at which Napoleon suffered his final defeat. There we explored the visitors center and climbed up approximately 200 stairs to a large lion statue that has been erected as a monument to the nearly 30,000 soldiers who died in the battle at Waterloo. The view from the lion, which has a surrounding walkway, is jaw-dropping, with expansive fields and the village itself visible from a couple hundred feet up. The fields on which the battle was fought are still farms and are still maintained. Although there are many remains (uniforms, bullets, bones) from the battle on these fields, it is illegal to use a metal detector to look for things, so the site remains largely intact.

After Waterloo, we went a short distance farther to Villers-la-Ville, a small rural village that is home to a centuries-old abbey, the ruins of which can be seen by visitors. We ate lunch at a tavern directly across from the abbey, and a procession of monks passed us as we ate...not something you see every day. The ruins are beautiful and a large percentage of the buildings remain intact, which is impressive considering it was built in the 1300's. After touring the abbey, we went on a two-hour hike through fields and small neighborhoods surrounding the village, which was beautiful. A bees nest and excessive mud on the trail did not detract from the scenery.

Aside from the historical significance of these places, it was refreshing to see how much the landscape changes in such a short distance. The fresh air and all the walking was a relaxing way to spend what was technically my last day of summer vacation, since classes start tomorrow.