Waterloo at a glance
Welcome to Waterloo, at the gates of Brussels
Located in the province of Walloon Brabant, 16 km south of Brussels, Waterloo covers an area of 2,102 hectares, 99 of which are woodland forming part of the Sonian Forest.
Waterloo or ‘wet meadow’ owes its fame primarily to its pavement-makers. It is even said that Moscow’s Red Square was paved by Waterloo residents!
Today, Waterloo has just over 30,000 inhabitants, including around 6,000 foreigners from 110 countries. It is twinned with Rambouillet (France) and Nagakute (Japan).
« Waterloo connection »
There is only one Waterloo that retains the traces of a battle that changed the destiny of Europe on 18 June 1815.
A symbol of victory over a formidable and feared adversary of exceptional prestige, Waterloo has given its name to some 126 places around the world, named by veterans of 1815.
Since 1996, the « Waterloo Connection » has linked all these towns with the peaceful aim of developing exchanges and human contacts.
Famous people
Several famous people have lived in Waterloo:
Sœur Sourire (« The Singing Nun »). Who doesn’t remember « Dominique, -nique,- nique… », the smash hit that took her to No. 1 on the American charts in 1963 and sold more records than the Beatles and Elvis Presley put together? Sister Sourire lived in the Fichermont convent, just a few hundred metres from the famous Lion’s Hill.
Morris, father of Lucky Luke, was a member of the « Waterloo Gang of Four », along with Jijé (father of « Spirou et Fantasio »), Will (father of « Isabelle ») and Franquin (father of « Gaston Lagaffe »).
Jules Bastin, an opera singer with an international career, has the town’s cultural hall dedicated to him.
Victor Hugo, French writer, stayed in Waterloo in 1861. Fascinated by the Waterloo battlefield, he completed his famous book Les Misérables there.
©WBT – J.P. Remy
Historic, the pavers’ village
Waterloo has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic era.
It was in 1145 that the name of the locality appeared in texts, in the form of a place called WATERLOTS.
However, Waterloo was still a long way from being a market town, a stopover village at the entrance to the Sonian Forest, known and appreciated by travellers, soldiers and notables.
Waterloo underwent significant development in the 16th and 17th centuries, as it was located on the route linking Brussels to Genappe and the coal-mining regions.
In addition to a few farms and inns, the town was occupied by foresters, attracted by the proximity of Brussels and a road that facilitated the sale of their charcoal.
Waterloo served as a staging post for travellers who were happy to have escaped unscathed from the dark and mysterious Sonian Forest, which was a breeding ground for brigands.
In 1690, the Marquis of Gastañaga, Governor of the provinces of the Spanish Netherlands, had the Royal Chapel built in Waterloo in the vain hope of seeing his King Charles II give birth to male offspring.
Finally, Waterloo came under the sway of Jacques Pastur, known as ‘Jaco’, a sort of mercenary in the pay of either France or Spain, who had the privilege of defeating the English troops of the Duke of Marlborough (the famous Malbrouk of the song) in 1705.
For a long time, the economic vocation of the locality was mainly agricultural.
In the early 19th century, the town underwent an interesting development, with a windmill, two breweries and a distillery. A little later, a sugar factory, a chemical products factory and five soap factories were established, as well as a number of paving companies that made Waterloo’s reputation.
Over the last few decades, while preserving the quality of life of its citizens, Waterloo has experienced significant economic growth. It is home to the headquarters of many well-known European companies, and its luxury boutiques, pleasant shopping centre and many cultural, tourist and sporting activities attract large numbers of people.
A short history of waterloo tourism
The statutorily established Syndicat d’Initiative et de Tourisme de Waterloo (Waterloo Tourist Office) has been in existence since 1966. While continuing its mission of welcoming tourists seven days a week, the SIT saw its work expand in the 90s in the wake of the re-enactments of the famous battle, a major tourist event, particularly in the 00s and 05s.
The year 2000 marked a turning point with the creation of the «Maisons du Tourisme» (tourist centres) recommended by the Minister of Tourism at the time. Meeting the criteria of multilingualism and opening hours, our SIT became a Maison du Tourisme, responsible for managing tourism in five communes in close collaboration with them. These are the four areas where the battle took place (Braine-l’Alleud, Genappe, Lasne and Waterloo) plus La Hulpe, with the Folon Foundation as its flagship attraction.
Initially housed at 149 Chaussée de Bruxelles, next to the Wellington Museum, the SIT moved in 2003 to 218 Chaussée de Bruxelles, into larger offices that can also accommodate the Waterloo Museum on the 1st floor.
Waterloo’s reputation grew as we approached 2015 and the bicentenary, the commemorations of which remain unforgettable for the whole team at what is still the Maison du Tourisme.
At the end of 2017, our association once again became a Syndicat d’Initiative, which, having been in existence for 50 years, was awarded the title of Royal.
The members of our team are all multilingual, some adding Spanish, Portuguese and/or Russian to the Dutch and English required. Highly autonomous and responsible, the team organises its working hours to ensure that it is open 7 days a week (except 24 December and 1 January) 12 months a year.
Providing a high-quality welcome to our tourists and visitors from Waterloo remains a priority, as does the task of promoting the commercial and cultural life of our beautiful city of Waterloo.
