Waterloo Beer Hike

Not far on the train line south of Brussels near the town of Braine-l'Alleud, Napolean met his Waterloo -- I met my Waterloo beer hike. There were two destinations for the day -- the Waterloo Battlefield Monument and the Waterloo Brewery. Both were along a loop route I mapped out that starts and ends at the Braine-l'Alleud train station.

The Hike

click on map to open interactive Google map of the route

Walking southwest through the quiet town, the route quickly reaches the countryside and meanders through lush green fields. Eventually, the route turns north on a pathway on Mont-Saint-Jean Ridge overlooking farmlands to the east, which were the scene of all the fighting in the days of Napolean. A pyramid-shaped hill topped with a massive iron statue of a lion dominates the landscape ahead. The mound and the lion on top were built after the battle by King William I of the Netherlands to memorialize the victory and to honor his son, Prince William of Orange, who was injured during the battle.

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  The start of the route heads east
  from the train station.

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  This part of the walk is on a
  segment of a
  140-mile-long distance route
  called the
  Grande Randonnée 127

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  pleasant rural setting leaving
  the town

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  first view of the Waterloo
  memorial

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  panoramic view

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The Battlefield

The author, Kevin Holsapple is the creator of Prime Passages, a blog focused on beer, hiking, biking, and travel adventures, and is also the author of Beer Hiking Southern Rockies

At the base of the mound, you can descend into an underground museum that tells the story of the place and the battle. One of the displays is an impressive diorama that imagines the intensity of the battle that unfolded on these very grounds.

We also climbed the steep pyramid steps to view the countryside from above. From the top, we looked down on re-enactors dressed in period uniforms demonstrating the loading and firing of cannons. The history and details are quite interesting to learn about. The armies arrayed against Napolean were led by England's Wellington but included soldiers from Wales, Ireland, Scotland, The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The death toll from the battle was just under 50,000 men. 25,000 of those casualties were French. Around 7,000 horses lost their lives as well. This is big-time European history -- the place where Napolean faced his final defeat in June, 1815.

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  diorama

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  a healthy climb

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  demonstration

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The Brewery

On to find a beer! The route continues along the ridge with big views before turning back toward the town. Seeing the old farm compound housing Brasserie de Waterloo in the distance added an extra spring to our steps. We expected a refreshing reward.

Approaching the brewery, the unmistakable beery aromas were in the air. The place has the feel of an artisanal farm and event space. It is well-appointed and has an upscale vibe. We felt a little out of place in hiking garb as most of the other patrons seemed to be there for a ritzy lunch.

Brasserie de Waterloo is a young brewery (founded in 2014) in a historical setting. The location is the Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean farmhouse which dates back to the 13th century. The farm played a role in the Battle of Waterloo, serving as a field hospital for Wellington's troops.

Waterloo prides itself on using local ingredients and the local soft water to create its beers. It offers a small, regular range, including its flagship Triple Blond (a strong blonde) and Double Dark (a strong, dark dubbel). Seasonal and experimental beers include the ruby red Waterloo Cuvée Impériale, the organic Waterloo Récolte (a pale blonde farmhouse ale), and Waterloo Red Cherry.

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  Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean
  farmhouse

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  brewery restaurant

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  old bus at the brewery

Pleasant hike, fascinating history, fine beer!

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