Waterloo, Belgium

WATERLOO, now a run-of-the-mill suburb about 18km south of Brussels, has a resonance far beyond its size. On June 18, 1815, at this small crossroads town, Wellington masterminded the battle that put an end to the imperial ambitions of Napoleon. The historic importance of Waterloo has not saved the battlefield – a motorway cuts right across it – and if you do visit you'll need a lively imagination to picture what happened. Scattered round the battlefield are several monuments and memorials, the most satisfying of which is the Butte de Lion, a huge earth mound that's part viewpoint and part commemoration. The battlefield is 3km north of the centre of Waterloo, where the Musée Wellington is easily the pick of several Waterloo museums.