A perfect view
The lion hill, the main memorial monument on the battlefield of Waterloo, indicates the spot where the Prince of Orange was wounded. A total of 226 stairs leads to the top of the monument where one can enjoy a beautiful view of the entire battlefield.
King William I of the Netherlands ordered the construction of this monument in 1820, to commemorate bravoury of his son, the prince of Orange. The construction started in 1824 and was finished in November 1826. The hill is the ideal place to have an overview over the entire surface of the battlefield. A total of 300.000 m³ of earth were moved to erect this imposing monument. The earth was taken out of the fields between the "Haie Sainte" farm and the sunken lane behind which the Duke of Wellington had strategically positioned his troops.
Statue made from guns
The earth was poured into a hill by working women from the Cockerill company in Liège, where also the Lion statue was cast. The hill is 43 m high and at the basis the circumference measures 520 m. The socle on which the lion stands has been build in brick throughout the entire hill. The Lion itself weighs 28 tons, is 4,45 m high and 4,50 m long.
The statue was brought via the waterways between Liège, Dordrecht ( Holland), Antwerp and the canal of Willebroek to Brussels. From Brussels it was brought on horse-drawn carriages to Mont-St. Jean.
Legend has it that the statue was cast from the bronze of the guns and weapons the French left behind on the battlefield. It is only a legend !