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Museum · Waterloo, Brabante Valão
Dernier Quartier Général de Napoléon
Museum at the Ferme du Caillou in Vieux-Genappe, where Napoleon spent the night of 17–18 June 1815 and planned the Battle of Waterloo. It houses the emperor's campaign bed.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Dernier Quartier Général de Napoléon
The Dernier Quartier Général de Napoléon occupies the Ferme du Caillou, a 1757 farmhouse beside the old Bruxelas–Charleroi road in Vieux-Genappe. It lies about 4 km south of the Butte du Lion, on the French side of the battlefield.
On the night of 17–18 June 1815 Napoleon set up his headquarters there, slept in the house and prepared the next day's attack with his marshals. In the morning over coffee he is said to have remarked that defeating Wellington would be as easy as having breakfast. After the battle the Prussians set fire to part of the farm.
The house became a Napoleonic museum in 1951, when it was also listed as a historic monument, and is today managed by the province of Brabante Valão. Across five rooms are weapons, medals, models, period furniture, the emperor's travelling table service and a replica of the death mask. In the bedroom is the folding campaign bed, lent by the Museu do Exército de Paris.
The route includes hands-on activities designed for children about soldiers' daily life and the emperor's strategy. In the garden, a small brick ossuary from 1912 holds bones found in the surrounding fields.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 45 minutes to an hour for the house and garden.
Best time
Open year-round, with longer hours from April to September. It pairs well with a morning or afternoon dedicated to the battlefield. In mid‑June, around the battle anniversary, the area often hosts historical reenactments. Check opening days before you go.
How to get there
It is on the Chaussée de Bruxelles in Vieux-Genappe, about 8 km south of Waterloo town centre and roughly 4 km south of the Mémorial 1815 via the N5. By car the trip takes around ten minutes. Without a car there are regional TEC buses along the N5; check the line and timetables before going.
Tip
Visit before climbing the Butte du Lion: after seeing where Napoleon slept it is easier to understand from above where the French troops set out. The museum has facilities for visitors with reduced mobility, and for deaf and blind visitors.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Dernier Quartier Général de Napoléon
Where did Napoleon sleep before the Battle of Waterloo?
At the Ferme du Caillou in Vieux-Genappe, south of the battlefield. The farmhouse is now the Dernier Quartier Général de Napoléon museum.
Can you reach Napoleon's last headquarters without a car?
Yes, but it takes longer. Regional TEC buses run along the N5, opposite the museum. Check the line and timetable before you go.