Waterloo: The Under-the-Radar Stop Near Brussels.

Most people skip itthis wonderful place and that is a mistake. A short train ride from Brussels and a 15-minute walk from the station gets you to the field where Napoleon's run finally ended in June 1815.(FYI- he was very sick the day of the battle and stayed in the tent).

Once you enter you get a real surprise, as you enter the circular building I was amazed by a massive 360-degree painting of the battle, completed in 1912 for the centennial.

Life-size props blend into the canvas at ground level, blurring where the painting ends and reality begins. A century-old piece of immersive storytelling that still delivers.

Climb the Lion's Mound — 226 steps up an earthen hill topped with a cast-iron lion — and you get a full panoramic view of the battlefield below. Worth the legwork.

Put this gem on your list.