Wavre

The small town of Wavre, with a population of about 33,000, is the capital of the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant and is located in the Dyle Valley. Most of the inhabitants speak French as their mother tongue.

The city offers several beautiful sights, such as the Gothic church, St. John the Baptist, built in 1475, and the city's handsome town hall, which dates back to the 18th century and is housed in the Carmelite order's former convent. In 1975, the first Walibi amusement park was built and named after Wavre, as it is located just west of the city centre, further up the River Dyle.

On 18 and 19 June 1815, the Battle of Wavre was fought, on the same day as the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon had sent Marshal Grouchy to pursue part of the retreating Prussian army, but although the guns were roaring from the Battle of Waterloo, Grouchy chose to obey Napoleon and engage the Prussians at Wavre. Had he come to Napoleon's aid, the battle might have ended differently.