Crossing the Pont Alexandre III, in the opposite direction from Grand Palais and Petit Palais, we come across Hotel des Invalides and the golden dome of its church.. A must-see place, even for those who are not into war stories.

Until the XVII century there was not a specific place to house invalid soldiers of the French army. In 1670, Louis XIV ordered the creation of Les Invalides to house the veterans of his wars. The first residents settled there during its construction in 1674.

Over the years the large complex had included hospital, hospice, convent and even small factories. It was a real city ruled by the military system supported by Church. Thirty years after the start of its construction, Les Invalides was already home to 4,000 residents. Those were supervised by their officers, divided by military unit. The most skilled ones stood guard, mainly at the Bastille. The other ones worked in footwear, upholstery and lighting workshops.

In 1840, Napoleon Bonaparte reorganized the institution and transformed the Church of St. Louis in the national military pantheon, turning it into a Cathedral, now called Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides. This was the tallest monument in Paris until the construction of Eiffel Tower. Right there, under its great dome, is the tomb of the Emperor, with the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Les Invalides is listed as a historic monument and known as an important center of national memory.

Nowadays Les Invalides continues with its activities, among them the operation of the Military Hospital and the following museums: Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération (Order established by General De Gaulle), Musée des Plans-Reliefs (collection of historic models) and the most famous, Musée de l’Armée (Army Museum), and the Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides.

• Where: Les Invalides – 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
• How much: € 11 (full price) – access to 3 museums + church. To visit the gardens and main courtyard the admission is free.
• When: open daily
• Access: Metro Invalides – lines 8 and 13    |     RER C – Invalides station

Bisous

Carol