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Hotel des Invalides was built in the 1670s by order of King Louis XIV as a hospital and nursing home for the thousands of French war veterans

Invalides, Paris

The Invalides are in my opinion one of the most beautiful architectural complexes of Paris. Approaching by the Seine and the Esplanade or by the back from the south, with the Dome, a great harmony of proportions emanates from the Hôtel des Invalides. The architect Bruant was appointed by Louvois secretary of War under the reign of Louis XIV.

Hotel des Invalides was built in the 1670s by order of King Louis XIV as a hospital and nursing home for the thousands of French war veterans - it still serves as such for about a hundred people. Most of the complex has now been turned into a war museum, and the majestic Dome des Invalides is where Emperor Napoleon I has been laid to rest.

	Although it is free to walk around Les Invalides and to enter the church Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, it costs 8 Euros to visit the Dome and the war museum (but you can use your Museum Pass if you have one). Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, otherwise knows as the soldiers' church was completed in 1708. Its only ornaments are flags that were taken from the enemy in the course of France's numerous wars. Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb sits underneath the Dome des invalides and is surrounded by the tombs of other French war heroes, such as Marshal Foch. As for the war museum, we only visited the part of the exhibition that covered the two World Wars. We thought we'd just take a quick peak as we didn't feel like getting into something this heavy when we were so light-hearted but we ended up visiting the whole thing. The exhibition was captivating and very moving - I will always remember the uniform of a French soldier killed during the 1914-18 war, still covered in mud from the trenches, as well as the German street signs that were put up in Paris during the 1939-45 war.
	· Address: 129 rue de Grenelle · Phone: 01 44 42 38 77 · Directions: Metro Invalides, within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower · Website: http://www.invalides.org

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