Les Invalides

This vast complex was founded in 1675 at Louis XIV's request to take in French ex-servicemen and differently-abled war veterans; these men are the invalides commemorated by the building's name. It was the first French hospital-turned-home to be built entirely for soldiers. The building is adorned with a classical facade, a delightful little garden, a large courtyard and an impressive esplanade. An erstwhile hospital that cared for hundreds of disabled ex-servicemen, the complex also now houses the Eglise du Dôme, Tomb of Napoleon, the Musée de l'Armée, the Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération and the Musée des Plans-Relief.