Invalides, Paris

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Favorite thing: The ticket to Invalides do include the visit of the military museum. The women and Tito were not interested, and I accepted to skip it.

Later on, I felt deeply sorry - my grand uncle's greatest works were done in France, capturing some scenes of WW1. Maybe the museum displays anything from him, that I don't know.

If you go to the museum search for "Sousa Lopes" paintings. If you find anything e-mail me, and I'll offer you a candy.

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Favorite thing: Now that the Département Moderne (1648 - 1870) with the splendid collections from the French military history starting with Louis XIV, XV, XVI, continuing with the Revolution, Napoleon I, the Restoration, Napoleon III have been renovated and displayed in a new museography I can say that this is the best museum of military history in Europe maybe in the world.

Here is my list of what I consider as the best military museums in Europe; I visited most of them several times. I did not visit Russia so that the Moscow Armed Forces museum is not on my list but I presume it is worthwhile a visit.

Medieval and Modern Times:

Invalides - Musée de l'Armée, Paris.
Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer - Collection of Arms and Armour, Vienna
Heeresgeschichtliche Museum - Austrian Army Museum, Vienna
Museo del Ejercito - Army Museum, Madrid/Toledo.

World War I and II museums:
Here the Invalides is not Nr 1 but Nr 3 from my visitor's experience.

Army Museum - Musée de l'Armée, Brussels.
Imperial War Museum, London.
Invalides - Musée de l'Armée, Paris.
Heeresgeschichtliches Museum - Austrian Army Museum, Vienna

Apart of these large museums there are numerous local museums and memorials.
The "In Flanders Fields museum", Ieper/Ypres is one the most remarkable I visited about WW I.

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Favorite thing: Bordering the Eglise du Dôme in the south-west corner of the grounds Hotel des Invalides is the Jardin de l'Intendant, Garden of the Steward.

Fondest memory: It is a classically-French designed garden of 13,311 square meters, created in 1980.
Here, on the garden side of the trees, is a bronze statue of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the architect of the Eglise du Dome.

It is a lovely, restful garden for taking a bit of sunshine and admiring the gilded dome of the church.

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Favorite thing: Les Invalides officially known as L'Hotel national des Invalides is a complex of buildings wich containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans.

The buildings house the museum of the Army of France and the Museum d'Histoire Contemporaine, as well as the burial site for some of France's war heroes, notably Napoleon Bonaparte.

Fondest memory: The church attached houses the tomb of Napoleon. The tomb crafted in red porphyry from Russia...

Fondest memory: "...love me love me.... say that you'll love me
kiss me kiss me say that you'll kiss me..."
Is still in my head, like all the songs we sang while walking in Paris..
Anything even the simplest one, become the most wonderful thing when is done with you
"...love me love me...say that you'll love me..."

Favorite thing: ....hours around Les Invalides, looking for our "targets", km and km...we were tired, but happiness was bigger..
Lovely days made by metro, walks, burocracy, chocolate vienoise and chinese food, la bella vita, il grande amore...

Favorite thing: After you "do" Les Invalides [and you can walk through the courtyard without paying the entrance fee] take a stroll -- eerrrmm ... maybe a stumble on the cobblestones -- towards Pont Alexander. It's nice to cross the bridge and look back at Invalides.
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I titled this "uncommon view", because usually the pictures of Invalides are of the gilded dome which is barely peeking below the flag. To the left as you walk towards the Seine you will get a good view of the Eiffel Tower.

Favorite thing: Le vaste monument abrite le tombeau de Napoléon Bonaparte, le sanguinaire empereur qui mit l'Europe à feu et à sang.
Derrière les invalides ne manquez pas d'aller voir le musée de la guerre, au ministère de la défense.

Fondest memory:
The vast monument shelters Napoleon Bonaparte tomb, the bloodthirsty emperor who put Europe to fire and sword.
Behind the invalids don't miss to be going to see the museum of the war, to the ministry of defense.

Favorite thing: One of the first places I'd take a Paris newcomer would be Les Invalides here, home of Napolean and his myriad of tombs, a fabulous armory and artilleries museum, and massive amounts of ambience...enough for a repeat visit even. So there!

Favorite thing: In 1670, the Sun King decided to build this "hotel" to host disabled soldiers. Today, it is the site of Napoleon's tomb and several small museums, including Musée de l'Armée – a collection of military history and war art.
The best way to approach the Invalides is by crossing over the Right Bank via Alexander-III bridge.-

In 1670, el Rey Sol, decidió construir este hotel como hogar para los soldados discapacitados. Hoy, alberga la tumba de Napoleon y se encuentran en su interior, varios pequeños museos, como el Museo de Armas.-
El mejor camino para llegar a él es cruzando el Puente Alejandro III.-