Invalides Paris
The Hotel des Invalides was built in the 17th century by order of Louis XIV who wanted a "hotel" for his soldiers who had been wounded in battle. Today there are still a few veterans who call the Invalides home, but for the most part it is a museum and monument to the exploits of Napoleon. Today the hotel houses the world's finest military museum, the Musee de l'Armee. In 1794, a French inspector started collecting weapons, uniforms, and equipment. Viking swords, Burgundian battle axes, 14th-century blunderbusses, Balkan khandjars, American Browning machine guns, war pitchforks, salamander-engraved Renaissance serpentines, a 1528 Griffon, musketoons, grenadiers and a great deal more is on display.

The "Church of the Dome", the second tallest structure in Paris, is right next door. The gilded dome is beautiful, but most people come here to see the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte. His remains are held inside 6 coffins, each nesting in one slightly larger than itself. The final result is so large that the altar of the church had to be redesigned to accommodate them.