Les Invalides, Napoleon's Tomb, Army Museum

At the impressive buildings of Les Invalides, you can see Napoleon's tomb, and much medieval armor in the army museum. When you arrive at this neighborhood in the 7th arrondissement, it is a relief to be somewhere quiet and calm, after the bustle of Paris. The rows and rows of topiaries outside the army museum fill you with delight and beckon you to come inside. Napoleon's tomb is the most memorable part of this museum complex. It is in an incredible building, both inside and out, known as Royal Chapel or Dome des Invalides, built in 1706. The gold-domed exterior is just magical, and the interior of grey marble reminded me of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. There are twelve wonderful sculptures of angels called Victories surrounding the tomb, sculptures on a very large scale, larger than life size. The bas-relief sculptures are also impressive, celebrating events from Napoleon's career. The tomb itself is enormous, made of five coffins, one inside the other, with the last made of red quartzite and resting on a green granite base. Look up at the cupola, the painted inside of the dome above you, with its pale blue sky and glistening gold. 

There is another topiary garden, by the chapel and tomb, where people relax on benches. This looks like a nice place to stop a while.
You walk through a courtyard of two storeys of dozens of arches, Court of Honor, to get to the chapel in the back. This is where the army museum is located. Here you can see more medieval armor than you will ever see! There is armor for horses, soldiers, and even children. The rooms go on and on. There is also a World War II area, with uniforms from the different countries' armies.
This museum is very, very dirty. There is dust all over the floors, which makes you sneeze. The museum needs a good sweeping and mopping, and the bathrooms need someone who actually cleans them rather than just pops in without doing anything and leaves. The bathrooms on both sides of the museum were the most disgusting bathrooms of our entire trip. It was very disheartening, especially at an army museum, where you would expect there to be pride in France.
Pont Alexander III is a gorgeous bridge over the Seine, near the museum, with tall gold sculptures and ornate lampposts- don't miss checking it out. I loved it when I was a student studying in Paris! Someday I would like to see it at night. Grand Palais is on the other side of it. 
Another museum, just a short walk away, is Musee Rodin, with sculptures depicting human bonds (mother and child, lovers) in an elegant 18th-century mansion with a garden full of roses and topiaries. It is quite the opposite of an army museum!

Directions

Les Invalides is located at 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, France. It is a short walk from the metro station.
Open daily 10-6.
Entrance is $22 per adult.

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