What is the Esplanade des Invalides
It is the large rectangle of lawns that separates the Hôtel des Invalides from the Seine, in our arrondissement. It measures 487 meters long by 275 meters wide, begins at Place des Invalides and ends at Quai d'Orsay, and its sole purpose, from the very beginning, has been to clear the view of the north façade of the Hôtel des Invalides. It is a perspective, not a pleasure park, which explains why it seems so empty when you approach it from the side.
Many of our guests cross the esplanade without looking at it, on their way from Pont Alexandre III to the dome. That is a shame, because it has a more curious history than the monument it frames.
A vegetable garden, originally
The esplanade was created so that veterans could grow vegetables there. Between 1704 and 1720, the part of the Pré-aux-Clercs then known as the Prés-Saint-Germain was transformed, according to plans by the architect Robert de Cotte, into a vast rectangular space sown with grass and bordered by several rows of trees. The stated idea was twofold: to give disabled war veterans a vegetable garden, and to allow them to meet Parisians there, so they would not remain shut away despite their disabilities.
The esplanade then stopped at Rue de l'Université. A decree of December 4, 1720, intended to improve the Gros-Caillou district, extended it northwards to Quai d'Orsay, to the dimensions we know today. Its center was marked by the crossing of two roads, Avenue des Invalides, which became Avenue du Maréchal-Gallieni, and Rue Saint-Dominique. This roundabout hosted the Fontaine des Invalides between 1804 and 1840.
The name itself holds no mystery: the thoroughfare bears the name of the Hôtel des Invalides to which it leads.
What to look at as you walk
Three things, and they are all on the south side, towards the monument.
The rows of silver linden trees. They run alongside the six lateral grass parterres and frame the perspective. They are what give the esplanade the feel of an avenue rather than a square.
The entrance gate and its two pavilions. A monumental gate separates the esplanade from the forecourt, defended by moats. Visconti had two small stone pavilions built to frame it: the left one was intended for the gatekeeper, the right one for the guardhouse. They are still there and no one notices them.
The cannons. On the terreplein of the moats, a large number of antique cannons captured from the enemy have been placed, including the eighteen pieces of the Triumphal Battery. This is the detail that interests children the most, and it is free, which does no harm before buying tickets for the museum.
And if you happen to arrive on a presidential inauguration day, you will understand what this great empty space is really for: it is on the esplanade that the French artillery's honor battery fires the 21-gun salute.
The major dates that unfolded here
The esplanade has served as a stage for events that history books recount without always specifying where they took place.
| Date | What took place here |
|---|---|
| August 10, 1793 | The revolutionary festival, for which a giant, ephemeral statue of the French people as Hercules was erected in the center of the esplanade |
| 1806 | The Exposition of Industry |
| December 15, 1840 | The ceremony for the return of Napoleon's ashes, the esplanade lined with bleachers |
The return of the ashes is the one you can still visit, as it ends under the dome, where the tomb is open to the public.
Our recommended route
We advise arriving from the north, that is, from Quai d'Orsay and Pont Alexandre III, and walking towards the dome rather than the other way around. The north façade then reveals itself gradually over 487 meters, which is exactly the effect Robert de Cotte was aiming for. In the other direction, you have your back to the monument the entire way.
Consider the detour a stroll rather than a visit: there is nothing to pay, nothing to book, and the esplanade is an open space. Save the paid visit for the Hôtel des Invalides itself, for which we have detailed the opening hours, prices, and visiting order on another page.
To get here, Invalides station, served by lines 8 and 13, is at the northern end, on the quay side. We are on the other side, avenue Duquesne, and this is one of the reasons we so often send our guests that way at the end of the day: it is the widest open space in the neighborhood.