École Militaire

The École Militaire is a large complex of buildings located in the 7th neighborhood (arrondissement) of Paris that houses several different military training facilities. The original military school was founded in 1750 by Louis XV, who wanted to create an academic college for cadet officers from poor families. One of the school’s more well-known students was Napoleon Bonaparte, who graduated from the École Militaire in one year instead of the standard two. The impressively decorated building is still home to a training school for officers in the French army. The buildings are located within sight of the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero – very close to the Champ de Mars, which originally served as a parade ground for the school’s troops and students. The front facade of the building (facing the Eiffel Tower) is decorated with true 18th-century grandeur and still contains bullet holes where German units made a ‘last stand’ prior to the liberation of Paris in WWII.

Practical Info

The École Militaire is located at the end of the Champ de Mars park (side note: this park was named after Mars, the Roman god of war). Because the school is still in active service, it is not open to the public (except once a year on the journée du patrimoine). However, it is worth checking out on your walk to the Eiffel Tower and/or the Champ de Mars.