For lovers of things that glitter, the Monnaie de Paris has it all: regal splendor, high culture, money and power. Founded in 864 by one of the heirs to Charlemagne, the Monnaie, or Mint, is France’s oldest manufacturing company. Minting the coin of the realm was a way for monarchs to display and exert their authority, and while the process of making money has evolved over the centuries, the Monnaie de Paris, now housed in an 18th century palace on the Left Bank, is still producing 120,000 state-of-the-art coins each year.

You’ll walk in the footsteps of the kings, emperors, statesmen and icons who have visited the Monnaie de Paris over the centuries, hearing their stories while seeing exactly where the glistening pieces are struck onsite.