What to do in the 7th arrondissement of Paris?
The 7th district of Paris is best known for housing the Eiffel Tower, many museums, as well as emblematic monuments of the capital. This rather posh district was then an essential tourist center during a stay in Paris. Let’s see together everything that is possible to do and visit in this district of the City of Light.
Admire the Eiffel Tower
Many tourists travel to Paris just to see the Eiffel Tower. So, when passing through the 7th arrondissement, it seems unavoidable to stop there for a few moments, even several hours. La Dame de Fer, from the top of its 324 meters, imposes itself in front of you and impresses with its presence. You can then climb to the different floors, before reaching the top, where a breathtaking view of all of Paris will put stars in your eyes.
Stroll along the Champ-de-Mars and visit the Ecole Militaire
At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the Champ de Mars Park stretches to the Grand Palais Éphémère, and invites you to observe the Iron Lady from a dazzling angle. This long walk is an invitation to relax, and allows you to take your most beautiful photos of the Eiffel Tower.
A little further on, on Place Joffre, the Military school, built during the reign of Louis XV, brings together all the higher military training organisations. Although it is only open to the public during Heritage Days, its imposing facade is worth the detour.
Explore the Esplanade des Invalides
On the left bank of the Seine, opposite the Alexandre III bridge, the Esplanade des Invalides stretches and invites you to discover the Hotel invalid. This imposing building, built in 1678 at the request of the Sun King Louis XIV, was initially intended to house wounded and disabled soldiers. Today, the Hôtel National des Invalides retains its function as a hospice, but it also houses the Army museum, the Museum of Order and Liberation, as well as two churches, one of which houses the tomb of Napoleon I.
Take a walk on the Quai d’Orsay
Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is only open to the public during heritage days, the passage on the Quai d’Orsay remains a must. From the banks of the Seine, you can then see the prestigious palace built in 1844. Devoted to diplomacy and foreign affairs for more than 150 years, its splendor has the sole objective of seducing foreign emissaries, and it is a mission accomplished. .
Visit the Hotel Matignon
If you have the luck (and the patience) to get to the Hotel Matignon during the Heritage Days, you will not only discover the residence of the French Prime Ministers. It is also a mansion in the baroque style of great beauty, with one of the largest private green spaces in the capital (3 hectares).
Stroll along rue Cler
Located a stone’s throw from the Champ-de-Mars park, the rue Cler is a popular pedestrian street where we find a commercial and dynamic Parisian life, with shops, restaurants and bars. Between tradition and modernity, this 428-meter street is lively, and makes you discover the French way of life. Our Hôtel du Cadran is located a few meters from rue Cler.
Visit the different museums of Paris 7th arrondissement
If the monuments of the 7th arrondissement of Paris already occupy a good part of your Parisian stay, the museums are also numerous there.
The Orsay museum
Entirely dedicated to Impressionist art, the Orsay Museum is renowned worldwide for its collection of paintings, photographs and sculptures from the Western world, between 1848 and 1914. This former Paris train station also offers an atypical setting in the heart of Paris.
The Maillol Museum
In this Parisian museum, sculpture is in the spotlight, and more particularly the works by the sculptor Aristide Maillol. Created in 1995 by his wife, this private museum is hidden behind an astonishing facade of a private mansion. We find there, of course, the sculptures of the artist, but also his drawings, his paintings and his tapestries. Twice a year, the museum also organizes temporary exhibitions highlighting the different artistic movements from 1900 to today.
The Rodin Museum
A stone’s throw from the Hôtel des Invalides and the Eiffel Tower, the Rodin museum brings together all the works of the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin. Nestled in an 18th century private mansion, surrounded by a huge 3-hectare garden, this museum is probably one of the best known in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. We find there the major works of the artist, such as the Thinker.
The Quai Branly Museum – Jacques Chirac
Entirely dedicated to non-Western culture, theQuai Branly Museum brings together more than 3,500 works from Asia, America, Africa and Oceania. On the banks of the Seine, the imposing architecture imagined by Jean Nouvel and the elegant garden are a call to curiosity and relaxation. One of the largest museums in Paris, the musée du quai Branly also has a café and a gourmet restaurant.
Contemplate the Palais Bourbon
Symbol of the French Republic, the Bourbon Palace imposes itself on the left bank of the Seine and houses the 577 deputies of the National Assembly. The building, created in 1728, evokes the architecture of the Grand Trianon of Versailles, and will be modernized throughout its life. The colonnade, which makes the beauty of the monument, dates from the Napoleonic era, and many artists intervened to embellish the building, such as the painter Eugène Delacroix.
Discover the street art of Paris 7
Admittedly, the 7th arrondissement of Paris is not the best known district for street art. However, some memorable frescoes were created there, and in particular in the rue de Verneuil, on the facade of the former residence of Serge Gainsbourg. Moreover, it is a little further, at number 14 rue de Verneuil, that will open, during 2023, the Gainsbourg House.
And if Paris 7 is not famous for street art, it is nevertheless here that we find Fluctuart, the world’s first urban art center floating on the Seine.
Stroll along the quays of Paris 7
Between the Pont d’Iéna and the Pont du Carrousel, the 7th arrondissement of Paris is bordered by the Seine. The which of Seine then offer more than 2.5 km of walks in a peaceful pedestrian area. This is the opportunity to get some fresh air, stop at the booksellers’ stands, and walk along all the most beautiful monuments in Paris: the Musée d’Orsay, the Palais Bourbon, the hotel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the bridge Alexandre III, the Alma bridge, the Quai Branly promenade, the Eiffel Tower…
Discover the places of worship in the 7th arrondissement of Paris
Paris 7 also hosts places of worship with remarkable architecture. This is the case, in particular, of the Saint Clotilde basilica, the first neo-Gothic style church in Paris, and the Chapelle de Jésus-Enfant, in the same street.
L’St. Francis Xavier Church is also worth a visit, and you can visit its gardens during the garden festival or heritage days.
The famous inhabitants of Paris 7
If the monuments are not lacking in this tourist district of Paris, the 7th arrondissement was also the home to many big names :
- Voltaire, at 27 quai Voltaire;
- Rudolf Nouerez (director of the Paris Opera), at 23 quai Voltaire;
- Charles Baudelaire and Richard Wagner, at 19 quai Voltaire;
- Camille Pissarro, Ingres, Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Baptiste Corot, Oscar Wilde, Jacques Chirac and Karl Lagerfeld on the banks of the Seine in Paris 7;
- Auguste Rodin, rue de Varenne;
- Romain Gary, André Malraux and Chateaubriand, and even d’Artagnan, rue du Bac;
- René Char and Albert Camus, rue de Chanaleilles;
- André Gide, rue Vanneau;
- Pierre de Coubertin, rue Oudinot;
- Edgar Faure, rue de Grenelle…
Do you want to visit most of the major Parisian monuments without wasting time on transport? Paris 7th district is the ideal district to have the most beautiful sites close at hand. Cadran hotel then welcomes you rue du Champ-de-Mars, in the center of this nerve center of Paris.
