The 7th is the home of the Eiffel Tower, one of the most recognized structures in the world. The breathtaking Invalides, National Assembly and more are also here. Everywhere visitors turn, the seventh dazzles with some of Paris’ most famous sights.
The VIIe arrondissement, located on the Left Bank, is one of Paris’ most visited districts, containing the Eiffel Tower and the Hôtel des Invalides, the burial site of Napoléon, among many other attractions.
The seventh is also home to a number of French national institutions, including the French National Assembly and numerous French ministries. As with much of Paris, the arrondissement is surprisingly compact, at around one and a half square kilometers.
One of the world’s most famous constructs, the Eiffel Tower, is also located here. Many apartments in Paris are but a short walk from this famous landmark.
The Tour Eiffel has become the international symbol of Paris and one of the most famous icons in the world. Built by Gustave Eiffel in 1887-1889, the tower was almost torn down by the Parisian government in 1909 and was only kept due to its use as a giant antenna. From dusk until 2 am, a light show illuminates the tower for ten minutes of every hour.
Visitors should be aware that access to the Eiffel Tower is on a "first come, first serve" basis; the tower does not accept reservations or sell advance tickets. Lines here can be quite long, but other times are surprisingly short, depending on the time of day, season and a bit of luck. The North, West and East pillars have elevators that go to the first and second floors, and the South pillar has stairs that can be climbed to the second tier. Access to the top level requires an additional elevator ride, and payment depends on how high you wish to go.
Formerly the Palais Bourbon, The National Assembly (“Assemblée Nationale” in French) has guided tours throughout the day for you to enjoy. This palace has been home to the National Assembly, the French parliament's lower house, since 1827. The library features the painting l'Histoire de la civilization by Delacroix.
The Palais is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government. Visitors interested in the workings of French government may be interested in attending assembly debates.
The palace was originally built for the legitimized daughter of Louis XIV and Françoise-Athénaïs by Italian architect Giardini, approved by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Giardini oversaw the actual construction from 1722 until his death in 1724, after which Jacques Gabriel took over until its completion in 1728.
As it was not a royal seat of power, the French termed it a “maison de plaisance” overlooking the Seine, facing the Tuileries to the east and the developing Champs-Élysées on the west.
Les Invalides was founded in 1671 by Louis XIV as a hospital for 6,000 war-wounded soldiers. The name is a shortened form of “hôpital des invalids”, literally a “hospital for invalids”. The golden-domed Hôtel des Invalides still functions as an infirmary and now also houses the Musée de l'Armée.
The architect of Les Invalides was Libéral Bruant in the 17th century. The selected site was suburban at the time. By the time the enlarged project was completed in 1676, the river front measured 196 meters and the complex had fifteen courtyards, the largest being the cour d'honneur ("court of honour") for military parades.
A veterans’ chapel known as Eglise Saint-Louis des Invalides was completed in 1679. Shortly after the veterans' chapel was completed, Louis XIV had Mansart construct a separate private royal chapel, often referred to as the Église du Dôme for it striking dome, inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (the inspiration for all Baroque domes). It is a pinnacle example of French Baroque architecture.
The most famous tomb at Les Invalides is that of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was initially interred on Saint Helena but moved here by King Louis-Philippe in 1840. In 1861 Napoleon was moved to the most prominent location under the dome following a major renovation. Les Invalides is also the burial site for some of Napoleon's family, military officers who served under him, and other French military heroes
There are a number of wonderful museums to visit in the 7th, most just a short walk or metro ride from one of various short term apartments in Paris.
The Musée d'Orsay contains perhaps the most comprehensive collection of European impressionism to found anywhere in the world, and included entire rooms full of Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, Monet, and many others. Housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station (created for the Exposition Universelle and, like the Eiffel Tower, narrowly rescued from destruction), this open-plan museum houses the works of many great artists of the 19th century, including Impressionists, post-Impressionists, and many others to explore.
The Musée Rodin is dedicated to the life and work of the great sculptor, with an extensive collection in an airy building with huge windows that are open in fair weather.
Opened in 2006, the Musée du quai Branly is the newest and the most modern of Paris' great museums, featuring a world-class collection of tribal art, with a particular emphasis on France's former (and present) territories in Oceania and Africa. There are many multimedia presentations here as well.
For shopping, walk from your Paris apartment rental 7th arrondissement to Le Bon Marché, the world's first department store and one of the largest in modern Paris.
The 7th arrondissement is a peaceful, rather pastoral district in spite of the many attractions to be found here, as many people living in apartment rentals paris discover. Apart from small pockets of restaurants and bars between the Champs de Mars and Invalides, much of the area is residential.
These residential areas are essentially made up of Haussmann and 1930s architecture, and are calm, clean and quiet.
There are four main ways to get to the Eiffel Tower using public transportation. The Metro Station Bir-Hakeim (Ligne 6) is just a 2 minute walk time to the tower. (The RER Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel, Ligne C takes you adjacent to the Bir-Hakeim Métro stop.) The Metro Station Trocadéro (Ligne 6 or 9) features some of the best photo opportunities of the tower, and the Metro Station École Militaire (Ligne 8) includes a pleasant walk up the Champ de Mars.
