Although the Seine borders many of Paris’ most iconic arrondissements, the seventh has its own unique offerings on or near the river, from boat clubs, to restaurants and museums. After enjoying a glass of champagne at the Champs de Mars under the Eiffel Tower, wander down Rue de l’Université past where the iconic Julia Child once lived. Stop in at a café on foodie Rue Saint-Dominique and wind through the neighboring alleys to find one of the many restaurants tucked away from the crowds. Don’t forget to sit next to The Thinker sculpture at the Musée Rodin to ponder your chances of finding a decent coffee shop nearby. The poshest of Paris’ department stores is also in the seventh: Le Bon Marché. Not only is it a gorgeously pleasant shopping and ogling experience (that escalator!), but it also houses one of the most awe-inspiring food shopping experiences in the city (La Grande Épicerie). Once a hospital for the military, l’Hôpital des Invalides is now a collection of museums and monuments that touch on France’s military history. A bunch of Napoleons, including THE Napoleon, are buried here.
Berges de Seine
You want to stroll down the Seine, you need to stroll down the Seine—Parisians love it and when the weather is cooperating, are there all of the time—a result of the unique development of the Berges de Seine over the last few years. It went from multi-lane highway to frolic zone for pedestrians, cyclists, and alcohol appreciation meetings alike. Read in-depth to decode it according to your tastes and plans for the day as the vibe varies quite a bit from cheap, youthful, and boisterous East to still-lovely but touristy, 15€-for-a-mediocre-cocktail, West side (If you can see the Eiffel Tower…)
Invalides
Napoleon is not the only thing that’s dead in this neighborhood. Basically, the living here consists mostly of elderly Parisian elites and exhausted tourists. Still, you should come here to visit the namesake monument and its history-oriented galleries, musée Rodin, musée d’Orsay, and musée du Quai Branly.
Eiffel Tower / Trocadéro
Next to the world-famous Bir Hakeim bridge, known for starring in Christopher Nolan’s movie Inception, is an obscure, pointy, some might say phallic, iron marvel from a bygone era. Little-known, and hard to find, this tower, known affectionately by the locals who live near it as “dégage”, is one thing that you should put on your must-visit list. Just follow its nightly searchlight, which has unfortunately attracted Donald Trump, not Batman. Directly across the river, don’t miss Trocadéro, most famous for being Hitler’s 1941 press-tour backdrop. Now it’s everyone else’s Instagram backdrop. After WWII, the French de-Hitlerized this spot by signing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights here.
Sèvres-Babylone
People with money and taste (and the Kardashians) enjoy heading to gorgeous department store Le Bon Marché, smack in the middle of this posh quarter, for their food and fashion cravings. This area is where you’ll find the upper-middle class of Paris in their natural habitat, undisturbed by tourists throwing peanuts in their enclosure—for example, a white man who was never not 50 years old, has a year-round tan, and wears Tods suede loafers. These are the people for whom driving gloves were invented. If you’re looking to marry rich, this is where you can find the low-hanging fruit of the upper-crust.
