Paris Metro Line 7 Must-Sees

Opened on November 5, 1910, Metro Line 7 is not only the Paris metro line with the most stations, but it’s also the third most-used line. It traverses eastern Paris from north to south, taking passengers from the northern terminus of La Courneuve 8 Mai 1945 to the south suburbs of Mairie d’Ivry/Villejuif.

Metro Line 7 History & Overview

Line 7 originally served to connect Opéra with Porte de la Villette, but it was continuously extended over the decades. In 1982, a branch was added in the south, connecting the community of Villejuif with Paris. 

La Courneuve to Gare de l’Est: Canals & the Northern Reaches

Get off at Porte de la Villette to visit the kid-friendly science museum, la Cité des Sciences, or catch a concert at nearby music venues Glazart for electronic music or La Gare for some great (and free) jazz.

It’s also a great starting point for a walk south through the spacious Parc de la Villette and then along the banks of the Bassin de la Villette, Paris’s largest artificial lake.

Lined with bars, restaurants, riverboats, and fabulous street art around Rue de l’Ourcq, the area has a fantastic atmosphere when the weather’s nice. You can expect to see droves of Parisians playing pétanque and sipping wine by the waterside.

In summer, you can even swim in the canal.

Follow the water down and after about a 20-minute walk, you’ll arrive at Stalingrad, well connected onward via Lines 2 and 5, and also a good jumping-off point for strolling beside the Canal Saint Martin if you’d rather keep walking south into the city.

Urbansider Tip: The Stalingrad area itself is best enjoyed by day — it’s a lively, easygoing spot in daylight, but it’s worth being a bit more alert if you’re passing through after dark.

Opéra to Palais Royal: Grand Shopping & the Louvre

A little farther on is the tourist hotspot area around Opéra. The metro station lets out right at the foot of the gorgeous Palais Garnier and it’s also close to the famous Paris department stores Printemps and Galeries Lafayette along Boulevard Haussmann.

The Metro Line 7 stop you’ll probably care about most for your first time visiting Paris is the station Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre which gives you easy access to the pretty Palais Royal gardens and its oh-so-Instragrammable Colonnes de Buren, as well as a little museum you might have heard of: the Louvre.

Châtelet & Sully-Morland: The Seine & the Île Saint-Louis

The huge (and confusing) station of Châtelet comes next, a Paris’s central transportation hub connecting Metro Lines 1, 4, 11, 14 and RER A, B, and D.

The Châtelet stop also gives you access to the giant Les Halles shopping center, that is if you can find the correct exit — hint, it’s the one marked “Forum des Halles” (or “Place Carrée”), which lets you out right into the mall itself rather than onto the street.

For a less-crowded and more charming shopping experience, Sully-Morland is steps away from Le Village Saint-Paul and its small antique stores. And from there, you can cross the bridge over the Seine and visit quiet little island Île Saint-Louis.

Jussieu to Place d’Italie: the Latin Quarter & Street Art

At Jussieu, you’ll find the superb Institut du Monde Arabe with interesting exhibitions and an exceptional rooftop view.

From there, it’s just one more stop to Place Monge, where you can reach the gorgeous market street of Rue Mouffetard as well as the Roman amphitheatre Arènes de Lutèce, both great (and free) Paris sightseeing opportunities.

Continue south and you’ll reach Les Gobelins, where it’s worth getting off if you’d like to visit the ancient tapestry manufacture of Louis XIV fame for an off-the-beaten-path experience that’s quite fascinating.

Two stops later, the tracks take you to Place d’Italie in the 13th Arrondissement, from which you can quickly reach the quaint Butte-aux-Cailles neighborhood, a village within the city known for its street art, Art Deco swimming pool, and its many local-loved cafés and restaurants.

While you’re in the area, it’s worth exploring Paris’s underground River Bièvre — its flow is marked by golden plaques on the ground.

The Southern Branches: Villejuif & Mairie d’Ivry 

South of Place d’Italie, you’ll hit a fork at Maison Blanche, where Line 7 splits in two — be sure to double-check the destination on the front of the train or on the platform before you hop on, since the two branches will take you somewhere quite different. Head down the Villejuif branch and you’re mostly in residential southern suburbs.

The Mairie d’Ivry branch is the more overlooked of the two, but it’s got one genuine highlight worth the detour.

Coming up from the south, many visitors to Paris would probably only use the stop Porte d’Ivry to visit the old windmill Moulin de la Tour which dates back to 1680 and remained in operation until the early 19th century.

Metro Line 7 Map & Station List

Here’s a list of all 38 stops on Paris’s Metro Line 7. Major hubs are in bold.