Route nationale 7
Encyclopedia
The Route nationale 7, or RN 7, is a trunk road
(nationale
) in France
between Paris
and the border with Italy
. It was also known as the Route Bleue and — sarcastically, during the annual rush to the Mediterranean beaches — the Route de la Mort (Road of Death).
. From Lugdunum the road north passed towards Lutèce (Paris) following roughly the route of current RN 6
, and southward towards Rome, skirting the Rhone and passing through Arausio (Orange) and following the edge of the Mediterranean, like the current RN 7.
In the 15th century, with the creation of the royal post by Louis XI
, a coherent network of roads was set up. The routes from Paris to Lyon pass through Moulins (route du Bourbonnais) or Dijon (route de Bourgogne). In the next century the first regular use of the road is made and elms were planted along the ways for shade and to mark the route. At that time (1553) the Le Guide des chemins de France ("Guide to the roads of France"), by the royal printer Robert Estienne
, the ancestor of all the modern guidebooks, was published.
. As the route elsewhere runs parallel to autoroutes as a result other sections have been re-numbered the RD 7, RD 701, RD 307, RD 7n, RDN 7 and RD 6007.
-Nemours
-Moulins
-Lyon
-Avignon
-Aix-en-Provence
-Nice
-Italy
in Paris
and is called the Avenue de Fontainebleau. The road passes through Southern Parisian suburbs and under the Aéroport of Paris-Orly before reaching the Seine
at Évry. It then follows the West bank of the river South. The road enters the Forêt de Fontainebleau
and then the town of Fontainebleau
with a junction with the RN 6
. The RN 7 then heads South along the Loing valley
before reaching Nemours
and a junction with the A6 autoroute.
. The road follows a route to Montargis
and after the Forêt de Montargis heads down into the Loire Valley at Briare. The road then follows the East bank of the Loire and after Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire
the road has been upgraded to the A 77. This is prime wine producing territory with Sancerre
6 km to the West and Pouilly
where the RN 7 commences again.
After the town of Nevers
the road passes Magny-Cours
race track and crosses the river. It follows the Allier valley through gently rolling countryside to Moulins
where the RN 9
branches off to the South. The RN 7 heads East climbing over hills at Lapalisse and then back into the Loire valley crossing the river again at Roanne
at the head of the Gorges de la Loire. The road is then dual carriageway south before turning east over the Col du Pin Bouchain (760 m). The road then heads down into Tarare and through a series of ridges to Lyon
.
and heads South through the Bois de St Jean. It has a junction with the A 46
(E 70) as it travels South to Vienne
. The A 7
runs parallel and now takes the bulk of through traffic. The road passes Le Péage-de-Roussillon
and follows the East bank of the river to Tain l’Hermitage. It then crosses the Isère River
to Valence
. A bridge over the river Drôme
brings the road to Montélimar
.
The road then sweeps round the Défilé de Donzère before crossing the navigable Canal de Donzère and past the Tricastin nuclear station. After which the road crosses the canal and follows the East bank of the Rhône to Orange
. The road skirts hills to reach Avignon and enters Provence
.
After Avignon the road heads south east across the River Durance
and East of Les plaines and then Southeast over Plat de Seze Chaine and parallel to the Chaine de la Trévaresse and Chaine d’Éguilles
to Aix-en-Provence
. The road then runs parallel to the A 8
South of Montagne du Cergle and past Mont Aurélien (875 m).
After Brignoles the road is dual-carriageway and goes past Parc Mini France and into the Argens valley before reaching the Mediterranean at Fréjus
. The road then turns north away from the coast passing north round the Massif de Éstérel and Mont Vinaigre (614 m) to the Côte d’Azur
. The road reaches Cannes
and then follows the coast round the Golfe St Juan past Antibes
to Nice
.
After Nice the road takes the Moyenne Corniche around Monaco
before reaching the frontier with Italy
after Menton
. The road then becomes the SP-1, while the A 8 becomes the Autostrada A-10.
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
(nationale
Route nationale (France)
A route nationale, or simply nationale, is a trunk road in France. Trunk roads are in France are important roads which cross broad portions of the French territory, as opposed to secondary or communal roads who only serve local areas....
) in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
between Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the border with Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was also known as the Route Bleue and — sarcastically, during the annual rush to the Mediterranean beaches — the Route de la Mort (Road of Death).
History
The Romans under Marcus Agrippa established a network of roads in 20 AD radiating from the then capital of the Gauls at Lugdanum (Lyon), known collectively as Via AgrippaVia Agrippa
The term Via Agrippa, describes any stretch of the network of Roman roads in Gaul that were built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, to whom Octavian entrusted the reorganization of the Gauls. In all, the Romans built of roads in Gaul.-Agrippa's project:...
. From Lugdunum the road north passed towards Lutèce (Paris) following roughly the route of current RN 6
Route nationale 6
The Route nationale 6 is a trunk road in France between Paris and the frontier with Italy in the Alps.- Reclassification :The RN 6 runs parallel for a long portion of its route to the A 6 autoroute...
, and southward towards Rome, skirting the Rhone and passing through Arausio (Orange) and following the edge of the Mediterranean, like the current RN 7.
In the 15th century, with the creation of the royal post by Louis XI
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
, a coherent network of roads was set up. The routes from Paris to Lyon pass through Moulins (route du Bourbonnais) or Dijon (route de Bourgogne). In the next century the first regular use of the road is made and elms were planted along the ways for shade and to mark the route. At that time (1553) the Le Guide des chemins de France ("Guide to the roads of France"), by the royal printer Robert Estienne
Robert Estienne
Robert I Estienne , known as Robertus Stephanus in Latin and also referred to as Robert Stephens by 18th and 19th-century English writers, was a 16th century printer and classical scholar in Paris...
, the ancestor of all the modern guidebooks, was published.
Reclassification
The RN 7 is being upgraded or replaced by the A77 autorouteA77 autoroute
The A77 autoroute is a motorway in central France. The road starts at the hamlet of Rosiers in Seine-et-Marne and finishes to the south of Nevers in Nièvre. It is also known as the l'Arbre - the motorway of the Tree....
. As the route elsewhere runs parallel to autoroutes as a result other sections have been re-numbered the RD 7, RD 701, RD 307, RD 7n, RDN 7 and RD 6007.
Route
ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-Nemours
Nemours
Nemours is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Geography:Nemours is located on the Loing and its canal, c...
-Moulins
Moulins, Allier
Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department.Among its many tourist attractions are the Maison Mantin the Anne de Beaujeu Museum.-History:...
-Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
-Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
-Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
-Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
-Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Paris to Nemours (0 km to 64 km)
The road starts at the Porte d'ItaliePorte d'Italie
Porte d'Italie are located in the 13th arrondissement, at the intersection of Avenue d'Italie, Boulevard Massena, Avenue de la Porte d'Italie and street Kellermann, facing the Kremlin-Bicetre....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and is called the Avenue de Fontainebleau. The road passes through Southern Parisian suburbs and under the Aéroport of Paris-Orly before reaching the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
at Évry. It then follows the West bank of the river South. The road enters the Forêt de Fontainebleau
Forest of Fontainebleau
The forest of Fontainebleau is a mixed deciduous forest lying sixty kilometres southeast of Paris, France. It is located primarily in the arrondissement of Fontainebleau in the southwestern part of the department of Seine-et-Marne...
and then the town of Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
with a junction with the RN 6
Route nationale 6
The Route nationale 6 is a trunk road in France between Paris and the frontier with Italy in the Alps.- Reclassification :The RN 6 runs parallel for a long portion of its route to the A 6 autoroute...
. The RN 7 then heads South along the Loing valley
Loing
The Loing is a 142 km long river in central France, a left tributary of the Seine. Its source is in Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing, in the south of the Yonne département.The Loing flows into the Seine in Saint-Mammès, near Moret-sur-Loing...
before reaching Nemours
Nemours
Nemours is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Geography:Nemours is located on the Loing and its canal, c...
and a junction with the A6 autoroute.
Nemours to Lyon (64 km to 438 km)
After Nemours the road continues along the East bank of the Loing past the Rochers de Nemours and parallel to the A 77A77 autoroute
The A77 autoroute is a motorway in central France. The road starts at the hamlet of Rosiers in Seine-et-Marne and finishes to the south of Nevers in Nièvre. It is also known as the l'Arbre - the motorway of the Tree....
. The road follows a route to Montargis
Montargis
Montargis is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The town is located about south of Paris and east of Orléans in the Gâtinais....
and after the Forêt de Montargis heads down into the Loire Valley at Briare. The road then follows the East bank of the Loire and after Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire
Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire
Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-Demographics:At the 1999 census, the population was 11,399. On 1 January 2005, the estimate was 11,300.-Notable residents:* Roger Marie Bricoux cellist on the...
the road has been upgraded to the A 77. This is prime wine producing territory with Sancerre
Sancerre
Sancerre is a medieval hilltop town , commune and canton in the Cher department of central France overlooking the Loire River. It is noted for its wine.-History:...
6 km to the West and Pouilly
Pouilly
Pouilly may refer to the following places in France:* Pouilly, Moselle, a commune in the Moselle department* Pouilly, Oise, a commune in the Oise department...
where the RN 7 commences again.
After the town of Nevers
Nevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
the road passes Magny-Cours
Magny-Cours
Magny-Cours is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.It is best known for being the home of the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, a famous motor racing circuit . It formerly hosted the Formula One French Grand Prix.-References:* -External links:*...
race track and crosses the river. It follows the Allier valley through gently rolling countryside to Moulins
Moulins, Allier
Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department.Among its many tourist attractions are the Maison Mantin the Anne de Beaujeu Museum.-History:...
where the RN 9
Route nationale 9
The Route nationale 9, or RN 9, is a trunk road in France between Moulins and the frontier with Spain.-Reclassification:Much of the route of the RN 9 has now been/or in the process of being upgraded or replaced by the A75 autoroute in particular the section south of Clermont Ferrand to Béziers...
branches off to the South. The RN 7 heads East climbing over hills at Lapalisse and then back into the Loire valley crossing the river again at Roanne
Roanne
Roanne is a commune in the Loire department in central France.It is located northwest of Lyon on the Loire River.-Economy:...
at the head of the Gorges de la Loire. The road is then dual carriageway south before turning east over the Col du Pin Bouchain (760 m). The road then heads down into Tarare and through a series of ridges to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
.
Lyon to Avignon (438 km to 662 km)
The road crosses the RhôneRhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
and heads South through the Bois de St Jean. It has a junction with the A 46
A46 autoroute
The A46 autoroute is a highway in central France. It connects the town of Givors to Anse and eastern Lyon. It was completed in 1992.- Characteristics :* 2x2 lanes * 65 km long...
(E 70) as it travels South to Vienne
Vienne, Isère
Vienne is a commune in south-eastern France, located south of Lyon, on the Rhône River. It is the second largest city after Grenoble in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture. The city's population was of 29,400 as of the 2001 census....
. The A 7
A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil is a French motorway. It continues the A6 and links Lyon to Marseille...
runs parallel and now takes the bulk of through traffic. The road passes Le Péage-de-Roussillon
Le Péage-de-Roussillon
Le Péage-de-Roussillon is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.Currently it is considering a redevelopment of the train station. The aim being to revitalize the town centre and improve the links through the town...
and follows the East bank of the river to Tain l’Hermitage. It then crosses the Isère River
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
to Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
. A bridge over the river Drôme
Drôme River
The Drôme , a river in southeastern France, has a length of 110 km long and forms a left tributary of the Rhône River. Its source is in the western foothills of the Alps, near the village Valdrôme...
brings the road to Montélimar
Montélimar
Montélimar is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in the department after Valence.-History:...
.
The road then sweeps round the Défilé de Donzère before crossing the navigable Canal de Donzère and past the Tricastin nuclear station. After which the road crosses the canal and follows the East bank of the Rhône to Orange
Orange, Vaucluse
Orange is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has a primarily agricultural economy...
. The road skirts hills to reach Avignon and enters Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.
Avignon to Italy (662 km to 931 km)
Durance
The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...
and East of Les plaines and then Southeast over Plat de Seze Chaine and parallel to the Chaine de la Trévaresse and Chaine d’Éguilles
Éguilles
Éguilles is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. It is halfway between Saint-Cannat and Aix-en-Provence.-History:Tracks of an early settlement dating back to the 3rd century BC have been found...
to Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
. The road then runs parallel to the A 8
A8 autoroute
The A8 autoroute, La Provençale, is a -long highway in France between Aix-en-Provence and the A7 to the Côte d'Azur.- Route :The A8 is an extension of the A7 starting to the west of Aix-en-Provence at La Fare-les-Oliviers. The road passes through the Departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and...
South of Montagne du Cergle and past Mont Aurélien (875 m).
After Brignoles the road is dual-carriageway and goes past Parc Mini France and into the Argens valley before reaching the Mediterranean at Fréjus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
. The road then turns north away from the coast passing north round the Massif de Éstérel and Mont Vinaigre (614 m) to the Côte d’Azur
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
. The road reaches Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
and then follows the coast round the Golfe St Juan past Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
.
After Nice the road takes the Moyenne Corniche around Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
before reaching the frontier with Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
after Menton
Menton
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
. The road then becomes the SP-1, while the A 8 becomes the Autostrada A-10.