"Route Nationale 7", 1959 by french singer Charles Trenet.

"Route Nationale 7", 1959 by french singer Charles Trenet.

Abandoned portion near Pont de l’Isère.

Abandoned portion near Pont de l’Isère.

Gas station near Palette.

Gas station near Palette.

Dinner, near Défens du Pin.

Dinner, near Défens du Pin.

D906 portion, near La Croisée, former RN6.

D906 portion, near La Croisée, former RN6.

Leyne gas station, La Coucourde.

Leyne gas station, La Coucourde.

Abandoned gas station, former RN7.

Abandoned gas station, former RN7.

Trucker restaurant, near Donzère.

Trucker restaurant, near Donzère.

Old milestone.

Old milestone.

Abandoned portion near Nogent-sur-Vernisson.

Abandoned portion near Nogent-sur-Vernisson.

Near Le Pont de Bayeux.

Near Le Pont de Bayeux.

On the DN7.

On the DN7.

Bel-Air gas station, D906. Renovated since.

Bel-Air gas station, D906. Renovated since.

Near the French/Italian border, Menton.

Near the French/Italian border, Menton.

Gas station turned into "Nationale 7 museum", Mormant-sur-Vernisson.

Gas station turned into "Nationale 7 museum", Mormant-sur-Vernisson.

Nationale 7

The Nationale 7, the road, the blue road, the holiday road… It was the longest road in France : 996km (620 miles) from Notre-Dame in Paris to the French/Italian border in Menton passing through the Fontainebleau forest, Moulins, Lyon, Avignon, Nice…

Since the highway, railroad and airplane networks became more and more common, the road has been left alone. The first downgrading to secondary roads took place in 1972 and continue until today. Since then, traffic has become more and more sparse. The road is strewed of villages wich used to depend on the economy of road trafic.

In 2005, it was decided that only half of the road was to remain active as the Nationale 7.

2013