Palais Bourbon Palace

Address: Palais Bourbon (Assemblée nationale), 126 Rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris, France

Website: https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr

Hours: Guided visits by reservation; check official site for dates/times

Admission: Free (guided public visits; reservation often required)

The Palais Bourbon is the Parisian palace that houses the French National Assembly, the lower house of France’s Parliament, located on the Left Bank of the Seine. Originally constructed as an 18th-century private palace, it has served as the seat of legislative assemblies since the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods.

Architecturally the complex combines 18th-century palace structures with later neoclassical additions on the riverside façade and portico. The building contains the Assembly’s working spaces, most notably the principal debating chamber or hemicycle where elected deputies meet.

Built in the early 18th century as a private residence, the palace was adapted over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries for governmental use and has undergone successive alterations to accommodate legislative functions. It remains the main location for France’s lower-house parliamentary business.

The palace sits on the Left Bank of central Paris on the Quai d’Orsay, immediately across the Seine from the Place de la Concorde and within the Île-de-France urban core.

• Active parliament: Serves as the official seat of the French National Assembly, the lower house of France’s Parliament, and is an active working legislature subject to security and access restrictions.

What to See#

• Hemicycle (debating chamber): The hemicycle - the main debating chamber of the French National Assembly where 577 deputies sit to debate and vote on legislation.
• Riverside façade and portico: The riverside neoclassical façade and portico that faces the Seine; the exterior links the building visually to Paris’s Left Bank urban axis.

Palais Bourbon (the French National Assembly) is on the Left Bank beside the Seine. Take Paris Métro Line 12 to Assemblée Nationale station - the building is directly adjacent and a 1-5 minute walk from the station exits. RER C (Musée d’Orsay stop) is also within a 5-10 minute walk; it’s in central Paris so driving distances from the city centre are minimal.

• Book a free guided visit in advance via the Assemblée nationale's official website and bring photo ID - public tours are scheduled and reservation greatly reduces waiting at security.
• Use the visitor entrance on rue de l'Université (close to the Assemblée-Nat. metro) and expect a security check; without a booking you may face long queues or limited access on busy days.
• Check the Assembly's sitting calendar before you go: plenary sessions and official events can limit public access to some rooms or suspend tours on short notice.
• Most visitors concentrate on the hemicycle; don't miss the small exhibition rooms and the riverside terrace for context on the building's art and history.