The ''Promenade des Anglais'' (; Niçard: ''Camin dei Anglés''; meaning "Walkway of the English") is a

promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...

along the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

coast of

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It extends from the

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

on the west to the ("United States Quay") on the east, for a distance of approximately . Administratively speaking, it forms part of Route nationale 98, which runs between

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

and

Menton Menton (; in classical norm or in Mistralian norm, , ; ; or depending on the orthography) is a Commune in France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italia ...

History

Starting in the second half of the 18th century, the English aristocracy took to spending the winter in Nice, enjoying the panorama along the coast. In 1820, when a particularly harsh winter further north brought an influx of beggars to Nice, some of the English proposed that the beggars could work on the construction of a walkway (''chemin de promenade'') along the sea. It was funded by the Reverend Lewis Way and members of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. (2011) The city of Nice, intrigued by the prospect of a pleasant promenade, greatly increased the scope of the work. The Promenade was first called the ''Camin deis Anglés'' (the English Way) by the Niçois in their native dialect. After the annexation of Nice by France in 1860 it was rechristened ''La Promenade des Anglais''. The Promenade was the site of the

team time trial A team time trial (TTT) is a road bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock (see individual time trial for a more detailed description of ITT events). The winning team in a TTT is determined by the comparing the times of ...

in the 2013 Tour de France, held on 2 July 2013. It was also featured as a start and finish location of the first two stages of the 2020 Tour de France. Due to the Paris Olympics, the 2024 Tour de France concluded on the Promenade, instead of its usual location of the

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an Avenue (landscape), avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc ...

Modern day

For the local inhabitants, the Promenade des Anglais has simply become the ''Promenade'' or, for short, ''La Prom''. It is popular with bicyclists, baby strollers, and families, especially on Sundays. It has also become a favorite place for

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United Stat ...

s and in-line skaters.

2016 Bastille Day attack

On 14 July 2016, a

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

was deliberately driven at revellers celebrating

Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...

on the Promenade. The driver, 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, also shot at others before crossing the road in the vehicle to continue the assault. The vehicle was surrounded by police near the Palais de la Méditerranée, and Bouhlel was shot dead. Eighty-six people were killed, and 434 were wounded.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Promenade Des Anglais Streets in Nice Tourist attractions in Nice Waterfronts