Promenade des Anglais

The Promenade des Anglais, next to the beach
View from the Château hill
The beachfront

The Promenade des Anglais (French pronunciation: ​[pʁɔm.nad de.z‿ɑ̃ɡlɛ]; Niçard: Camin dei Anglés; literally: Walkway of the English) is a promenade along the Mediterranean at Nice, France. It extends from the airport on the west to the Quai des États-Unis (United States Quay) on the east, a distance of approximately 7 km.[1] Administratively speaking, it forms part of Route nationale 98, which runs between Toulon and Menton.

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 they 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.[2][3]

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 in the 2013 Tour de France, held on 2 July 2013.

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 skateboarders and in-line skaters.

2016 Bastille Day attack

On 14 July 2016, a truck was deliberately driven at revellers celebrating Bastille Day 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. 84 were killed, and over 200 wounded. Two people later died, bringing the number of deaths up to 86.[4]

References

  1. ↑ nice-tourism.com, Promenade des Anglais Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Price, Stanley & Price, Munro. The Road to Apocalypse: The Extraordinary Journey of Lewis Way'. (2011)
  3. ↑ Avillach, Robin (1988). "L'Église Anglicane et la Communauté Britannique à Nice sous le Régime Sarde (1814-1860) [The Church of England and the British Community in Nice under the Sardinian Government (1814-1860)]". Cycnos. 4.
  4. ↑ "Nice attack: At least 84 killed by lorry at Bastille Day celebrations". BBC News.

Route map:

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