Cote d'Azur: Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Promenade des Anglais (Promenade des Anglais) Promenade promenade

Nice is famous among other seaside cities for its wide and long seven-kilometer promenade. In fact, you can walk along the seashore along the entire city - from the prestigious Mont-Boron area and the port to Nice airport.

The Promenade owes its appearance to the noble and wealthy Englishmen who chose Nice as a vacation spot and a refuge from the unpleasant British fogs around the beginning of the 19th century. One of them came up with the idea of organizing beautiful embankment, and the surge in unemployment and increase in the number of people in need that occurred in the city in the winter of 1820-1821 (it is believed that this was due to the large fruit crop failure that preceded this) contributed to the need to take up the construction of roads along the sea local residents. Initially, the Promenade was short, only two meters wide, and was called Chemin des Anglais (“The Way of the English”) from 1820 to 1852. Information about when the Promenade des Anglais began to officially bear its current name varies - either in the 1840s or in the 1850s. Over time, the city authorities expanded and lengthened the Promenade more than once. Today its width is in some places up to 8-10 meters.

If you look at old photographs of Nice in the second half of the 19th century (1860-1880), you can see that at that time there were only low villas located at a distance from each other along the seashore. But already at the end of the 19th century, when Nice rapidly gained popularity as a resort for British and Russian monarchs, aristocrats and large industrialists following them, luxury hotels and palaces, gambling establishments and so on began to grow along the Promenade des Anglais. The West End Hotel appeared in 1842, the Beau Rivage Hotel in 1860. The Westminster Hotel began construction in 1878 (its owners obtained permission to use the name from the family of the Duke of Westminster). The construction of buildings on the first line in Nice flourished at the beginning of the 20th century. The construction of Nice's most famous hotel, the Negresco (1912), and the monumental Art Deco Mediterranean Palace (Palais de la Mediterranee) in 1929 date back to this period. The comfortable Le Meridien is already a “brainchild” of the 1970s (1974), although it cannot be said that it stands out strongly from the architectural range of more ancient buildings. Today, historical buildings house 5 and 4 star hotels of world famous hotel chains - Hyatt, Meridien, Radisson, etc.

These hotels have well-equipped beaches, with bars, cafes and restaurants. However, since beaches in France are not the private property of hotels, sections of paid beaches alternate in Nice with sections of free ones. Given the enormous length coastline, there are many times more free zones. The beach in Nice is covered with large pebbles; going into the water is quite painful for many sensitive people, especially women. However, everywhere in Nice (for example, in shops in the Old Town near the sea, at hotels) you can buy special slippers for swimming. But thanks to the pebbles, the water, even near the shore, is not disturbed, clean and of that same famous azure color, which gave the name to the entire French Riviera - the Côte d'Azur.

The Promenade des Anglais is never short of people walking, jogging, biking and rollerblading, even at night. Life here does not stop for a minute. The Nice Promenade performs the same function as it did a century and a half ago - “to show yourself and see others.” True, Nice today is a large and democratic resort; on summer evenings there is a lively flow of people along the Promenade, so those who really go to “walk diamonds” prefer more intimate places like Monaco, Cannes and Saint-Tropez.

Various events are constantly taking place on the Nice embankment; quite often its car part is blocked during sports or other competitions, performances by musicians and dancers, and the annual February carnival.

Archive photo of the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, period - late 19th century. The photo shows the unique building La Jetee - Promenade, built on stilts in the sea on the initiative of English aristocrats who wanted to have a place for entertainment on the Promenade. The beautiful pavilion, connected to the embankment by a pier, included several halls - a theater, a casino, a restaurant, a pier for sea trips etc. It was a very interesting architectural project, the interiors of which were made in an oriental style.

Its history is amazing: La Jetee was partially opened in 1882, but most importantly Grand opening was scheduled for April 1, 1883. Just a few days after the opening, a fire broke out, practically destroying the entire building in one hour. There were various rumors as to why it happened, but none of the versions were proven. As a result, investors had to look for money for construction again. The recreated building opened in 1888 and existed until January 1944, when the German military that occupied Nice dismantled the steel parts of its structure, and it was lost forever.

Promenade des Anglais today at different times of the year

Paid beaches in Nice

Free beach

The most famous hotel in Nice - "Negresco"- opened in 1912 and was named after its first owner, Romanian entrepreneur Henri Negresco. "Negresco" was built in the neoclassical style. The inside of the hotel looks no less luxurious than the outside. At the hotel in different time Almost all world celebrities who came to Nice stayed.

One of the oldest hotels in Nice - "West End"

Palace of the Mediterranean, or Mediterranean Palace (Palais de la Mediterranee) opened in 1929 and created almost a sensation. To be fair, this was greatly facilitated by the funds of the owner, the American billionaire Gould, invested in advertising the Palace. The casino, luxurious monumental staircases, giant crystal chandeliers and seven-meter windows amazed the gathered guests. For several decades, the Palace was the most fashionable establishment in Nice, where all the movie stars, artists, artists, members of noble European families and simply millionaires visited. In the 1960-70s, its glory began to fade, and the facade began to rapidly deteriorate and fall into disrepair. The hotel was closed for more than 20 years, and only in the early 2000s, restored with money from large investors, it again opened its luxurious doors and rooms for guests.

At the Negresco Hotel there is one of the best gastronomic restaurants in Nice - Chantecler (two Michelin stars)

Beach, Nice

He created funds for employing the unemployed and allocated money for the construction of a small road, the width of which at that time was no more than 2 meters.

In the middle of the 19th century, the embankment received its current name Promenade des Anglais - Promenade des Anglais. Over the next half century it was gradually expanded and extended. Namely, in 1854-1856, under the leadership of the architect Francois Aunet, it was extended all the way to the Magnan Canal, and its width was 8 meters. In 1862 it was extended even further - to Sant'Hélène, and in 1882 - to Carra Street. The more popular the resort became, the more new hotel buildings, cafes, restaurants and shops appeared in it. In addition, car traffic grew rapidly. It is therefore not surprising that at the beginning of the twentieth century these changes in the city caused many problems.

The mayor of Nice, Jean Mezzan, tried to solve these problems in the 30s, by whose decree a highway was built along the embankment all the way to Gambetta Boulevard. But the expansion of the Promenade des Anglais did not end there. During 1949-1953 it gradually became wider and longer. And only in 1965 it was possible to extend it all the way to the resort airport. Of course, along this famous embankment there are many hotels, restaurants, shops, and residential buildings built at different times. By the way, they are all located on the odd side of the street.

Attractions on the Promenade des Anglais

First of all, it is worth noting that there are many famous hotels along the embankment, most of which were built in the 19th-20th centuries. Namely, in house 1 there is the Hôtel Méridien hotel, in house 19 there is the Hôtel Westminster hotel, in house 223 there is the Radisson SAS hotel. One of the most famous hotels Hôtel Negresco is located at number 37. It was built in the classicist style and opened in 1912. Another famous building located on the Promenade des Anglais is the house at number 15. This house is called the Mediterranean Palace. It was built in 1929 by the Dalmas brothers. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, almost the entire interior of the palace had to be removed in the 70s and replaced with modern buildings. Today this house houses a hotel, a casino and a theater.

The capital of the French Riviera is located on the shores of Bayeux Des Anges in the south of the country. This major center entertainment, gastronomic, cultural and business tourism.
Street history
Nice began to gain popularity as a resort since late XIX century. Wealthy Englishmen came here to restore their health and wait out the chilly English autumn. The winter of 1820 turned out to be especially cold, which provoked an increase in the number of beggars here. To reduce the number of poor people, special funds were created to create jobs for the unemployed. It was thanks to the workers in Nice that the most famous embankment arose, which in 1850 received the name “Promenade des Anglais”. Over the next few years, the embankment becomes a popular place in the city. There is active construction of luxury houses, shops, holiday homes, and restaurants. By 1965, the length of the embankment was already 6 kilometers.
The Promenade des Anglais is home to legendary buildings where famous writers, poets and artists stayed. The Megresco and Meridian hotels, the Mediterranean Palace and Casino, and every week, performances and festivals are held on the main promenade of France.
How to get there?
The Promenade des Anglais stretches straight to the Cote d'Azur airport, so just take the express shuttle bus No. 99, which will take you to the very popular places accommodation located on the Promenade des Anglais. The cost of the trip is 6 euros.

Promenade des Anglais (France) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The most famous promenade in France, the Promenade des Anglais - business card Nice. This is where city residents and numerous tourists spend fine summer evenings. Life here does not subside day or night - there are restaurants and cafes on the promenade, pompous boutiques and luxury hotels await customers. And on the opposite side of the embankment, the motionless and eternal sea majestically watches the passage of time. The history of the embankment dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when the British, fascinated by the mild climate of Nice, began to buy here land and build villas, turning the modest coastal road into a meeting place and promenade for high society.

A walk along the Promenade des Anglais is an excursion in itself. It is here that the famous hotels with a century-old history are located - “Negresco”, “Weltmeister”, “Royal” and others. They are worthy of competition from magnificent villas - the elegant Villa of Officers, which once belonged to Napoleon's sister, the austere Villa Fortado and the quaint Villa Nui. Well, you can take a break during the walk in one of the cozy cafes on the promenade.

A special influx of people on the main embankment of the city, the Promenade des Anglais, is observed on Sundays, when locals join the tourists of France - family parties, young people on roller skates, and so on. The beach of Nice in France under the Promenade is particularly pebbly and very crowded. There is glass lying around, in general, nothing good. Compared to Cannes, it sucks. The Hotel Negresco (No. 37), the symbol of Nice, occupies a central position on the Promenade des Anglais. If in Cannes, France, four hotels are arguing about who is cooler, in Nice such a question has not arisen since 1906, when the architect Edouard Niemans built it. At the same time, Eiffel worked on the pink dome. This luxurious palace France, Belle Epoque style: white bottom - pink top, similar in style to the Cannes Carlton.

The first owner of the hotel was the Romanian Henry Negresco, the son of the same hotelier, only in Bucharest. He left his homeland at the age of 15 and had great success on the Riviera, owning a casino. Bad times, however, came immediately after the construction of the hotel in connection with WWI. Negresco soon sold the hotel to a Belgian company and died in Paris. The hotel's interior is as luxurious as it gets. You can be proud of the giant crystal chandelier in the lobby, donated by Nicholas II. The elevators are upholstered in velvet, the rooms (119 in total) have antique furniture, and the doormen are dressed in the style of the 18th century. To the left of the foyer is the Louis XIV salon, oak ceiling, fireplace and portraits of the kings. In the center is the Salon Royale, an oval room with gold leaf and a large carpet.

The Chanticleer restaurant is headed by a chef from Normandy, Bruno Turbot, lunch costs about 50 €, evening menu 130 € (including in Russian). Le Relais's bar is decorated with oriental carpets and tapestries, and all the waiters wear white. It remains to add that the cost of living ranges from 300-650 € per day, a “suite” will cost 1200 €. There are also other hotels in Nice on the embankment, which are also very expensive, but nothing can compare with the Negresco. Even Meridien (No. 1), which has a Casino Ruhl casino and a cabaret in the spirit of Monte Carlo. Cabaret presents French chanson with acrobats and jugglers - 16 € per drink, lunch + show - 65 €, all takes place on Friday and Saturday at 22.30. Located nearby tourist office (№ 5).

In general, the Promenade des Anglais in France is lined with monumental houses from the early 20th century. The Mediterranean Palace stands out, a former casino that closed in 1970 after allegations of corruption. Next to Negresco is the largest gay disco on Lazurka - Le Blue Boy (10 €). Please note how popular English names with the French article are on Lazurka. The linguist is somewhat funny. Again, next to Negresco there is local history museum Massena, entrance from the parallel street rue de France. It is pedestrianized and there is a continuous line of hotels, bars, restaurants and ice cream parlours. In the side streets of Nice there are boutique shops.

On the Rue de France there is also the Massena Palace (No. 65), which houses the Museum of Art and History - local history dating back to the 11th century. On this same Rue de France, as well as on the Promenade des Anglais in the area of the Negresco Hotel, the corrupt love of all is concentrated Cote d'Azur. There are, so to speak, the cream of the female flesh of South-Eastern Europe (Romanian, Bulgarian, Gypsy Serbian). The price is standard - 50 € in the car, 100 € on its territory, pick-up time is ten in the evening. The service is safe. Call sex in Nice costs around 150 € per hour + 50 € for each subsequent hour.

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