Very little beats casually strolling the Promenade des Anglais on a picture-perfect French Riviera afternoon. Such is the joy of living in Nice, even if only for a week.
Promenade des Anglais – The Place to See & Bee Seen
That feeling is as true today as it was a nearly 200 years ago when the English aristocracy began wintering in Nice. In 1820, a walkway along the sea was proposed, where the affluent could enjoy the Cote d’Azur sun without the trouble of navigating the pebbled beach. It soon became the place to see and be seen in Nice.
A map of the Promenade des Anglais from 1875, on display in the Musee Massena. To the right is La Paillon, a river that is now covered by the large Promenade du Paillon.
One of the more popular spots in Nice is the Jardin Albert Premier at the intersection of the Promenade des Anglais, and the Promenade du Paillon. The park is named for King Albert I of Belgium, and features the Monument du Centenaire, erected in 1892 to mark the 100
Over the years, the original Promenade des Anglais has grown into a busy, multi-lane boulevard with broad sidewalks on either side, topping the seawall. La Prom, as the Niçois call it, now hugs the shore from the Promenade du Paillon to the public beach la Lanterne. (The street turns inland here, but continues on to the Nice Cote d’Azur airport.) It is lined with shops and restaurants, hotels, condos, and public buildings on one side, and the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea on the other. Occasional steps lead down to the pebbled beach and restaurants serving seaside food and drinks.
[Tweet “The Promenade des Anglais was custom made for Nice’s time-honored tradition of seaside strolls.”]
Beyond the Promenade des Anglais
In the opposite direction, the walkway follows Quai des États Unis from Promenade du Paillon to Château Hill. Here, the historic Vieux Ville has several arcades that lead into the narrow streets and charming buildings of the old town. Just one block over is le Marché, a festival for the senses as every day sees different items at market; flowers, fruits and vegetables, artisanal meats and cheeses, antiques, and more! At the Hôtel Suisse Nice, you have an important decision: Up or around? A free elevator will take you to the top of Château Hill (or you can follow the trail up). In the hilltop Parc de la Colline du Château, you can explore the remains of the city’s original site and castle. The main attraction, though, is the sweeping view across the Baie des Anges, Old Nice, and the Port of Nice.
If you choose to go around, you’re rewarded with stunning views off the small cliffs that begin at Plage Castel and wrap around Château Hill. On the other side, the moving Monument aux Morts honors the 4,000 locals killed in World War One. Across the street is the Port of Nice where ferries, yachts, and cruise ships call. Opposite the port are several tempting restaurants and a few shops, though nowhere near the caliber of the Promenade.
Sidewalks will take you around the port, and the seaside footpath picks up again off of Boulevard Franck Pilatte. Beyond the restaurant La Réserve, the beach is gone but you can continue atop the cliffs and rocks all the way to Cap de Nice. The entire distance, from Parc Phoenix opposite the airport, to Cap de Nice, is about 10km. You could walk the route in a couple of hours, but where’s the fun in that? We opted to stroll on la Prom for a couple of days, instead.
Have you taken a stroll down the Promenade des Anglais? What other city walks have you enjoyed? Let us know in the comments!
Watching the changing colors of the Mediterranean Sea and sky in Nice.
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Made for the love of seaside strolls? Yes! Please! Merci beaucoup. Love this. Looks just my style. Thank you sharing with #FarawayFiles!
Thanks Erin! Who can resist a walk along the shore? Not us – the Promenade is definitely our style, as well!
Yes, you’re right – strolling along the Promenade des Anglais is something I would never tire of. How wonderfully serene and relaxing. So glad they are healing from those horrible events. I havent been to Nice yet but ..it’s on the list! Thanks for sharing this piece of France with us on #FarawayFiles
Hi Katy – thanks for reading! We hope you do find your way to Nice; we’re sure you’d enjoy it as much as we do.
LOVE this part of the South of France! Your photos of Nice are gorgeous. It has made me want to return! Thanks for linking to #MondayEscapes
Thanks, Lisa Jane! Nice, and all of the Cote d’Azur, really, is very photogenic. We love it there, too, and would gladly return in a heartbeat! Thanks for stopping by and reading!
Oh wow! Isn’t this place gorgeous? I visited many years ago and remember how good it felt to be walking along such a notorious place. I didn’t have time to explore other areas of Nice, so, it will be nice to go back. So sad the location has been affected by terrorism. #MondayEscapes
Ruth, I think you would LOVE exploring the streets of Nice! And other areas around the town, like Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and Eze. Quaint towns and neighborhoods oozing with charm. We loved them, but always ended up back on the Promenade for an after-dinner stroll. 🙂 Thanks reading!
It’s been years since I’ve strolled along the promenade in Nice so jt was nice to be taken back there again with your lovely post :). #mondayescapes
Hi Fifi, Glad we could bring back some happy memories! Thanks for reading.
My one memory of visiting Nice as a child is my dismay at finding out it was a pebble beach, as to me at that point, beaches were sand. That means I must have walked the Promenade when we visited! While your photos are stunning, nothing is familiar about them unfortunately. Looks like I better return because it sure looks like a great place to stroll about.
Hi David – I think I would have been disappointed, too! It’s a different kind of beach, for sure. You’ll probably appreciate it more now and, if you don’t remember it, you definitely need to go back! Especially to see some of the hillside towns along the Cote d’Azur and inland a bit. Beautiful towns and lots of markets. Good stuff! Thanks for your kind words, and thanks for reading!
Looks like such a lovely place to sit and sketch and do some people watching.
Hi guys – It is a great place for that. It’s pretty common to see people sketching and painting along the Promenade, and there are several places with chairs and benches to just visit and people watch the day away! Thanks for reading!
Looks like a fabulous place to explore in and around the promenade. Lots of nice shops and great French food in those outdoor cafes. Definitely on my travel list so pinning this for later.
Hi Lisa! The shops seem more concentrated in the old town, with lots of hotels and restaurants closer to the airport. You can find a huge variety, from local cafes to McDonald’s…for better or worse… 😉 Our favorite are the restaurants down on the beach. They get crowded in the evening, but having dinner or drinks on the beach when the sun is going down…nice! Thanks for reading – hope you get there soon!
your photos make the Promenade look quite lovely. But when I was there I was quite disappointed with the Cote D’Azur beaches. they are so famous and they were so narrow and rocky and it was nearly impossible to get on the beach without renting a chair from someone. I was a little disappointed!
It’s true, the beaches along the Cote d’Azur are…different. In a lot of stretches, it’s a rocky, sort of cliff seaside where the mountains come right to the sea. And then there’s the gravel. Very different, if you’re used to sand. But the vistas are absolutely stunning! Thanks for your comment, Eileen!
What a perfect place for a wander, we would love to explore more of the South of France. Lovely post. #feetdotravel
Hi Paul & Carole – We do like the south, but haven’t spent much time in the north. We’d love to go exploring more, though there’s the danger of falling even more in love with France! 😉 Thanks for reading!
Strolling a promenade anywhere is lovely but Nice seems to be just perfect. It has my vote!
Hello Shona! There is something special about a seaside stroll, isn’t there? We’ll take Nice anytime. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
I lived one year and a half in France, I’ve done 2 road trips but unfortunately I haven’t visited Nice. The walk looks lovely – so relaxing, I am so jealous. Sometimes I miss France so much. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Oana – we would love to live in France! We’d love to see more of the country, too. Maybe a road trip through Provence or around Bordeaux? Yeah…that sounds like heaven! Thanks for your comment – you’ve got us daydreaming!
great photos! I’ve been to Nice many times because of my work:)
Hey Tanja – I think we need your job! While we were there, we met up with a friend of a friend who has a conference there every year. Oh the humanity…having to go to Nice, and work! Ugh… 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Wonderful place and I wouid love to visit Nice sometime. French Riviera is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go and it just seems so perfect for a stroll! Thanks for sharing
Hey Lexx – If I remember right, you were just around the corner in Marseilles about that time. After seeing your pictures, we promptly added Marseilles to our next French itinerary. Thanks for stopping by!
The Promenade des Anglais looks beautiful and like the perfect place for a stroll. Hope we get around to visiting it one day. 🙂
Hi Edith! I saw that picture you guys had on the boardwalk in Santa Monica…the Promenade is kind of like that, only the beach is really different! Thanks for reading!
We have only enjoyed the Mediterranean sea from Italy/Croatia but we would love to go to Nice. The pictures of the sea are beautiful and inspirational! Thank you for sharing.
Hi guys! Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed the pictures. We love the Italian side of the Mediterranean, too. Hopefully, you can get to see Nice and the Cote d’Azur. It’s gorgeous!
I haven’t been to Nice despite living in France for a few years and working for a boss from Nice! It does look lovely.
Oh no! Well, now you can go back and really enjoy it! It really is a lovely town, and there is much to see close by. Here’s hoping you have another chance to get there! Thanks for reading, Tracy!
I’ll admit that it’s been a long time since I’ve been to Nice and I certainly don’t remember this. But, it is beautiful and really makes me want to return. Hopefully one day we will! I love waterfront promenades – they are such a great way to take in the views and salty air!
Hi Jenn! You’re right, it’s great to have that promenade where you can enjoy the seaside and the city. And the city very much enjoys it – you’ll see friends and families out there walking, biking, and just sitting and watch the sunset. Love it! Thanks for reading.
My French history is terrible so I am ashamed to say I did not know that Nice hasn’t always been part of France so that was an interesting fact to read. I had a friend who was visiting Nice at the time of the Bastille Day attacks (thankfully she wasn’t harmed) so it’s nice to hear they have erected a memoriam so quickly in remembrance. I do want to visit Nice, and strolling around as you have looks amazing so I will definitely have to do that! #feetdotravel
Hi Angie – We were there on the six-month anniversary, when President Hollande was visiting. That’s when the city cleaned up most of the mementos and makeshift tributes, and collected everything at the gazebo. It was very moving. The city is very walkable; there are many great areas to stroll and enjoy the town! Thanks for your comment!
Would love to go to Nice, and walk the Promenade des Anglais
Nice has definitely become one of our favorite places. It has a comfortable, home-town sort of feel that we really enjoy. Thanks for reading!
Nice is one of my favorite places in the world. Hopefully the Promenade des Anglais will not stick into people minds as the place where a horrible terrorist attack took so many lives. It’s such a beautiful place and your pictures caught so well its relaxed atmosphere. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Hi Anda – Nice is one of our favorite places, too! We feel very at home there, and can’t wait to get back. Heck, we even stopped to peruse the For Sale signs on the real estate office windows. #wishfulthinking 😉 It seems as though, while the memories and mementos linger, visitors and locals alike enjoy the beautiful city and life there. Thanks for your reading!
I love learning a bit of the history and the stops to savor along the Promenade. Would that our society slowed down enough to still ‘see and be seen’ along the strand.
You’re right! It would be great if we could all take some time for an afternoon stroll more often. I think the Promenade is very much like Piazzas in Italy; there were families and friends spending time together, while others seemed content to sit and people watch. We loved seeing it! Thanks for reading, Elaine.
I have never been to Nice. The promenade looks huge and grand, perhaps the nicest I have seen. I can understand why the English aristocracy went to Nice in the winter.
I Rhonda – You know, the English got the Promenade, but Nice was also very popular with Russian aristocracy also. The town has the largest Russian Orthodox church outside of “the mother country!” Like the Promenade, it’s really big, too! Thanks for your comment!
I have never been to Nice but on my next trip to France would love to visit the Promenade des Anglais. How lovely strolling with shops and restaurants plus places beyond the promenade. Wonderful how you named the streets and what one will see on each turn. I pinned this for later use 🙂 Stunning photos and thanks for sharing!
Hi Stephanie – Glad you enjoyed the post. Hope you get a chance to visit Nice and take that walk. It’s really enjoyable! Thanks again for reading!
I have not yet made it to Nice. Hopefully will get there soon. This walk looks lovely. I think I would like to do it as the sun is setting. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
We really enjoyed that walk but, on our next visit, we’d like to catch sunset from Chateau Hill. That would be beautiful! Thanks for stopping by, Anisa!
I have been dying to visit Nice! You’re pictures just made me jealous all over again! Such a shame what happened there, but hopefully the town will heal over time! #TheWeeklyPostcard
Whoops – Sorry about that, Lorelei! We were there six months after the attacks, and it’s safe to say that Nice is strong and refuses to let hate win. But it’s also very apparent that things are different. For example, in the picture from la Marche, you can see four fully armed soldiers patrolling. The presence of military and police throughout town was noticeable, but also reassuring. Even more noticeable is the friendly nature of the Nicois. Thanks for reading…now get to Nice! 🙂