Description of the attraction
La Croisette is a world famous boulevard in Cannes, stretching along the sea line. The three-kilometer promenade connecting the old and new ports became famous thanks to the Palais des Festivals and Congresses, which hosts the Cannes Film Festivals, and now the Croisette is not just the most popular street in the city, but a symbol of luxury and success. The most expensive boutiques, restaurants and clubs are located on it.
Once there was a simple coastal road called the "Path of the Small Cross" - pilgrims walked along it, then to go to the island of Saint-Honor, to the Lerins monastery. The Provencal word crouseto means "small cross". The name of the road was reminiscent of the legendary event of the Cannes Middle Ages - the erection of the cross in the fight against the Muslim Saracens.
In 1635, the Franco-Spanish war broke out, and the battles unfolding in the bay destroyed the road. By the beginning of the 19th century, not a trace remained of it, everything was covered with dunes.
However, in the middle of the century, the small village of Cannes became a fashionable vacation spot for wealthy Englishmen after Lord Broome accidentally "discovered" this charming bay. Russian aristocrats also flocked here. Wealthy vacationers lacked a boardwalk where they could stroll, bow and look at other walkers. The city authorities realized that they were now running not a village, but a seaside resort, and he needed a decent embankment. It was built in the sixties of the XIX century, at first it was called the Empress Boulevard.
The promenade immediately became the center of attraction for all holidaymakers and made Cannes even more fashionable. In 1888, Guy de Maupassant wrote: “Titles, titles, only titles! Those who love titles are blissful here. No sooner had I set foot on the Croisette yesterday than I met three Highnesses one after the other …”(“On the Water”, translated by Boris Gornung).
The Croisette cannot boast of a huge number of ancient architectural monuments (although everyone pays attention to the famous hotels "Carlton", "Majestic", "Martinez"), but it does not need it. You just have to walk between the rows of pines and palms, breathe in the sea air and look around. Once upon a time, Indian maharajas, Arab emirs and European princes lost fortunes here in casinos, Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf sang, Alain Delon and Brigitte Bardot caught the first rays of glory …
For relaxation, there are blue chairs on the boardwalk, almost the same as on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. It is convenient to admire the sea and the panorama of the Esterel Mountains and the Lerins Islands. The two embankments - English and Croisette - are a bit similar, but there are, of course, differences. There are probably many more very expensive cars here in Cannes. In addition, the beach, which lies just below the promenade, is sandy, which is a rarity on the Cote d'Azur. There is no such thing in Nice.
