La Croisette is a world-famous boulevard in Cannes, stretching along the sea line. The three-kilometre promenade connecting the old and new ports was made famous by the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, which hosts the Cannes Film Festival, and now the Croisette is not just the most popular street in the city, but a symbol of luxury and success. It's home to the most expensive boutiques, restaurants and clubs.
Once upon a time there was a simple coastal road called the Way of the Small Cross, where pilgrims walked along it to go to the island of St Honore, to the Lerins monastery. The Provençal word crouseto means "small cross". The name of the road recalled a legendary event of the Cannes Middle Ages - the erection of a cross in the fight against the Muslim Saracens.
In 1635, the Franco-Spanish War broke out and the battles fought in the bay destroyed the road. By the beginning of the 19th century, there was no trace of it, everything was covered with dunes.
However, in the middle of the century, the small village of Cannes became a fashionable holiday destination for wealthy Englishmen after Lord Broom accidentally "discovered" this charming bay. Russian aristocrats also came here. The wealthy holidaymakers lacked a promenade where they could stroll, bow and look at other walkers. The city authorities realised that they were no longer running a village, but a seaside resort, and it needed a decent promenade. It was built in the sixties of the XIX century, at first it was called Boulevard des Empresses.
The promenade immediately became the centre 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 blissfully happy here. No sooner had I set foot on the Croisette yesterday than I met three highnesses one after another..."
Croisette does not boast a huge number of ancient architectural monuments (although the famous hotels "Carlton", "Majestic", "Martinez" everyone pays attention), but it does not need it. You just have to walk between the rows of pines and palm trees, breathe in the sea air and look around. Once upon a time Indian maharajas, Arab emirs and European princes lost fortunes in casinos here, Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf sang, Alain Delon and Brigitte Bardot caught their first rays of fame...
To relax on the promenade there are blue armchairs, almost the same as on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. In them it is comfortable to admire the sea and the panorama of the Esterel mountains and the Lerins Islands. The two promenades, the Promenade des Anglais and the Croisette, are somewhat similar, but there are certainly differences. Perhaps here in Cannes there are many more very expensive cars. Also, the beach lying just below the seafront is sandy, a rarity on the Côte d'Azur. There is no such thing in Nice.
