A popular promenade, from the Palais du Pharo to the Prado beaches
In 1863, the opening of the Promenade de la Corniche – initially just a narrow coastal path – led to the considerable development of this seaside corner of Marseille. Between 1954 and 1968, Gaston Defferre’s municipality widened the road to create a spectacular panoramic boulevard. In 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy – President of the United States – was assassinated in cold blood in Dallas. In tribute to this statesman, the Corniche was named Corniche Kennedy.
Stretching for almost 3 kilometres, the Corniche Kennedy offers one of the most splendid balconies in Marseille. From here, you can contemplate the Mediterranean and its islands with passion. It’s a prime tourist spot with a host of attractions. All along the Corniche are fishermen’s shacks, historic monuments, 19th-century villas, luxury hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, bars and beaches. The Corniche passes over the Vallon des Auffes via a three-arch bridge and the Vallon de la Fausse Monnaie.
In 1965, the Corniche Kennedy enabled the city of Marseille to enter the record books thanks to its bench, which, according to legend, is the longest bench in the world at 3 kilometres long with almost no interruption… or almost. In reality, the bench is interrupted by passages cut into its concrete, which makes many people laugh.
In 2019, following renovation work, a 2-kilometre cycle path linking the Plage des Catalans to the Parc du Prado was inaugurated. Since 2021, cars have been banned from the area one Sunday a month under the “La Voie est libre” scheme.
