La Corniche
The beautiful promenade towering over the sea from L’Anse des Catalans to the Parc Balnéaire du Prado has an array of fabulous views of the Frioul Islands and Château d’If.
A coastal road was designed to give the many unemployed work through the Ateliers Municipaux in 1848 and employed 8000 labourers. Work lasted 15 years. The 25m wide road is divided into two sections: one to L’Anse de la Fausse Monnaie and the other to The Pharo.
La Corniche was fully opened under the Second Empire and inspired the wealthy Marseille residents to build luxury villas here.
La Corniche was a very popular place for Marseille locals to walk in the 20s with its tram link.
The promenade is now 5km long. It was redeveloped at the end of the 50s and renamed Corniche J. F. Kennedy in 1963. Towering over the sea you can see a huge airfoil sculpture made by Marseille-born César in 1971 in tribute to North African repatriates.
