Esplanade

Beach promenade in Rostock, Germany

An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns. In modern usage the space allows people to walk for recreational purposes; esplanades are often on sea fronts, and allow walking whatever the state of the tide, without having to walk on the beach. Esplanades became popular in Victorian times when it was fashionable to visit seaside resorts. A promenade, often abbreviated to '(the) Prom', was an area where people - couples and families especially - would go to walk for a while in order to 'be seen' and be considered part of 'society'.

In North America, esplanade has another meaning, being also a median (strip of raised land) dividing a roadway or boulevard. Sometimes they are just strips of grass, or some may have gardens and trees. Some roadway esplanades may be used as parks with a walking/jogging trail and benches.^[1]

Esplanade and promenade are sometimes used interchangeably. The derivation of "promenade" indicates a place specifically intended for walking, though many modern promenades and esplanades also allow bicycles and other nonmotorized transport.^[2] Some esplanades also include large boulevards or avenues where cars are permitted.

A similar term with the same meaning in the eastern coastal region of Spain is rambla, but more widely referred to as paseo marítimo ("esplanade"), paseo ("promenade") or explanada ("esplanade") in the Hispanic world.

Examples

Coastal

Asia

America and Caribbean

United States

The Charles River Esplanade, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
The Esplanade, Redondo Beach, California, United States
The Esplanade, Rio Del Mar, California, United States
Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, United States

Others

Europe

La Promenade des Anglais, in Nice, France
Usedom Beach Promenade, Western Pomerania, Germany (Europe’s longest beach promenade)^[3]
Riga, Esplanade, Latvia
Świnoujście, by the Baltic Sea, Poland
Trzebież, by the Szczecin Lagoon, Poland
The Esplanade, in Weymouth, England
The Promenade, at Portobello, in Edinburgh, Scotland
The Esplanade, in Bangor, Dalriada
Esplanadi, in Helsinki, Finland

Others

St. Clair Esplanade in Dunedin, New Zealand
Marine Parade, in Napier, New Zealand
The Golden Mile, Durban, South Africa
Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa
The Scarborough Esplanade, Scarborough, Tobago
Rambla de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay

Inland

Esplanade of the European Parliament, in Brussels, Belgium
Ministries Esplanade, in Brasília, Brazil
Thames Embankment, in London, England
Brühl's Terrace, Dresden, Germany
The Danube Promenade in Budapest, Hungary
Esplanade, in Calcutta, India
Sibu Esplanade, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
Iloilo River Esplanade in Iloilo City, Philippines
Błonia, Kraków, Poland
L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., United States
Charles River Reservation, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States
The Eastbank Esplanade, in Portland, Oregon, United States

Gallery

Usedom, Western Pomerania, Germany - longest beach promenade in Europe^[3] (Ahlbeck here)
Marine Drive.JPG

Marine Drive, Mumbai, India
St Clair Beach, Dunedin, New Zealand.jpg

St Clair Beach and esplanade, Dunedin, New Zealand
The Corniche, Beirut, Lebanon
Promenade at Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete City, Philippines.
Sliema promenade, Malta
The Galle Face Green esplanade, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Gurney Drive, Penang
Błonia, Kraków, Poland
Blackpool's regenerated Promenade, England
Esplanade Row East, Kolkata, India
Boston Esplanade, Boston, USA
Esplanade in the Olympic Park of Sochi.