Corniche Beirut

The Corniche Beirut is a seaside promenade in Beirut Central District, in Beirut, Lebanon. Lined with palm trees, the waterfront esplanade offers visitors a magnificent view of the Mediterranean and the summits of Mount Lebanon to the east. Corniche Beirut has its foundation in the Avenue des Français, which was built during the period of the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon along the seafront that extended from the old town.

The Corniche, which is 4.8 kilometers long, encircles the Beirut promontory from the Saint George Bay on the northern coast of the city, turning west into Place Rafic Hariri, then into Avenue de Paris and the Raouché, and then into Avenue General de Gaulle before it ends on Rafic Hariri Avenue.

The Corniche is a popular destinations for walkers, joggers and bikers. Push cart vendors offer an array of local snacks and drinks. Many of the trunks of the palm trees that line the Corniche are pockmarked with bullet holes from the Lebanese Civil War. Many hotels, such as Le Vendôme Intercontinental Hotel and Phoenicia InterContinental Hotel overlook the Corniche.

In 2001, the 76 cement benches were replaced with new ones covered with colorful cut ceramics that were designed by Lebanese artist Lena Kelekian, who also designed a Mega Chessboard on the widest section of the sidewalk on Avenue de Paris. In the summer of 2007, the distinctive blue railings were replaced, due to severe rusting, with a sleeker-looking aluminum railing that has been modified to make it more difficult for thrill-seekers to dive off the railings.

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Wikipedia