Empress Promenade

Why it is called "Imperatrice"

Maria Alexandrovna (1824-1880), wife of Tsar Alexander II, wintered in Sanremo in 1874-75. According to the sources we consulted, she gave the town a sum to decorate the western side of the seafront with palms, and the town named the avenue after her. The exact number of palms is not reliably documented: one Russian source says a thousand, others do not confirm it. Her stay started the flow of Russian nobility to Sanremo, which also brought the Russian Church of Christ the Saviour.

A common mistake: she was not the mother of Nicholas II (that was Maria Feodorovna) but his grandmother.

What you see on the walk

The avenue is lined with palms, with beaches on one side and hotels and villas on the other. At the end is a small garden with two sculptures. The first is the Primavera (Spring) statue by Vincenzo Pasquali, now a symbol of the city. The second is the Giuseppe Garibaldi monument by Leonardo Bistolfi (1906-1908), austere, with Garibaldi on a high pedestal facing the sea. There is also a bronze bust of the empress on the seafront by the Russian sculptor Vladimir Gorevoy.

Nearby

You are a few minutes’ walk from the centre. Via Matteotti has the shops, the Sanremo Casino is close, and the Russian Church recalls the 19th-century Russian colony. To go further on foot or by bike, the Sanremo cycle path follows the coast. For the rest of the town see our guide to Sanremo.

Getting there and parking

It is in central Sanremo, a walk from the railway station. If you drive, parking in the centre is mostly paid and spaces are limited at weekends and in high season: pick a paid car park nearby and check the rates on site. We have no official confirmation of a specific car park on the Corso.

Practical tips

• Go early in the morning or at sunset: fewer people and better light on the sea.
• In summer bring water and a hat; shade is not continuous.
• The walk is flat, suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.