Esplanade

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 parts of the former fortifications, such as hills, viewpoints, ditches, waterways and lakes have now been included in these promenades, making them popular excursion destinations as well as the location of cultural institutions.

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 the United States, esplanade has another meaning, being also a median (strip of raised land) or berm dividing a roadway or boulevard.

A similar term with the same meaning in the eastern coastal region of Spain is alameda Alameda de Hercules, Seville, o rambla, such as La Rambla in Barcelona, but more widely used terms in the rest of the Hispanic world are paseo marítimo ("esplanade"), paseo ("promenade") or explanada ("esplanade").