Nice attack: Promenade des Anglais was financed by English barrister Rev Lewis Way

Bastille Day is a French national celebration that commemorates the storming of the Bastille Prison on 14 July 1789, near the beginning of the French Revolution. Bastille Day is considered the French national day and is celebrated by citizens all over France as well as expats abroad.

In Nice, a huge fireworks display ends the celebrations, with people gathering along the Promenade des Anglais to watch the show. The promenade is one of France's most famous stretches of seafront, according to Lonely Planet, and runs for four kilometres along the Baie des Anges.

The promenade's name translates as the English walkway and comes from the fact that in the 19th century, Nice was a popular destination for English tourists, especially during the winter. Enjoying their time on the coast, the English paid for a promenade to be built along the bay.

The walkway was largely financed by noted English barrister and churchman, Lewis Way. The promenade now has cycle and skating lanes and even has a live webcam watchable on the Nice tourism website.

Nice's Promenade des Anglais is of such cultural significance to the region that the city's local authorities applied last year for it to be granted Unesco World Heritage status. The application suggests that "La Prom", as it is known locally, had such a cultural and architectural impact that it went on to be the template for other world famous promenades, including Los Angeles' Venice Beach.