Eastern Harbour
Colourful boats and a fort.
youssef_alam — CC BY 3.0 · Hatem Moushir — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Slyronit — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · R Prazeres — CC BY-SA 4.0
The coastal road that curves along Alexandria's shore for some twenty kilometres, from the Citadel of Qaitbay and the Eastern Harbour in the west to the Montaza gardens in the east; it is the city's beating heart and its loveliest feature, bringing together the sea, history and everyday life. Along it stand old buildings with balconies from Alexandria's cosmopolitan days, historic cafés, fish restaurants and small beaches; it overlooks the Eastern Harbour and its colourful fishing boats, and passes the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Unknown Soldier memorial and the famous Stanley Bridge. The Corniche comes alive in the evening, when people stroll the seafront promenade, the cafés fill, vendors sell grilled corn and lupin beans and the sea breeze blows. In summer it is packed with holidaymakers from across Egypt. Strolling is free, and the finest stretches run from the Citadel of Qaitbay to the Bibliotheca around the Eastern Harbour, then around Stanley. Crossing the road takes care as traffic is heavy, so use pedestrian bridges and underpasses where you can.
Colourful boats and a fort.
Old Alexandria's spirit.
The city's stroll.
Along the Mediterranean shore from the Citadel of Qaitbay in the west to Montaza in the east
Bibliotheca AlexandrinaThe new Library of Alexandria, a revival of the memory of the ancient Library of2 minutes walk
Alexandria National MuseumA museum in an elegant Italian-style mansion on Tariq al-Horreya in central Alex14 minutes walk
Graeco-Roman MuseumAlexandria's oldest museum, founded in 1892 and opened in its present building w14 minutes walk
Kom el-DikkaThe largest above-ground archaeological site in Alexandria, in the heart of the 21 minutes walkAt the Citadel of Qaitbay, then along the Eastern Harbour to the Bibliotheca, the most historic stretch; carry on by taxi to Stanley and Montaza.