Every summer since 2012, residents of Nice, people from the Côte d’Azur, and tourists have the opportunity to reconnect with the tradition of the “Passagin.” It was on May 16, 2021, that the service was once again set up.
In 10 years, nearly 460,000 passengers have been transported on this boat named “la Ratapignata” (the bat in Niçois). This year again, the Department of Alpes-Maritimes is implementing this historic service throughout the summer. “Lou Passagin” provides the connection between the two sides of Port Lympia, meaning the Infernet and Entrecasteaux quays.
This passagin was initially created in the 1920s to allow dockworkers to cross the port. It was later discontinued in the 1960s. Today, the boat has been transformed into a “pointu,” a traditional fishing boat emblematic of Mediterranean Provence, which operates with two electric motors.
Eric Ciotti, the deputy from the Alpes-Maritimes, launched this first crossing of 2022:
“Lou Passagin is a beautiful story that reconnects with memory, but it is also a real transport line that shortens the journeys for people living on either side of the port. There is a real utility, and this reopening, as every year, was highly anticipated. We are happy to have completed the first crossing of the season.”
