Sightseeing in Corsica - what to see. A complete guide to iconic places. The sea bay of Solenzara. A Brief History of Corsica
Old Corsica is still preserved there.
In the southwest, not far from the coast, stretches a mountain range of granite, cut by deep gorges. A fortress and dolmens related to ancient civilization, to the second millennium BC. In the very south is the city of Bonifacio, built in the 13th century and still retaining its original appearance.
It is located on a limestone cape, which is a fortress created by nature itself.
Wanting to protect the city from the raids of the Saracens, one noble Tuscan, Boniface, built a citadel there in 829, which has been completely preserved to our time. It leads to the same suspension bridge as six centuries ago.
In addition to Bonifacio, you will meet many other fortresses on your way. They testify to long wars. Like any blessed land, Corsica throughout its history attracted conquerors, from whom it desperately defended itself. The Etruscans were the first to occupy it. They were followed by the Romans, Saracens, Pisans, Genoese, even Muslim pirates. In 1736, a certain adventurer Theodor Nöhof landed here and proclaimed himself king. The then owners of the island, the Genoese, expel him with the help of the French expeditionary force and try to strengthen their dominance, but Corsica, which had long dreamed of independence, raises an uprising, led by Pascal Paoli, one of its great heroes. Finally, she is free, but not for long. In 1768 France buys the island from Genoa. On May 8, 1769, the Corsican patriots at Ponte Nuovo retreat before the French troops. "Isle of Beauty" from now on falls under the tutelage of the French kingdom. A few months later, Napoleon was born here...
The conquerors left traces of their stay on the island. So, - the commercial capital of Corsica - a typical Genoese city.
The fortress (bastiglia), which gives it its name, rises above the old port with two dams, it is so large that it forms an entire city block.
apart from the governor's palace, there are quite a few monuments of antiquity, streets where houses are crowded in a charming mess, fanned by a cool breeze, squares, whimsical play of light and shadow give Bastia an extraordinary charm.
Traces of Genoese rule are visible in Saint-Florent, a town built on a promontory, in the very center of the bay, well protected from the winds. This cape is all indented with canals and resembles the most beautiful islands Adriatic, such as the island of Torcello. Fragile-looking bridges with an amazing curve line are thrown across canals and rivers: such is the Genoese bridge in Ota Spelunka, near the Gulf of Porto.
However, nature here is in no way inferior to architecture. In the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio, on the Palombaggia peninsula, tourists are waiting for golden beaches, amazing blue skies and seas that change color from green to blue, depending on the sunlight; coolness in the shade of dunes and umbrella pines. In the west of Corsica, the cliffs of Pian protrude into the sea, their granite masses rise to a height of three hundred meters, they look like an enchanted city with bizarre heaps of towers, walls, ramparts, flaming in the rays of the setting sun. Climbing up to the fiery red peaks blazing on the horizon, the bush-poppies climb up the mountain.
From Porto-Vecchio, a steep, winding road rises uphill. It's extraordinarily beautiful here. The fragrant pine forest is interspersed with high colorful rocks. In the sea, far on the horizon, you can see Sardinia. The forests of Ospedal stretch to the Bavela pass, which is located at an altitude of two thousand meters. Here the mountain is torn open like a giant open wound. The earth is completely strewn with fragments rocks. The hollows around the plateau look like deep dark lakes.
This mountain road is almost impassable and mysterious. It resembles mysterious paths from old fairy tales. Whoever overcomes its narrow steep turns and the chaos of stones will be rewarded a hundred times with the amazing sight that opens up to the gaze at the mountain passes of Vacchia, Verde, Ghisoni, Korba ... But the city with impregnable walls that has climbed onto a rock is Corte.
Here, together with his government, was from 1755 to 1769 Pascal Paoli. You can wander for a long time along the cobblestone streets of this ancient, quiet city, admiring its austere beauty. Around Corte extends the regional reserve with the gorges of Restonica and Tavignano, and at an altitude of two thousand meters are the amazingly beautiful lakes of Melo and Capitello. Above them rises the top of Monte Rotondo (more than 2600 meters).
There are many other attractions along the coast. This is the magnificent Ile-Rousse, friendly, Balagne region with olive orchards.
Towns and villages seem to be dormant, maddened by the summer heat. The light, the special transparency of the air will make you remember the happy Arcadia that Poussin wrote.
The ancient formidable fortress of Algaiola has long been a peaceful monument, and Lumio, with its Tuscan climate, seems completely untouched by time.
Lovers of the Romanesque style will be delighted with the cathedral in Nebbio, a magnificent building, executed in the spirit of Pisan architecture. In the mountains, behind Saint-Florent, is the church of Saint-Michel de Murato.
This building belongs to XII century, primitive in architecture, but distinguished by a surprisingly beautiful and whimsical design. Its walls, built of multi-colored stones, collected in a bizarre disorder, form a magnificent mosaic. It is crowned with a bell, unexpected for this style. In this church there is a mystery and poetry that you find in the paintings of the Sienese Middle Ages. It is difficult to imagine anything more charming and close in spirit to the colorful, as in a kaleidoscope, landscapes of the island.
Can the ancient warriors buried in the dolmens of the Tizzano Valley be considered the ancestors of those for whom the famous Corsican mourners mourn in our time, singing for years their glorious death from vendetta - the cruel but immutable law of honor and death?
Who knows? Corsica, which the Greeks called "the most beautiful", has always had a special destiny. Its strange geography, its turbulent history, replete with hardships and injustices, forged a passionate and silent people, little by little beginning to realize the originality of their character and way of life.
Outside of Corsica, little is known about the Corsicans. Therefore, the idea of them, as well as of other inhabitants of the Mediterranean, is usually formed on the basis of common stereotypes, which sometimes prevents those who first come to this island from seeing Corsica for what it is.
What didn’t they say about Corsica and its inhabitants! Corsicans were considered defiant, proud and wild. True, the folklore of the island allowed the traveler who came from the continent - "a man in a pointed hat", as the Corsicans called foreigners - to make the most colorful - for every taste - idea of \u200b\u200bthis region. This did not escape Merimee, who, however, cannot be reproached for having sinned greatly against the truth. Colomba was exactly as he described it, and modern old Corsican women still remember stories like his novella. In ancient times, the Romans refused Corsican slaves because of their rebelliousness. And can we forget that Corsica was the first French territory to be liberated in 1943 from the Nazis. If Corsicans as an ethnic type exist today, it means that they managed to create that national character who helped them save face. And that doesn't happen very often. Corsica - beautiful and harsh land, and those who live here are remarkably like her. Man and earth are inseparable here.
But life does not stand still, and Corsica is involved in a universal whirlpool. On the Island of Beauty, tourists first of all go along a steep, crumbling path to one of the most distant villages - Sari d "Orsino, in the mountains above Ajaccio. Corsica is both Napoleon and the rocky Cape Nonza with a fortress on top that it defended from the French just one person: a shepherd tending his flocks, and the lighthouse of Sanguinaire, famous by Daudet, and three red islands - Sanguiners, on which the waves tirelessly beat, and in the summer at sunset they take on the most fantastic colors, from red to purple.
The Lighthouse of Sanguinaire and The Death of the Frisky, included in Alphonse Daudet's Letters from the Mill, are considered among the most interesting literary works inspired by Corsica; here you can add "Colomba" and "Matteo Falcone" Merimee. But Corsica, like Brittany, is, first of all, the originality of the mental make-up of people, inseparable from this land. The desire to protect this originality from everything that the modern world imposes is the main problem that worries Corsicans today.
And the most beautiful, considered the best in France. Corsica is, first of all, incredible nature in all the splendor and picturesqueness of the Mediterranean.
10 most beautiful places in Corsica:
Here are 10 must-see attractions in Corsica!
10 - ARCHIPELAGO SANGUINAIRES
Sanguinaires are porphyry islands at the entrance to the bay. A magnificent maritime classified attraction, now converted into a home to many birds and over 150 plant species. A cult place where you can admire the incredible sunsets that paint the islands in ocher color.
9 - AIGUILLES DE BAVELLA
From the Bavella Pass, at an altitude of 1218 meters above sea level, opens the most beautiful panorama to the mountains of Aiguilles. These porphyry mountains feature characteristic jagged peaks surrounded by cedar forests. At the foot of the mountains is a small village with the same name - Bavella, just an hour's drive from Porto-Vecchio. Bavella has been one of the main tourist places for lovers of mountain tourism.
8 - CALVI
With its citadel, port, cobbled streets and waterfront, it is full of historical treasures worth seeing. The best view of the Genoese city, the port and the Mediterranean Sea opens from the fortress walls of the citadel. – an ideal place to travel around the region Balagne full of cultural and natural attractions.
7 - BONIFACIO and LAVEZZI
At the southernmost tip, located on a sheer limestone cliff, a fortified town (in the Corsican dialect - Bunifaziu) boasts an incredible panorama. From you can go on a cruise ship to: these are about a hundred small islands that create an ensemble, which has been turned into a reserve since 1982, with magnificent, cult places.
6 - DÉSERT DES AGRIATES
nestled between Balagne and, on the northwest coast of Corsica, this wild and rocky region is the perfect place for lovers of swimming and hiking. Snow-white heavenly, surrounded untouched nature like Lotu Beach…
5-GIROLATA
village Girolata- this is the lost paradise of the Island of Beauty! Girolata, located in the center of the reserve, in the bay of the same name, can only be reached by sea or by boat. mountain path. Known for its Genoese tower, this picturesque village overlooks one of the most beautiful bays in Corsica with magnificent scenery.
4-RÉSERVE NATURELLE DE LA PRESQU'ÎLE DE SCANDOLA
A natural treasure covering an area of about 2000 hectares, Scandola National Reserve was established in 1975, becoming the first to include land and sea. In the reserve, you can admire unique landscapes, such as volcanic pillars, which, by a natural miracle, are turned into a horizontal state. With its turquoise water and lush vegetation, it is a heavenly place with absolutely untouched nature.
3 - PALOMBAGGIA
A wide strip of white sand, framed by cedars, Palombaggia considered one of Corsica. Swimming here is like tropical paradise with crystal clean water, even despite the numerous tourists in the high season.
2 - GORGES PRUNELLI
The Prunelli Valley, located in the heart of the Corsican forests, is full of amazing panoramas. In addition to the magnificent mountain scenery, here along the river you will find several swimming spots, as well as numerous hiking trails with attractions such as pozzines behind the ridge of Scaldasole or the beautiful lake Tolla.
1 - CALANQUES DE PIANA
village Piana, whose pink granite houses overlook the sea, is known for its unique bays with red granite sculptures, sometimes taking on strange shapes. The most magnificent is included in the s, covered with legends, inspired many writers and artists with its amazing.
Europeans have long known the natural beauty of Corsica. When the Greeks first saw mountain island against a sparkling background blue sea, they called it “Kallisté” (the most beautiful).
While the French have been holidaying in Corsica for centuries, many Americans have yet to discover this magical place in many ways. The fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, Corsica is a delightful port city, with towering mountains and incredible coastlines, sandy beaches and medieval cities. Corsica also has a fascinating history, with its cultural influences from Italy, North Africa and France. Many locals speak an Italian dialect, although the island is French and religious processions still pass through the cobbled streets.
So grab your hiking boots, bathing suit, and evening gown for a walk along Corsica's bustling harbor.
Bonifacio:
The ancient fortress of Bonifacio, located on limestone cliffs along mediterranean sea, is one of the most beautiful places in Corsica. Founded in the 9th century by Pope Boniface II in Tuscany, the city is a delightful maze of cobbled streets lined with old stone houses, open-air cafes, and shops selling honey, cheese, wine, and other Corsican specialties.
Carved into the chalk white cliffs, this magnificent diagonal staircase leads from the top of Bonifacio to a hidden well. According to legend, in a futile attempt to capture the city, the Aragonese soldiers allegedly made 187 stairs in one night. But like many stories on the island of Corsica, it's hard to know if it's true or not.
This stunning nature reserve is a world heritage Unesco, and worldwide famous for its Calanche de Piana - dramatic red granite slabs that jut out of the sea and change color with sunset and sunrise, and the Genoese watchtower on top of the cliff. There are daily boat trips to the seaside town, but you can also explore the landscape on foot. Also in the area of the Scandola nature reserve, one of the most unspoiled places in Corsica. Because of its isolation, it has an amazing variety of marine life, offering some of the best snorkeling and diving in Corsica.
Commune of Piana
Nestled in the mountains overlooking the shimmering Gulf of Porto, Piana is one of the most beautiful villages in France. picturesque village borders on the reserves of the Calanques, and its beds of bed flowers, narrow streets and squares of the city, make it a very attractive place for walking and stopping for lunch.
Located off the coast of Bonifacio, these outlying islands are something of a paradise. With their abundant marine life on the island, snorkeling and scuba diving are theirs. calling card. There are secluded beaches for sunbathers. You can book a tour of Lavezzi at motor boat, but tours depart daily from the port of Bonifacio.
This stylish resort is popular with Italian tourists and has some of the most beautiful beaches in Corsica, including Palombaggia, Tamaricciu, and Santa Giulia. If you want a completely different kind of travel, then head inland to explore mountain region Alta Roca, with its gorges, rivers and waterfalls.
Grand Randon 20
One of the most famous tourist routes in Europe, Grand Randon stretches over 100 miles along the Corsican Island. The route is quite difficult, and that is why few tourists have seen it. It passes through the wilderness of a glacial lake and dense forests, with glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea. Along the route you will meet huts for tourists, or you can use a guide.
Corsicans say about their lively and vibrant island: Corsica was often conquered, but never subjugated. Previously ruled by Pisa, Genoa and France, today Corsica enjoys a special status. And it is special in everything: a mountain in the middle of the sea, an "island of beauty", Corsica is surprisingly diverse in terms of landscapes, and its relative freedom from hordes of tourists and industrial enterprises allows the island to still remain one of the most precious pearls of the Mediterranean. There are many on the island magnificent landscapes, beautiful bays, interesting sights, clean beaches and figures of Napoleon. But who is still few there - it's tourists from Russia.
The tourist attraction of Corsica is, first of all, the sea (beach, diving, sailing), and secondly - the mountains ( hiking, in particular the famous GR 20 route network). Most of the guests arrive on the island in the summer, especially in August: in this month the number of tourists doubles and triples compared to July (when there are already a lot of them here). Therefore, if your vacation falls in August - book everything as far in advance as you can.
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How to get there
Flight to Paris or Nice, then - domestic airlines to Ajaccio, Bastia, Figari and Calvi (about 1.5 hours) or by NGV ferry from Nice or Marseille (about three hours). It is also possible to fly bypassing France as a connection point: for example, with Lufthansa via Frankfurt.
Ferries connect Corsica with Nice, Marseille and Toulon, and from April to October - also with Italian ports: Genoa and Livorno. Small boats scurry across the channel between Bonifaccio and Sardinia from April to September.
Search for flights to Ajaccio (nearest airport to Corsica)
Weather in Corsica
The island has always warm and dry summers, moderate winters, a lot of sun and little rain. Average annual temperature- about +20 °C, and in summer the heat can reach +36 °C. Most best month for holiday it is september, but it is almost impossible to confirm hotel rooms at this time.
Popular hotels in Corsica
Cuisine of Corsica
A gastronomic journey through Corsica should start from the market in Ajaccio. The freshest seafood can be thoroughly explored at the morning fish market, the abundance of which many Mediterranean people can envy. port cities: stingray, tuna, gurnard, trout, sardines, swordfish, lobsters, anchovies, etc. On weekends, the port sets up its tents and the market of local delicacies. Due to the proximity of Sardinia, here you can taste both Corsican and Sardinian goodies. Vendors will generously offer you to taste raw smoked sausages with pepper and spices, coppa and prizuttu hams, figatellu liver sausages, brocciu, soft fat cheese made from sheep's milk, numerous varieties of honey (floral, chestnut, summer fruit, citrus), strawberry and fig jams and, of course well, still warm sweet pastries and local hand-made bread. Corsican olive oil is best bought at the markets in Saint Lucie de Tallano in March and Montegrosso in July.
In the menu of a restaurant or a small cafe, you should look for chestnut soup with onions and garlic in meat broth, dishes with young goat meat, panzetta bacon with egg and baked potatoes, scrambled eggs with mint and brocciu cheese. The most popular delicacy among the Corsicans themselves is liver sausage, fried over an open fire.
Place of honor in Corsican culinary tradition holds a sweet chestnut. Soups, bread, all kinds of desserts and pastries, beer, liquor, side dishes are prepared from it. And the local mandarin is especially sweet and is an indispensable ingredient in Christmas pudding.
Corsica also boasts its own distinctive wines: light red wines with notes of flowers, fruit and coffee, made from the Sciaccarelli variety, rich red wines with aromas of fruits, licorice and violets (Niellucciu variety, Patrimonio region), dry white wines of a greenish-yellow hue, aromatic halftones of apples, almonds and flowers (variety Vermentinu). 8 regions of the island also produce fortified orange, tangerine, plum and nut wines, mint, myrtle, strawberry, chestnut liqueurs, Cap Corse cinchona aperitif and a local variety of vodka - aquavita ("Living Water").
Due to the long Genoese rule and proximity to Sardinia, a special Corsican dialect still exists on the island, the phonetic basis of which is Italian dialects, and the lexical content is modern French.
Entertainment and attractions of Corsica
Corsica has a lot of old pretty towns which will be able to dispel the boredom of holidaymakers. For example, on the west coast, Saint-Florent stands out with a stormy nightlife and many street cafes.
The city of Corte is the "heart" of all Corsican history. It's lively resort town With big amount higher educational institutions, in which more than 4 thousand students study in total. No less famous is Propriano, where all types of recreation are at the service of tourists: boat trips, sports activities, restaurants, shopping, excursions. 15 km from it is ancient city Sartene, which gained fame thanks to the ancient Christian ceremony that takes place here annually - the catenacciu procession, when the penitents, barefoot and in chains, carry a wooden cross through the Old Town to the local Calvary. Another pretty town of Porto-Vecchio lies northwest of Bonifacio. It is famous for its cozy bays and clean beaches.
Citadels and fortresses
The long Genoese rule left a memory of itself in the many fortifications of the island. The majestic citadels of Bastia, Calvi and Bonifacio have already acquired modern serenity with their leisurely coffee houses, antique shops and artistic studios, but from the sea they still amaze the imagination with their harsh stone power. The Nonza tower on Cape Corsica and the Capitello tower in the Gulf of Ajaccio are considered remarkable examples of the era. Bastion Corte is a particularly rare specimen: it was built by the squires of medieval Corsica.
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Attractions prehistoric
The historical site of Filitosa is a huge park of a prehistoric settlement discovered in 1975. Here you can see spherical stone cave houses - dolmens, defensive structures, blocks-statues of ancient warriors - menhirs and a park of "dinosaurs" (huge darkened boulders that, when viewed from different sides take the shape of fossil giants). The park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and dates back to around 6000 BC. e.
Reserves and diving
Eastern Corsica is notable for chestnut groves stretching from Bastia in the north to Solenzar in the southeast. The beautiful Buguglia nature reserve is located here, and mussels and oysters are bred in the reservoirs of Aleria. Here you can dive wonderfully, but amateur marine hunting for crustaceans and coral mining is prohibited. In two nature reserves- The scandal between Calvi and Porto and on the islands of Lavezzi in the southernmost part of the island, absolutely everything under water is under protection.
The island also has a number of special attractions - for diving enthusiasts. At east coast near the town of Campoloro, the ship ALCIONE, launched in 1915, sank (the length of the object is 54 m, the maximum depth is 35 m). In the Ajaccio area, not far from Cape Castagna, you can find the 60-meter La Meuliere built in 1918 (maximum depth - 11 m), the twin-engine Vickers Viking aircraft rests in the Mortoli Bay, and the citadel of the city of Calvi "warmed up" near the side of the "flying fortress" ( B-17) during the Second World War. The surroundings of Bonifacio near the islands of lle Cavallo, lles Perduto and lle Lavezzi offer many dive sites. Here you can find large groupers, flocks of barracudas and red corals. And the visibility of the order of 30 m gives the feeling of a real flight. For beginners, comfortable uncrowded beaches in Bonifacio Bay are suitable.
Leisure
Corsica is also an ideal landscape for lovers mountain walks and extreme. mountain range The island, stretching from northwest to southeast, has 20 peaks over 2 thousand meters above sea level, the most majestic of which is Mount Sinto (2710 m). It is full of centuries-old trails adapted for hiking and horseback riding. The most famous GR20 leads from Calenzana to Conca (about 20 km) and requires about 10-15 days of travel, during which you can observe many magnificent landscapes: slopes strewn with strawberries, junipers, heather and myrtle, azure lakes and winding valleys river arms. Local equestrian centers have many programs of various formats: from one-hour walks and one-day routes to multi-day trips with overnight stops in cozy chalets.
From others active entertainment: sea kayaking around the cape of Corsica, a trip through the Agriates desert, boat trips, fishing, scuba diving, mountain hiking all over the island (on foot or on horseback), canoeing on mountain rivers.
Holidays and festivals
But you will not recognize the real Corsica if you do not visit one of the city or country holidays, during which the traditional entertainments of the Roman and Genoese courts return, melodic Corsican songs sound and, of course, moresque and quadrille are performed. On August 12, the inhabitants of the canton of Piogiolle compete for the title of the best bell ringer, on August 25, village violinists of the island gather in Sermano, whose traditional chansons are accompanied by folk costumed festivities with singing and street quadrille, and at the beginning of September, at the fair in Niolo, real, like in the era of knightly tournaments, are organized poetry competition.
Corsica is the largest French island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administrative center in the city of Ajaccio is famous as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The island has five reserves with untouched natural environment and "International marine park". Favorable climate and ecologically clean coast attract lovers beach holiday, hiking, diving, sailing. Fans of sightseeing tours will be interested in unique archaeological sites, historical and cultural monuments.
The central part of the island is recognized as a unique natural ecosystem and is closed to any economic activity. Hiking trails of varying difficulty run through the park. The longest one is GR20.
The "big trip" covers a distance of almost 180 km and stretches from north to south of the island along mountain passes allowing you to see a variety of natural attractions. On the way, tourists are waiting for unique landscape views, birch and pine forests, chestnut groves, waterfalls, swimming and fishing in the purest mountain lakes and rivers.
The height of Monte Cinto, the highest point in Corsica, is 2706 m. From its top you can see the Gulf of Ajaccio, the coast of Aleria, Monte Rotondo, West Coast Corsica and Elba. The slopes are traditionally used by fans of alpine skiing.
In the foothills and surroundings you can see unique forests with black pines, chestnut plantations, four glacial lakes. All natural attractions lie on the path of tourist routes of various levels of complexity.
Scandola peninsula in the west of Corsica, like most of the island has an age of about 250 million years. The protected area of the park is 12 thousand ha coastal zone and coastal waters. Sights include granite cliffs up to 300 meters high, painted in unusual bright colors, bizarre grottoes and caves.
The rocky shore has become a haven for several dozen species of birds. In coastal waters, there are up to 400 varieties of algae. Thanks to this, the colony of inhabitants underwater world in the area of the peninsula is unique and has more than 200 species. Here you can watch the life of seals or turtles in natural environment habitats, admire the dolphins. To avoid formalities, tourists are offered trips on sightseeing boats, which provide the possibility of diving and going ashore.
The coast of Corsica is indented with bays, grottoes and caves. In the Banifacio area, tourists can see the huge underground halls created by nature. Light filtering through cracks in the ceiling gives the underground cavities a majestic and somewhat ominous appearance. Perfect clear water, due to the color of the algae, has a purple hue.
You can get inside only from the sea, which was traditionally used by smugglers and lovers of marine profit. Tour boats depart daily to the caves. Along the way, you can visit the caves of Napoleon, the silhouette of which resembles an imperial cocked hat.
Archaeological monuments of the II-IV millennium BC have been preserved on the island. in the form of statues-menhirs. Carved from stone, the statues are covered with carvings, giving each idol an outward distinction. The drawings suggest that these are warriors with weapons in their hands, created by the ancient inhabitants of the island around 1500 BC. Menhirs belong to the late period of the Stone Age and the early period of the Bronze Age.
In Felitos, more ancient finds of fragments of ceramics, arrowheads dating back to the period of 3300 BC were also found. Near the complex grows a unique olive tree, whose age is about 2 thousand years. All objects are provided with accompanying plates in French and English, audio guides. The site is illuminated in the evening.
"Devil's Shop" - prehistoric dolmens
Not far from the Felitosa Museum is an open-air complex with unusual architectural structures prehistoric times. The Stationo del Diablo or "Devil's Shop" is sometimes referred to as Fontanaccia. On it, and the nearby territories of Palagio, Stantari, Renagio, there are about three hundred dolmens of the bronze historical period.
The ancient buildings are well preserved. Multi-ton structures amaze the imagination of modern man with their size. stone statues are located throughout the island, but the largest number is located in the south.
The fortress was built in the 9th century. Count Boniface II of Tuscany, who fought against the Saracens. The citadel for several centuries regularly performed protective functions. defensive structure looks very impressive by today's standards. Particularly striking is the thickness of the walls and the observation guard tower, the height of which reaches 35 meters.
The structure built in 1195 is perfectly preserved. The impression is enhanced by the presence of ancient cast-iron cannons, witnesses of the military past of the fortress. The inner part is a labyrinth of narrow lanes adapted for trade, restaurants, eateries. From the observation decks you can see the Italian island of Sardinia.
The famous steep descent of 187 steps leading from one of the areas of Banifacio to the coastline is a unique man-made monument dating back to 1420. According to one version, the staircase was created by subjects of the King of Aragon. The soldiers of his army, deprived of a source of fresh water, coped with the task in one night. According to another version, the staircase carved right into the rock was created by the monks of the Franciscan order. Particularly good unique object visible from the sea, and allows you to imagine the grandeur of the work done.
Bonoparte Museum in Ajaccia
A museum of the great commander has been created in the family mansion of the Bonaparte family. Authentic interiors, furniture and artefacts give visitors the opportunity to experience the atmosphere in which Napoleon was born and raised. As emperor, he returned here only once in 1799, after the Egyptian company.
The exposition includes documents, weapons, clothing, insignia, awards, a diagram of the Bonaparte family tree and the emperor's death mask. The showcases contain attributes of the era of his reign: banknotes, coins, cards. You can explore the museum on your own with an audio guide.
Location: Rue Saint-Charles.
The exposition is made up of works of art that belonged to Cardinal Fesch. Throughout his life, Joseph Fesch, a close relative of Napoleon, collected paintings by famous artists with historical and religious subjects. As a result, his collection is second in number and importance only to the Louvre collection.
Visitors can see works by Botticelli, Titian, Bellini, Veronese, Lorenze de Credi. Along with the main one, there are temporary exhibition halls and an exhibition of the Corsican school of painting. The museum building houses a functioning library. The funeral chapel of the Bonaparte family clan is available to visitors.
Location: 50-52 Rue Cardinal Fesch, Ajaccio.
Beach holidays in Corsica are the most developed area of the island's tourism industry. This is due to the unique natural features and good ecology of the coast. Palombaggia beach is characterized by a combination of sandy coastal area, surrounded by beautiful scenery and developed infrastructure.
Huge sprawling pines grow along the line with golden sand, under the crowns of which it is comfortable to rest even in the hottest hours. The landscape is complemented by red rocks and the calm rhythm of the sea. Here you can do anything water sports sports. Excursion boats run from Palombaggio to Porto Vecchio and the marine reserves.
In the zone of the ecological park, on the shore of the Rokkapina Bay, there is wild beach. It is famous for its snow-white sandy shore and gentle slope to the sea. The coastline is surrounded by mountainous hills covered with dense forest.
Silhouettes of rocks of a bizarre shape are called the Lion of Roccapin. At the top is a 16th-century watchtower that offers panoramic views of the ocean and the nearby Italian island of Sardinia. Despite the lack of infrastructure, the place is popular with beach lovers. Camping Arepos-Rakkapin is located nearby. The nearest cities to the bay are Propriano and Bonifacio.
