France, Corsica, Bastia, Terra-Nova And The Old Port At Sunrise, The Bell Tower Of Ste-Marie Church (Center Left)

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Bastia

As France’s second busiest passenger port, after Calais, the dynamic city of Bastia remains lively year-round, and offers a wonderful welcome to Corsica. While it may not have the relaxed charm of its long-term rival Ajaccio, and is home to fewer people, it’s much larger to stroll around, and has the feel of a genuine lived-in city that refuses to sell its soul just to please the tourists.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Bastia Citadel street.

    Terra Nova

    Bastia

    Looming above the harbour, Bastia’s stern-walled citadel was built between the 15th and 17th centuries for the city’s Genoese masters. Known as the Terra…

  • Old port and church of St. John the Baptist in Bastia, Corsica, France.

    Vieux Port

    Bastia

    Bastia’s Vieux Port is ringed by precariously tall, pastel-coloured tenements and buzzy brasseries, and overlooked by the twin-towered Église St-Jean…

  • Terra Vecchia

    Terra Vecchia

    Bastia

    Criss-crossed by narrow lanes, Terra Vecchia is Bastia’s heart and soul. Shady place de l’Hôtel de Ville hosts a lively morning market on Saturday and…

  • The Governors Palace in the citadel, Bastia, Corsica, France.

    Musée de Bastia

    Bastia

    Occupying the former palace of Bastia’s Genoese governors, set into the formidable walls of the citadel, this museum retraces the city’s history from its…

  • Église St-Jean Baptiste

    Église St-Jean Baptiste

    Bastia

    The dramatic twin-towered church of John the Baptist soars majestically above the Vieux Port waterfront. Viewed from the citadel above, it’s the most…

  • Place St-Nicolas

    Place St-Nicolas

    Bastia

    The 19th-century place St-Nicolas, an enormous paved square that sprawls from the ferry port towards the old harbour, is the focus of the everyday life of…

  • Cathédrale Ste-Marie

    Cathédrale Ste-Marie

    Bastia

    Dating from the early 17th century, Bastia's richly ornate cathedral stands in the heart of the citadel. Seven caps hang over the choir, each belonging to…

  • Jardin Romieu

    Jardin Romieu

    Bastia

    Climbing the hillside below the mighty walls of the citadel, and threaded through by interlacing paths and stairways, this wooded park makes a scenic…

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