By Johanna the 15/06/2020

The Bastiais Country - Bastia Capicorsu

The Bastian Country consists of four Communities of Communes: the Agglomeration Community of Bastia, the Community of Communes of Marana Golu, the Conca d’Oru Nebbiu, and the Corsican Cape. Every Community of the Communes has its own special characteristic, in particular from a geographic point of view: pass from sea to mountain in a few kilometres and discover a broad palette of landscapes.

Dolce vita in Bastia city of Art and history

First let’s discover Bastia, a city of Art and History founded by the Genoese in 1381. Bastia, where you can live la Dolce Vita all year long: first of all, the Place Saint Nicolas and its music kiosk, its statue of Napoleon, its colourful façades and café terraces and restaurants in the shade of sycamore trees. A little further past the old port, its fishermen and its direct sales fish market ... a warm, convivial ambiance lingers here. Then discover the authentic Citadel Quarter that you can reach effortlessly, take the elevator in the Espace Mantinum, a cultural and festive area inaugurated in 2020. For the most curious among you, a visit to the Museum of Bastia, located in the old Palais des Gouverneurs imposes: Paintings, sculptures, furniture and artefacts recount seven centuries of town and Corsican history. Some of the paintings in the Cardinal Fesch collection left to Bastia upon his death also comprises a Museum of Fine Arts, revealing a real panorama of Italian paintings from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Then take a walk to the Romieu Gardens, a haven of peace in the heart of the city, and head for the town centre and its market streets. In Bastia you will find fashion boutique along the main artery, the boulevard Paoli, as well as in the rue Napoléon where boutiques by Corsican designers rival those of the greatest: jewellery, décor, clothing, the name “made in Corsica” is becoming more and more renowned. And you can’t fail to notice these timeless and old-fashioned homes that have crossed the century, giving added charm to this roadway. Bastia also has a significant religious heritage: there are many churches waiting to discover: Saint Jean Baptiste (the largest in Corsica), Santa Maria Assunta, Sainte Croix and its Black Christ, Saint Roch or even the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception. For the foodies among you, a tour of the market will be a real treat! Sweet or savoury fritelles, panzarotti, cheeses, charcuterie, migliacci, falculelle, and that’s just to pique your interest.

The surroundings near the town invite the pleasures of bathing with the landscaped beach of the Arinella and the joys of nautical activities.

The perched villages and Cap Corse

Because it is surrounded by a nature preserve, Bastia also offers you magnificent promenades in the scrubland where you’ll discover fountains, rural oratories, ice houses dating from the eighteenth century and unobstructed views of the islands of Elbe and Capraia right in front. Explore the balcony villages like San Martino di Lota and its church dedicated to Saint Martin, or even Santa Maria di Lota and the City of Pietrabugno (where the hikes to the glaciers start). Further south, the village of Furiani and its houses with high façades, also known thanks to its eponymous stadium and to the installations of the Pietra factory, the famous Corsican chestnut beer. You can also discover the Corsican Cape which has a building heritage that is rich and full of history: fishing ports, churches, oil mills, Genoese towers, traditional village houses made of ancient stones, elegant façades of the famous “American houses” and their tombs, which are veritable mausoleums. Make the rounds of the region and stop at Erbalunga which is known for its tower, Macinaggio and the start of the Douaniers [Customs Agents’] Trail, Centuri and its fishing port, Pino and its 14 American Palazzi or Nonza and its Church of Saint Julie and its black pebble beach.

The Conca d'Oru and the Nebbiu ... Petanque, hiking and lazing by the water

Once you’ve made the rounds of Cape Corsica you will find yourself in the region of the Conca d’Oru Nebbiu with Saint Florent in the shape of a prow. In the depths of the gulf of the same name, this little fishing port is today a fashionable place. A lively nightlife around the Port de Plaisance, celebrities playing lawn bowls, terraces with cafés where you can see and be seen. Wander around the old city, discover the citadel, a monument from the Genoese era that should not be missed, and it’s just a hop, skip and jump to the beautiful Roman church of Santa-Maria Assunta, before taking an aperitif in the Place des Portes.

Saint-Florent is the starting point for the Littoral trail that traces the coast of Agriates, totally protected over 40 kilometres par le Littoral Protected Area. In spring, the scrubland exhales all its perfumes at the edge of the splendid beaches of Roya, Lodo and Saleccia, cross it on foot, on horseback or by bike. The village of Patrimonio, a few minutes from there and its famous AOC wines, which include reds, whites and rosés, also offer two sweet wines. Give yourself a moment of tranquillity in the middle of the grapevines during a promenade on an electric bike. The Church of Saint Martin is also a must-see. End your tour of the Conca d’Oru Nebbiu with the villages of Oletta and its mill, Murato and its Pisan church of Saint Michel, recognisable among thousands thanks to its multicolour stones, or Farinola and its fine sand beach.

Marana Golo: an exceptional natural and heritage heritage

In the north of Bastia, the region of Marana Golu and its immense beach, the pond in Biguglia, a protected natural reserve, where pink flamingos, kingfishers, moorhens and coots who have chosen to live there practically all year … Discover the village of Borgo, a high point in the history of Corsica, where French army troops were beaten by Pasquale Paoli’s men in 1768, as well as the village of Furiani, well known for its eponymous stadium and its team that won the French Cup in 1981.

Cordon Lagunaire de la Marana ©OT Marana Golo

Vue réserve naturelle de Biguglia ©OT Marana Golo

Whether you’re traveling with friends, by yourself, with your family or as a couple, Corsica offers you a multitude of visits and activities to enjoy all year long. Get inspired with our “Best Of” the unmissable features of Central Corsica:

Must-sees :

The Place des Portes [Doors Square] and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Saint Florent, the village of Murato and its Cathedral Saint Michel, the grapevines of Patrimonio and the Church of San Martino, the beaches of Nebbiu (Saleccia and Lodu, and so many others each one more beautiful than the last), the Genoese towers of Cape Corsica, Nonza and its black pebble beach and its Cathedral of Saint Julie, Biguglia Pond, its preserved fauna and flora, the Citadel of Bastia and the Governors’ Palace, the old port and its fishermen, the Place Saint Nicolas, the Church of Saint Jean Baptiste