Holidays in Corte
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Welcome to Corte !
It is impossible to talk about Corte without starting by mentioning Pascal Paoli, a character indelibly inscribed on the memory of Corsicans. Elected General of the Corsican Nation in 1755, Pascal Paoli was responsible for drawing up the democratic constitution, creating a national printing works and a university which today has 4,000 students.
Corte was the capital of Corsica when it was independent. Situated between Ajaccio and Bastia, it has a proud citadel perched on the top of a rocky crag like an eagle’s nest, overlooking a labyrinth of narrow streets and old houses with tiled roofs, surrounded by hills with lush green vegetation.
Sight-seeing in Corte
The Musée Régional d'Anthropologie de la Corse is housed in the Citadel. This museum is devoted to the history of Corsica, its traditions and culture.
For a great view of the Citadel in Corte, climb the shedload of steps to Belvédère to be rewarded with a panoramic view of the town as well as the valleys of Restonica and Tavignano.
Place Gaffori is a good place to soak up the atmosphere of the town as you contemplate the facade of a building (a listed monument) which bears holes made by shots fired during the Siege of Corte in 1750.
Your tour of Corte will take you to the Place d’Armes and the Place Paoli with its bronze statue. The church de l’Annonciation was built in 1450 and is well worth a visit. The Palazzu Nazionale was the former Genoese Governor’s Residence which was the seat of Pascal Paoli’s government between 1755 and 1769 and also housed the first university in Corsica.
In and around Corte
After visiting the historical attractions of Corte and walked around its streets and alleyways, don’t hesitate to go a little further as the area around Corte has many surprises in store.
The road through the Gorges de la Restonica runs alongside the fast-flowing mountain river for around 17km to the Bergeries des Grotelle, starting point of the hike around the lakes of Melu, Capitellu, Gori and several others on the Massif du Rotondu, the second highest peak on the island at 2,625 metres. The particularly clear waters of the River Restonica (from the Latin ‘res tonica’, lively nature) make their way through the brown and white rocks and a forest of pine trees. On the way you pass numerous ‘auberges’, some with an excellent reputation and at the end of the path, an hour and a half from the Bergeries des Grotelle, you arrive at famous Lac du Melu which often has more than a thousand visitors a day during summer.
The Gorges du Tavignano are accessible on foot so you can combine walking and swimming.
Forêt de Vizzavona forest covers more than 1,500 hectares and features the Cascade des Anglais waterfall
Musée Départemental Pascal Paoli at Morosaglia.
Église St-Pierre St-Paul at Piedicroce, 18th century Baroque-style church with the finest organ in Corsica.
Église St-Jean-Baptiste at La Porta, 17th century church with an 18th century bell tower.
Ponte Novu : a Genoese bridge, scene of the historic battle between Pascal Paoli and the French.
Village de Tortues (refuge for Hermann tortoises) in the hamlet of Tizzarella, Castifao.
Villages of Castagniccia
A little extra…
Eagles and mouflon mountain sheep roam freely in the Corte region, hence its nickname of Terre des Bergers (land of shepherds).
How to get to Corte
Corte is easy to get to from Ajaccio (85km) and Bastia (70km) by car or train. The journey through the mountains is a voyage of discovery in itself."
