LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Bastia
built 655 days ago
Bastia is the main port of the island and is situated near Cap Corse in the northeast of the island. The city’s main economic activities are fishing and wine export. Corsican wines have a good reputation and are solid and colourful. Bastia was founded in 1378 as a fortified site, a “Bastia”. The town grew and in the 1480s the ramparts, which today are an important tourist attraction, were completed. Later, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the high town was developed following fashionable Genoese patterns of straight streets in a grid pattern.
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Situated at the northeast of Corsica, Bastia is the island's major commercial centre. Despite this the old town has retained its charm; opulent Baroque churches and crumbling pastel houses line the maze of tightly packed streets and alleyways. The Vieux Port is the most photogenic part of town, where old houses tower above the harbour and the reflections from colourful fishing vessels ripple on the water. The citadel perched high on the headland dominates the other side. The harbour comes alive in the evening when tourists fill the waterside bars and restaurants. The pebble beaches below town tend to be very crowded in summer and sun seekers are advised to head further south where a sandy shore extends for miles down the east coast of the island.
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Touring around the "côte toscane", Bastia has all the charm of old Mediterranean towns with its narrow streets flanked by tall buildings whose understated elegance is inhanced by painted shutters. Founded in 1378 by the Genoese that turned it into the island's capital, its name comes from the "bastille" or fortress that dominates the town. It is a lively place and one where you will enjoy strolling about at will; Place Saint Nicolas and the Place du Marché are both favourites with the local townsfolk and are always full of vibrancy and colour. From here you can tour round the old port by walking down rue Napoleon, looking at the shops and beautiful boutiques as you go. You must stop off and visit the Mattei buildings, creators of the famous Cap Corse aperitf. Other sights to see, this time of a more spiritual nature, are to be found in the chuches that sprang up all over the town during the 17th and 18th centuries. The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Corsica's largest church, and the churches of Sainte-Marie and the Chappelle Sainte Croix will not ail to amaze you with their ornate Baroque interiors.
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Crowded with schoolchildren in the summer, the pebbly town beach in Bastia is only worth visiting if you're desperate for a swim in the fairly clean water. To reach it, go left at the flower shop on the main road south out of town, just beyond the citadelle. A better alternative is the long beach of L'Arinella at Montesoro, a further 1km along the same road, the beginning of a sandy shore that extends along the whole east coast. A bus to L'Arinella leaves from outside Café Riche on boulevard Paoli every twenty minutes; just get off at the last stop and cross the train line to the sea. There are a couple of sailing and windsurfing clubs here, and a bar.
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Bastia is easy to explore on foot. Unfortunately, bus services around Corsica are infrequent, so the best way to see the island is by rail. Destinations from Bastia include Corté and Ajaccio (both four trains daily), and Calvi (two daily). The €47 Carte Zoom grants you a week’s free train travel on the Corsican network. A car is essential for visiting Corsica’s tiny hill villages or coastal resorts, particularly in the rugged Cap Corse region north of Bastia. Avis (40 boulevard Paoli, 04 95 31 95 64), Budget (Port Toga, 04 95 31 77 31) and Europcar (3 rue Chanoine Leschi, 04 95 31 59 29) ... have offices at the airport.
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Located on the northeast coast of Corsica, Bastia was founded in 1380 by the Genoese, who built a fortress to protect it, and Bastia was the capital of Corsica until 1791. The town has several beautiful churches, including the San Giovanni Battiste with its classical facades. The old quarter of the town, known as the Terra Vechhia has many small, winding streets, Baroque churches and is spectacularly set against the maquis-covered hills. Terra Nova is situated on the opposite side of the old port, and is a very tidy, plush area with many cafes, bars and restaurants. The Nouveau Port, created in 1862 to cope with the increasing traffic with France and Italy, became the mainstay of the local economy, and Bastia is now a large commercial centre.
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Bastia