Balcony villages

On the heights of the city, they give to the Bastiais hinterland its true character. The villages of Cardu, Santa Maria di Lota, San Martinu di Lota, Ville di Petrabugnu and Furiani, reflect the Corsican rural world of yesteryear through their traditional habitat, on the hillsides between the sea and the mountains.

By taking the paved alleys which meander formerly inheritance, the visitor discovers parts of Corsican rural life of yesteryear. Behind the facades of ordinary appearance, treasures are well hidden: “paisoli” (small hamlets) are revealed through the chestnut trees and the fragrant maquis, scattered in the forest of Pieve di Lota and in the middle of the cultivated terraces.

Here, authenticity has withstood time. From baroque churches to Romanesque sanctuaries, these picturesque balcony villages with a rich heritage can be discovered by walking along the delineated hiking paths that have built the historical link between plains, towns and mountains. They are the ones who lead nature lovers to the ancient “glaciers” of Cardu (E Nivere) and to the promontories that offer splendid views of Bastia.

Places steeped in history, which plunge visitors into the centuries that have made the richness of this territory and speak of those who inhabit it. Another reason to go and taste this authentic Corsica, in the center of villages.