Text Serge Barret / Photos Alain Parinet
First there's the Mediterranean. Blue, as it should be; with, most of the time, a sky to match, whether very early or very late in the season. As a result, in CorsicaThere are long white sandy beaches and secluded coves accessible only by boat. Ideal for business tourism groupss who make the premises their own for chic lunches on white tablecloths. And even more for picnics on red tiles, much more in keeping with the island's pastoral spirit. There's plenty of time for team-building activities and even incentive Olympics.
Then there are the mountains, which have little to envy their marine counterparts when it comes to scenery and places of interest. All the more so as the island's inhabitants were historically much more inclined towards the interior of the island than towards the seaside, once considered far too risky. For Corsica has seen a lot of people come and goIt's been a long time since the Mediterranean was conquered by just about every nation in the world. The Greeks, the Romans, the Vandals, the Goths, the Byzantines, the Franks, the Lombards, the Saracens, the Genoese and finally... the French.
That's a lot, and it certainly leaves its mark. Starting with the multitude of watchtowers, the Genoese towers which, in the XVIeToday, there are 67 of these, more or less well preserved, out of the 85 counted in the 18th century.e. Then there's the sacred architecture, with some of the Pisan and Genoese churches being pure marvels. In the Pisan style, for example, there are Romanesque churches dating back to the 11th century.e and XIIe centuries like that of Saint-Florent.
So, Saint Florent. A sublime gulf, said to be one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean, immense white sandy beaches that are almost deserted out of season; other beaches set in coves only accessible by boat and therefore perfectly suited to corporate operations. The town is charming, a seaside resort in fact, which some have nicknamed, perhaps exaggerating a little - but this is Mediterranean country, isn't it? - the 'little Corsican Saint-Tropez'. There's plenty of that, though, especially around the marina, with its quays, café terraces, fish restaurants, traditional fishing boats and, above all, its yachts on moorings where it's fashionable to be seen on a summer's evening.
Saint-Florent is a small town, with a few flower-pot lanes climbing the hill, a piazza Posta, a frog fountain and a 15th-century fort.e century church topping it all off. But above all, for lovers of history and monuments, isolated in the countryside 800 m from the town centre, it is also the remarkable Nebbiu cathedralin pure Romanesque-Pisan style from the 12th century.e century.
Generally speakingThe most surprising thing about all these churches is the sheer size of their bell towers. They look like totem poles set in the rock. Surrounding them, the villages, generally built on the top of a hill - or even right on the top of a hill - look like totem poles. perched on a peak They are made up of islands of dry-stone houses surrounded by delightful lanes paved with polished pebbles, which are sometimes transformed into staircases with low, wide steps to give donkeys and mules more room to roam. Some of them, in Balagne for example, have even formed a tourist association to create the "route des artisans". The result is a 'route' that can be mixed with the 'route des villages perchés', since they more or less overlap. Two birds with one stone, as it were, and almost three if you add in the gastronomic heritage.
In this respect, Corsica has a wealth of restaurants that don't need a star to shine on the international podium of tastes and flavours. There's not a town, village or hamlet that doesn't offer a stall or restaurant serving Corsican specialities. With, at the head of the gondola, the charcuterie-cheese-wine trio. Charcuterie first and foremost: cured ham in particular, subtly flavoured and available as prisuttu, coppa and lonzu. But also incredible liver sausages, figatelli, which are served in the best restaurants, sometimes even as tapas. And then there's everything else: game in season, pork stew with herbs from the maquis, usually served with pasta, a legacy of the Italian occupation. Soups, too, are generally hearty because they come from the mountains, with beans and extremely tasty herbs... For fish and seafood, which might be considered to have been left behind, it's better to wait for the seaside, as Corsica, as we've seen, is above all turned towards its mountains.
Then there are the cheeses, a very rich palette from which brucciu stands out, present in almost every dish. Then there are the desserts, honey, olives and... corsican wine! Generous, powerful, made from grape varieties that are unique to the region. Then there's the regional Corsica PDO, made up of five terroirs, plus the Ajaccio PDO - excellent reds, whites and rosés - and above all, for Haute Corse, the magnificent Patrimonio PDO, also available in reds, whites and rosés. Finally, there's the Vin du Cap, a delicate and complex sweet natural wine with the AOP Muscat du Cap-Corse.
However, a business tourism operation would not be complete without a sporting element. And there you have it. The mountains and the sea are allies - you can sometimes go from a beach to the mountains in just 15 minutes by car - and you'll find just about everything that the human imagination has created. In the seaside area, there are trips in RIBs or catamarans, sea kayaking, paddle boarding, scuba diving and snorkelling, as well as beach Olympics and treasure hunts in towns and seaside resorts. In the mountains, the choice is even greater: 4×4, quad biking, electric bikes, canyoning, river kayaking, hiking or horse riding, introduction to mountaineering...
This does not prevent Corsica to keep up with the times and bet on the success of activities linked, in one way or another, to sustainable development. This is the case of the incoming agency Corse Incentive, which is heavily involved in this field, in addition to other more traditional offers. "It's very clearsays François-Xavier Dianoux-Stéfani, associate director of the Corse Incentive agency. 12 years ago, when we started out, we would have been told quad bikes and boats. Now we're being asked toactions more involved in local cultureWe try to make it as fun as possible, so that it fits in with the world of the incentive. For example, we organise competitions to collect plastic waste on a beach, or reforestation actions. Everyone plants their own sapling and we hope that some of them will come back in 15 or 20 years' time to find their tree fully grown."Nostalgia...
Bastia
With its port and airport, Bastia is one of the main gateways to Corsica. It's also one of the prettiest towns in Corsica, with a citadel, a town within a town that's been perfectly renovated and kept spotlessly clean, and whitewashed ochre walls... High walls, few windows, narrow streets that have recently been repaved and, on the whole, an atmosphere that gives off a je-ne-sais-quoi that's actually quite austere. Except that once you've passed through a discreet doorway, such as that of the oratory of the Brotherhood of Sainte-Croix, you'll find yourself in an extraordinary place, a rococo ensemble, gold galoreAnd on the vaults, joyful cherubs twirl in a sky so blue it almost makes you want to climb up there straight away. The same goes for Sainte-Marie de l'Assomption cathedral (17th century), just a stone's throw away.e), which is totally Baroque, with an exceptional solid silver Madonna.
From up there, everywhere, at the turn of the smallest street, from the tiniest window, it's the high seas straight ahead, the mountains right behind and underneath the old city. A city also made of secret passages leading down to the portIt's a town of tall, colourful houses, grey-blue shutters and stalls selling mainly Corsican products. A few steep alleys, some with staircases, and this is the modern town. A return to the twentieth centuryIe century, with its avenues, mechanical noises and bumper-to-bumper cars. So we prefer the old days.
The Governors' Palace
Of course, a cocktail party for 500 people or a sit-down dinner for 250, complete with white tablecloths and impeccable service, or even a concert held within such walls, is bound to look good. Partly rebuilt after the Second World War, perfectly restoredNow home to Bastia's small history museum, the Governors' Palace, the jewel in the crown of the citadel, was, between the 15th and 18th centuries, the heart of the city's history.e and XVIIIe centuries, the seat of the Genoese governors. You can visit its prison, its gigantic cisterns designed to supply the entire citadel with water in the event of a siege, its watchtowers, but above all its watchtower walkways that tower over Bastia's old port. A breathtaking panorama with all the essentials of the Mediterranean below: a cathedral set right on the quayside, tall houses with Genoese shutters clustered in an amphitheatre on the edge of the basin, boats coming and going and lively café terraces. It's a beautiful sight, and even more so from the palace's hanging garden - which can be reserved for up to 200 people - where you're in direct contact with the show.
Hotels
My heart is torn between the two
A three-star hotel with an atmosphere that sets the tone right from the reception desk. It's young and warm, which more than makes up for the slightly old-fashioned decor. There's wrought iron, objects found just about everywheret and in the bedrooms, duly dressed bedspreads. But it doesn't matter, because the whole thing has that reassuring mother-of-the-family feel. It's worth noting that the Hotel Ostella is gradually being renovated in a more contemporary style. And that's almost a shame. 52 rooms with balcony, meeting room, restaurant, swimming pool, gala terrace in the shade of the royal palms, spa and fitness centre. In the same area, very close to the airport and twenty minutes from the city centre, in a much more standardised style: the Mercure. Unsurprisingly, this is an establishment where everything is clean and comfortable83 rooms, restaurant, three meeting rooms, swimming pool.
Hotel Ostella > 17, rue du Maréchal Juin. 20 600 Bastia - Tel : 04 95 30 97 70 - E-mail : contact@hotel-ostella.com - Internet : hotel-ostella.com
Mercure Bastia Biguglia > Route d'Ortale, 20 600 Bastia - Tel: 04 95 34 96 10 - E-mail : h9172@accor.com - Internet : all.accor.com
Polyphonies in Patrimonio
First there's the village, around thirty minutes' drive west of Bastia, towards the seaside resort of Saint-Florent. It's a village like almost all those in the Nebbio region, with the difference that this one, clinging to the hillside and surrounded by famous vineyards, is dominated by a church, the church of Saint-Martin, and above all its bell tower, planted with like a gigantic totem pole in the shale. People thought big in the 16th centurye It is so large that the building is out of all proportion to its village. A fine structure, with perfect proportions and pietra dura on the high altar, but above all, you can attend a recital of sacred polyphony, traditional songs that were almost lost forever at the beginning of the last century, but were rediscovered in the 1970s. This recital - which can be private - is given by the group Cunfraternita San Martinu di Patrimoniu, with the high vaulted ceiling of the church adding a little extra drama to the proceedings. a capella singingIt's an insanely poetic work, sometimes moving even the most hardened of souls to tears. It's wildly poetic, moving even the most hardened of souls to tears. Tears, no doubt, from the depths of time. Poignant.
Centru Culturale San Martinu (Christian Andreani) > I Catari. 20 253 Patrimonio - Tel : 06 28 28 14 83 - E-mail : cristianuandreani@gmail.com
In the lord's vineyard
In 1968, a very happy year for the young people of the time, Patrimonio was the very first Corsican wine to be awarded AOC status. Today, it is one of the island's finest wines and enjoys such an international reputation that one of its winemakers, Jean-Baptiste Arena, has just had his Muscat du Cap Corse recognised as an AOC wine. one of the best natural sweet wines in the world. And that's just the beginning! Patrimonio comes in red, white and rosé varieties, with the reds produced almost exclusively from grape varieties from Italy planted on limestone soil. As a result, the landscape surrounding the village of Patrimonio sometimes resembles Burgundy hillsides. There are a few fewer wineries, but some are open to the public and even to business tourism groups, such as Domaine Orenga de Gaffory, which not only organises generous cocktail tastings, but also has a conference room capable of accommodating around fifty people and organises some very fine contemporary art exhibitions. The winery has even welcomed a group from the RMN (Réunion des Musées Nationaux) - that's saying something!
Orenga de Gaffory Estate > Lieu-dit Morta Majo. 20 253 Patrimonio - Tel. 04 95 37 45 00 - E-mail : contact@orengadegaffory.com - Internet : www.orengadegaffory.com
Jean-Baptiste Arena > 20 253 Patrimonio - Tel. 04 95 37 08 27 - E-mail : jeanbaptiste.arena@orange.fr
Cape Corsica
It's a cape, a rock, a finger outstretched towards the continent and planted north of Bastia; it's a world apart, an "island within an island" as the Corsicans say. So it's almost a country that, for lack of good shoes and above all time, you'd be better off exploring by 4X4 to discover its stunning landscapes. Unless, of course, you're content to drive around the region as normal, criss-crossing its breathtaking roads and stopping here and there at tiny ports known here as 'marinas'. But that would be a shame, as the 4×4 allows you to climb at 30° on mountain paths strewn with large stones and, with the bodywork scratched by the prickles of the scrubland, reach the crests of the ridges from which you can see the sea on both sides. The 4×4, which will no doubt soon be electric, is just as good for taking a few breaks. Here's a Genoese watchtower, there's a monastery, elsewhere a delightful port and further on an American house - that's what they're called - a rather mundane structure built by emigrants to Latin America who returned home with their fortunes made. You might as well stop off at a passionate winegrower's for a tasting. Of course, the menu also includes a gargantuan picnic in the maquis, or by the sea, featuring an extraordinary range of Corsican charcuterie. All in half a day, or even a day.
Corsica 4×4 tour. > 20 600 Furiani - Tel. 06 11 54 92 52 - E-Mail : rando4x4corse@gmail.com - Internet : www.rando4x4corse.com
Hilltop villages
Around fifty of them have come together under the name "Strada di l'Artigiani", in other words the "craftsmen's route. Who are they? They are the craftsmen based in the hilltop villages of the Balagne region, west of Bastia and south of Saint-Florent. First of all, the villages. Villages of refuge, because the Corsicans, with the exception of those from the Cap, were not really a seafaring people, the sea and its surroundings being considered too dangerous; too much malaria, too many invasions. As a result, the inhabitants took refuge in the mountains, building watchtower towns from which they could prepare to receive the enemy. The result was charming villages clinging to their church with its oversized steepleShady squares, rough cobbled streets. Despite mass emigration, these villages are far from dead. In fact, they're very much alive, thanks in particular to this association of artisans who offer a wide range of products in workshops where the public is welcome. The result is a sublime stringed instrument and music box workshop in Pigna, ceramics and semi-precious stone jewellery in Sant'Antonino, blown glass in Felicetu, and crunchy biscuits, known as cucciole, in Santa Reparata... But the must, although not part of the association located near Corte, is this confectionery-chocolate factory which produces marvels under the leadership of Alexia Santini. To die for.
New Year's Eve confectionery > BP 47. 20250 Soveria. Corte - Tel: 04 95 47 42 27 - E-mail : marcel.santini@confiserie-saintsylvestre.fr - Internet : www.confiserie-saintsylvestre.fr
In the village of Pigna, you'll find an object painting workshop, a potter and a violin maker. Near Corte, the Saint-Sylvestre confectionery and chocolate factory.
Corte
You can't miss the citadel at Corte. It's the only thing you can see from anywhere. Perched atop a steeply rising needle, it dominates the modern town from all sides, with its walls gathered at its feet, the ancient and vibrant historic city. It's a very small town, with, as usual, we're tempted to say, narrow streets and staircases, squares and stalls, one of which is extremely colourful, selling food products in an artistic jumble, and is said to be the oldest in Europe. The citadel itself is tucked away behind its formidable walls just beyond the Place d'Armes. Its original buildings have been completely refurbished and even reinterpreted, notably the complex housing the Musée de la Corse - Jean-Charles Colonna, skilfully designed by Piedmontese architect Andrea Bruno. It is in fact an ethnographic museum, with a rich collection of mainly rural objects displayed behind glass. There is also a signposted sentry walk, curtain walls and loopholes, a bastion for attacking, but above all, an exceptional view of the modern town, the jagged mountains, the valleys and torrents... A breathtaking panorama of inland Corsica.
Hotel
The Glacier Gardens
It used to be a small power station, then an ice cream factory... Until a daring couple - they must have been known as fads in the area - got their hands on the cement and set about rebuilding the building. Well done them, it's today a lovely three starsThe Restonica is an unpretentious but very pleasant establishment set on the banks of the Restonica torrent, which had the excellent idea of creating natural pools with fine sand here and there, including one at the end of the hotel garden. 49 rooms, a meeting room for 35 people, a restaurant, swimming pool and whirlpool.
Gorges de la Restonica, 20 250 Corte - Tel: O4 95 45 27 00 - E-mail : contact@lesjardinsdelaglaciere.com - Internet : www.lesjardinsdelaglaciere.com
