Calvi Citadel and Balagne Countryside

The citadel of Calvi stands on a rocky promontory above the town's marina in Haute-Corse, on the northwest coast of Corsica, overlooking a wide bay and the Balagne hills behind. The Genoese built the fortress in the 15th century, and its ramparts, gatehouse and narrow lanes have been preserved, with the sea on one side and the town on the other. Visitors enter through the main gate and climb to the upper town, where the Palais des Gouverneurs and the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, a large Baroque building, stand near the highest point. The ramparts can be walked for views over the marina, the bay and the mountains, and the seaward side gives the most open outlook. Guided tours of the citadel run for about €5 per person, and the ramparts themselves are free. A walk around takes between one and a half and three hours depending on stops, and the lanes are lined with small shops, galleries and restaurants. Late afternoon is the best time, when low sun lights the pale walls and the bay-facing side is not in shadow. The citadel is busiest between late morning and early evening in July and August, when cruise and day-trip visitors arrive, and quieter in the morning and out of season. Balagne, the hill country inland, is known for olive groves and hilltop villages such as Pigna and Corbara, which are reached by road from Calvi and are normally seen as a separate half-day trip. Calvi has an airport about seven kilometres from the centre, with taxis costing roughly €15 to €20, and a seasonal CFC train line connects the town to Bastia.