{"id":4418,"date":"2018-10-23T20:15:11","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T20:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.svenlucaworld.com\/?p=4418"},"modified":"2020-06-20T16:38:19","modified_gmt":"2020-06-20T16:38:19","slug":"reisebericht-korsika","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.svenlucaworld.com\/en\/travel-report-corsica\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel report CORSICA - A French island in the western Mediterranean and home of the great Napoleon"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Corsica is an island in the western Mediterranean with around 350,000 inhabitants. The island is politically part of France and is the fourth largest island in the entire Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

Corsica, with an area of around 180 by 80 kilometers, is located southeast of mainland France, north of Sardinia and west of Italy.<\/p>\n

The Mediterranean island consists of 87% mountains, with the highest elevation, the 2,706 meter high Monte Cinto. Corsica consists of countless bays, several rocky coasts and kilometers of beaches.<\/p>\n

The largest cities in Corsica include Ajaccio, Bastia, Borgo, Porto-Vecchio, Corte, Biguglia, Furiani and Calvi.<\/p>\n

Corsica has a diverse flora, including myrtle, lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, several orchid species, juniper, cypress, olive trees, date palms and oleander.<\/p>\n

Local agriculture mainly produces wine, figs, lemons, limes, clementines, oranges, peaches and almonds. The diverse fauna in Corsica mainly includes birds of prey, turtles, lizards, snakes, wild boars and other numerous bird species.<\/p>\n

The Corsican economy is essentially focused on agriculture, various services and a relatively low level of tourism.<\/p>\n

The most important sights in Corsica include the Citadel of Bonifacio, the baroque church of Saint Jean Baptiste in Bastia, the Citadel of Calvi, the port of Bonifacio, the Mattei windmill on Cap Corse, the Church of Saint Florent, the port of Bastia - the largest port on the island, and the Chapel of Saint-Michel by Murato.<\/p>\n

The capital of Corsica is Ajaccio with about 75,000 inhabitants. Ajaccio, also the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, is geographically located on the western coast of Corsica and is by far the largest city on the Mediterranean island.<\/p>\n

The main attractions of Ajaccio include the statue of Napoleon in the Charles de Gaulle square, the port in the Bay of Ajaccio, the old town, the citadel, the municipal library, the Place Marechal Foch, the cemetery, the monumental statue of Napoleon in the place d'Austerlitz, the bust of Pascal Paoli, the marina and the ferry port.<\/p>\n

In June 2017, I visited the island of Corsica for the only time so far. First, I flew from Berlin to Bastia, a rather industrial port city.<\/p>\n

After an extensive city tour and a night in a simple hotel in the center of Bastia, the next morning I took a ride on the Corsican railway through the picturesque mountains to the capital Ajaccio.<\/p>\n

This dreamlike town is located in a huge bay and is a magical attraction for island tourism in Corsica. From the city center, you can easily explore the area on foot or by bus, it's definitely worth it.<\/p>\n

But as an additional small note, the island of Corsica is really quite expensive and a few days stay there can be quite expensive.<\/p>\n\n