Corte

Corte sits in the middle of Corsica where two valleys meet, and Pasquale Paoli made it the capital of the independent Corsican republic he led from 1755 until the French took the island in 1769; he founded a university here in 1765, which was closed and only reopened in 1981, so the town is now full of students again. The citadel stands on a rock spike above the old town, with an eagle's nest tower at the top, and holds the Museum of Corsica, which covers the island's rural life, crafts and history. Steep streets climb to a belvedere over the gorges. It is the usual base for the Restonica.

Highlights

• The eagle's nest citadel - a tower on a rock spike above the town.
• The Museum of Corsica - island rural life, crafts and history.
• The Paoli associations - the republic's capital and its university.
• The belvedere - a viewpoint over the meeting of two gorges.

When to go

April to October; the museum closes Mondays out of season. The town is a mountain base, cooler than the coast in summer. Winter is cold with snow on the surrounding peaks.

Before you go

The town is steep throughout with stepped streets. It is a working university town rather than a resort. Parking in the old quarter is very limited.

Nearby

The Restonica gorge runs south; the GR20 crosses the mountains around.