Details About Bastia

Activities

• Oratoire de Saint-Roch
  Located in the Terra Vecchia quarter, the chapel is a Genoese Baroque extravaganza built in 1604. The walls are covered with finely carved wooden paneling and the organ is magnificent with its decoration of gilt and wooden sculpture.
• Oratoire de L’Immaculee Conception
  Although its exterior is rather austere, the flamboyant interior of this 17th-century church with gilt and marble ceiling, frescoes and crystal chandeliers creates an ambiance of an opera house.
• Vieux Port
  Site of the original Porto Prado, the area around the Vieux Port is the most appealing part of town. Its soaring houses seem to bend inwards towards the water. Once busy with Genoese traders, the building of commercial docks and a ferry terminal have diminished the importance of the old port.
• Terra Nova
  As the administrative core of old Bastia, Terra Nova displays a distinct air of affluence. Its most impressive building is the 14th-century Governor’s Palace. During the Genoese heyday the governor and the bishop lived here, entertaining foreign dignitaries and hosting massive parties.

Shopping

The main shopping streets, Boulevard Paoli and Rue Cesar Campinchi, are 200 yards from the port terminal. Handicrafts and the area’s specialties such as honey, wine and liqueurs may be of interest. Most shops are open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Some shops may be closed Monday mornings.

Currency

The Euro (EUR), the currency of the European Union, is the official currency of France.