Visit Ajaccio

Ajaccio

Three hundred days of sunshine a year, blood-curdling sunsets of rare beauty, fine sandy beaches, crystal-clear water... all the things that make the d'Orcia region such a great place to visit.Ajaccioone of the most beautiful in the Corsica. And let's not forget thatAjaccio is also the birthplace of Napoleon, Tino RossiAlizée, and many others, who have made this region famous for its blend of modernity and tradition against a backdrop of Dolce Vita...

The Gulf ofAjaccio is the largest in France, and one of the largest bays in the world, with an opening of 18 km and a length of 22 km, 902 km2 and 50 km of coastline.

Ajaccio is best known for being the first French town to be liberated by the Patriots. Corsican and with the help of Italian soldiers on 9 September 1943.

Flying to Ajaccio on holiday

Ajaccio is served by an international airport, which is home to CCM Airlines. Corsica.

It links Ajaccio to a number of cities in mainland France (notably Paris, Marseille and Nice), and in Europe as a tourist destination.

Holidaying in Ajaccio by boat

Le port of Ajaccio is linked to mainland France almost daily (Marseille, Toulon, Nice). There are also occasional links to mainland Italy (Livorno) and Sardinia, as well as a seasonal service to Calvi and Propriano. The two main shipping companies operating these routes are SNCM and Corsica Ferries.

Getting to Ajaccio by train

Ajaccio station, owned by Chemins de fer de Corse, is close to the harbour and offers train connections to Corte, Bastia (3 h 25 min) and Calvi (by connection).

Two optional stops:

• Arrêt des Salines, to the north of the town, in the district of the same name
• the Campo dell'Oro stop, close to the airport

Must-sees in Ajaccio

The Sanguinaires Islands

(the most important of which is "Mezzu Mare") are world-famous, and should be seen at sunset for their thousand and one bloodthirsty colours!

The Marine Cemetery (the "Canicciu"): founded in 1836, it has 45,000 graves, including a very famous one: that of Tino Rossi.

The Greek Chapel This chapel, which until 1960 symbolised the boundary with Ajaccio, was the place of worship of the Greek colony that landed in Ajaccio in 1731. AjaccioShe came from the Peloponnese and founded the village of Cargèse.

Le Casone

It's a sort of memorial to Napoleon since 1932, with the same statue found at Les Invalides. The various achievements and exploits of Napoleon during his reign.

It also features two eagles symbolising the imperial family and two dates: 1769 and 1821 (birth and death of Napoleon).

Boulevard Lantivy The name of a wealthy industrialist who played a part in the town's economic development in the 19th century, who left his name to this beautiful seafront promenade lined with palm trees and colourful laurel bushes...

Rue Fesch It bears the name of Cardinal Fesch, uncle of Napoleon. This street runs through one of the oldest and most authentic parts of the town, which was urbanised from the 16th century onwards and is now home to the Fesch museumThe Louvre is the world's second-largest museum of Italian painting from the 14th to the 18th centuries, with a particular focus on the Italian Primitives.

Place De GAULLE (formerly the Place du Diamant, in reference to the jewel-shaped bastion that existed until the 18th century). In this square you will find the statue of Napoleon in emperor's garb surrounded by his brothers, a bronze statue created in 1858 by Violet le Duc, who apparently committed suicide because he had forgotten the emperor's stirrups.

Grandval course In the late 19th century, under the impetus of the English, the city became known as the "foreigners' quarter", Ajaccio became the first seaside resort on the French Riviera. Avenue Grandval was the site of the first large Ajaccio hotelformer Luxury hotelThe clientele was continental and foreign, coming to enjoy the mild climate. In 1981, it became the headquarters of the territorial collectivity of CorsicaYou can also admire the prestigious garden that surrounds the building.

Place Foch (formerly the Place des Palmiers), home to the "Four Lions" fountain dominated by the statue of Napoleonthe first consul, created by the sculptor Maglioli fromAjaccio.

Ajaccio Town Hall

It was built during the reign of Charles X. ajacciens call it the "square house".

Corsica Tourist Office
3 Boulevard du Roi Jérôme
Tel: +33 (0) 4 95 51 53 03 Fax: +33 (0) 4 95 51 53 01

Places to visit around Ajaccio

Pass above the Tolla lake

At the EAST exit ofAjaccio head for BASTELICACCIA, then in the village, the junction for TOLLA.

You'll then ride for around 20 kilometres, and at the top of the climb you'll pass a small pass to discover a magnificent view over the whole of the Tolla lake and its small village.

The English waterfall

It is here, at the pass, in the car park and on the left, that you will find the starting point for the English waterfall (English aristocratic tourism was established in this area). AjaccioAt the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, there were donkey excursions to take tourists to see this site.)

Visits during the holidays are organised with forestry guides. (Contact the ONF for details).

The Gulf of Sagone

It is made up of three large beaches that correspond to the mouths of three rivers, the second longest in the world. Corsicathe Liamone.

The village, which is very old, was invaded by the barbarians, who forced the population to flee to the mountains. The only interesting testimony to this past is the Romanesque church, which is partly in ruins.

One beach follows another, and towards Sagone there are two ruins: on the right, a lordly fort, and on the left, a Genoese tower.

Where to stay in Ajaccio for your holidays

Cheap Ajaccio hotel

Ajaccio has an abundance of hotels, with seafront hotels being more expensive than those in the city. Most hotels in Ajaccio have a swimming pool, which is a huge plus when you return in the evening after a day's walking.

Guest houses in Ajaccio

Flats in Ajaccio

Where to go out in Ajaccio on holiday

La madunuccia: 15 August at Ajaccio. The town's patron saint is celebrated. A large part of the population of Ajaccio is mobilised on this day... perhaps because it is also the commemoration of the birth of a certain saint of the town. Napoleon 1° Emperor of the corsican.

This is an event not to be missed under any circumstances if you're in the area: beyond the religious aspect of the event (parade in period costume and procession), it is no less festive, and the evening ends (or begins for some) with a superb fireworks display in the open sea.

To find out the exact time, please contact the Tourist Office.