Bastia walking tour with kids
Discover Bastia with your family on a fun and engaging walking tour designed especially for kids! Stroll through the charming streets of this historic Corsican town, uncovering hidden gems, fascinating stories, and picturesque spots that both children and adults will love. From the bustling Old Port to the colorful market squares and serene gardens, Bastia offers the perfect blend of culture, history, and adventure for a memorable family outing. Bastia walking tour with kids allows you to admire the beauty of the city with intriguing riddles that children would love to solve! Answers you will find at the bottom of the page.
Bastia walking tour with kids
Start – from the old part of Bastia, Place Saint Nicolas (from tourist office).
Terra Vechja
Originally, the current Vieux-Port was a fishing port called “Porto Cardo“. It was from the 14th century that this part of the city took the name of Terra Vechja. It is today of the oldest district of Bastia and has always been inhabited by the Corsicans, unlike the district of the Citadel Citadel where the Genoese resided.
1 – Kiosque à musique
Starting point of our beautiful adventure, Place Saint Nicolas is the emblematic meeting place of our city. We find the Bastiais there, strolling as they please or sitting on a terrace, enjoying the warmth of the sun’s rays facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the center of this vast square known as one of the largest in Europe, stands an original construction which, when the fine weather arrives, is transformed into a stage where singers and musicians perform.
Riddle: Can you find the name of the instrument that adorns this famous bandstand?
Did you know? Saint Nicholas Square owes its name to a small chapel dedicated to this saint, built in medieval times near a Pisan hospital.
2 – Place Fontaine Neuve
Beyond this grandiose square, you will find one of the liveliest streets in the old town: Rue Napoléon, a pedestrian street leading to the picturesque Vieux-Port district. Take a break to discover the two Baroque oratories: Saint Roch and the Immaculate Conception.
Continue your route towards Place Fontaine Neuve. Once you have reached your destination, you will notice a historic fountain on this square built during the reign of Louis XVI. In the center of it appears a marine mammal much appreciated by man and which is sometimes seen playing with the boats that line the coast.
3 – Saint John the Baptist Church
Now head to the Market district, also called “u Mercà” by the Bastiais. A place of life, exchanges, meetings and conviviality, this square welcomes producers every weekend who will invite you to discover the dishes and flavors of the island. A great opportunity to delight your taste buds as a fine gourmet.
Dominating the Market Square, the Saint John the Baptist Church (Eglise Saint Jean-Baptiste), with its two bell towers overlooking the cove of the Old Port, has watched over the “Terra Vechja” district for almost 400 years.
Riddle: A wind instrument dating from 1780 dominates the central nave of the Saint Jean-Baptiste church. Can you identify it?
Did you know? The feast of Saint John is always celebrated at the summer solstice around a bonfire symbolizing rebirth. In Bastia, on June 23, the inhabitants of the district meet under the ramparts of the Citadel, around the traditional “fucarellu” that everyone will have contributed to fueling.
4 – The Old Port
After taking Rue Monseigneur Rigo, you will have arrived at the Old Port (Vieux-Port), a picturesque district nestled between the rocky promontory of the Citadel and the Market Square. Bathed in sunshine all year round, this place off ers an ideal setting for a contemplative break in front of the many boats and fishing boats.
Look into the distance… stroll along the jetty where the memory of a Genoese past lingers and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Old Port of yesteryear. On the pier, at the foot of the light marker illuminating the path of the ships, hides a small niche housing a statue well known to small friends from Bastia.
Riddle: Can you find the name of this statue, guardian and protector of the Old Port, dear to the city’s inhabitants?
Did you know? A boat named “La Louise” ran aground on the night of February 22-23, 1860 on the blocks of the old pier of the port of Bastia.
5 – Three Fountains
Now on the way to one of the last stages of this adventure in the “Terra Vechja” district, where a new discovery awaits you. Head towards rue Carbuccia which leads to the Saint-Charles church, formerly belonging to the Jesuit college.
Look closely… at the foot of its imposing stairs is a fountain well known to the locals. There was a time when this fountain was the heart of the Guadellu district. It was a place of conviviality, where the locals met several times a day to collect their water. Today, having lost its main role as an ancient source of life, it has not lost its mysterious charm…
Riddle: Can you find the name of this old fountain?
Did you know? This fountain has always been called “Trè Funtane” by the people of Bastia, because of the three cannons from which the water springs.
6 – Citadel of Bastia
The Genoese Continue your thrilling adventure to the famous Citadel of Bastia, hidden behind its high ramparts. From the Dragon jetty offering a beautiful view of the Old Port, you can climb the majestic Romieu stairs linking the “Terra Vechja” district to that of “Terra Nova”.
Enjoy a green stopover through the Romieu Garden, a true haven of greenery in the heart of the city.
Riddle: Not far from here, a few steps away, a curiosity will undoubtedly catch your attention. Look up, you will see in the rock under the ramparts, a small unique cave which once housed a mysterious treasure. Can you find it?
Did you know? This mysterious “treasure” gives rise, every May 3, to a celebration bringing together fishermen, brotherhoods and the faithful.
Terra Nova
Bastia was born in 1378, when the Genoese governor Leonello Lomellini left the castle of Biguglia to settle in a stronghold “la Bastia” (the bastille). From the installation of Genoese citizens and the construction of ramparts protecting the new habitat, a district was born: Terra Nova (the current Citadelle).
7 – The Beginning
Now heading towards the sea, towards the Aldilonda, a link between a Genoese past and a resolutely modern city. An architectural feat and contemporary construction flying over the sea, the Aldilonda runs along the ramparts of the Citadel and allows you to cross the ochre-coloured rocks. Connecting the Old Port to the Arinella beach, this gentle route is a delight for walkers, joggers and cyclists who like to meet there for sporty moments or simply contemplative breaks.
Riddle: Keep your eyes peeled and don’t miss this impressive flight of steps that will lead you to an old defense building of the Citadel. Can you find its name?
Did you know? Aldilonda is the place to start the day, marveling at sublime sunrises against the backdrop of the Tyrrhenian Sea. On a clear day, the lucky ones will see the islands of the Tuscan archipelago in the distance.
8 – Sainte Marie Cathedral
A few more steps to climb to reach the Citadel. Here you are in front of the imposing Sainte Marie Cathedral dating from the 17th century. It is in the heart of this prestigious building that a fabulous treasure is hidden…
Certainly, many are the treasures that can be found within its walls, but one of them will undoubtedly catch your attention. The building houses an extraordinary statue of the Virgin (dated 1852) that can be admired in a niche on the right as you enter the sanctuary. Every August 15, in the light of day, this statue is carried in procession through the streets of the city to celebrate the Assumption. Before continuing your adventure, take a moment to soak up the solemn and sacred atmosphere of this place.
Riddle: This statue of the Virgin was made from a precious metal. Can you tell which one?
Did you know? It is thanks to the generous donations of the people of Bastia that this statue of the Virgin was able to take shape in the hands of the Sienese goldsmith Gaetano Macchi.
9 – Place Guasco
After walking along the imposing walls of the cathedral, head to the heart of the Citadel, where you will discover a small neighborhood square surrounded by buildings with very particular shapes. A unique place, this square, well known to city dwellers, hosts many concerts and other events in the summer, giving rise to moments of exchange and conviviality. In fine weather, the many alleys adjoining this charming square are teeming with visitors who have come to discover the heritage of the Citadel. Rich in history, hiding in the shade of its plane trees, this district, which looks like a Genoese city, invites you to immerse yourself in the Bastia of yesteryear.
Riddle: Guasco Square is home to a fountain on which the city’s coat of arms is engraved. Can you recognize the monument depicted on this coat of arms?
10 – Where is the entrance?
Head towards the Place du Donjon. You have now reached the final stages of our thrilling adventure. Before you stands the sumptuous Palais des Gouverneurs, the seat of the former Genoese power. Today housing the Bastia History Museum, this majestic building overlooks the cove of the Old Port and offers a breathtaking view of the Mantinum, a green theater.
A few steps away, pierced in the ramparts, is still the old gate that served as the main access to the Citadel. Admire this imposing gate full of history. It may reveal the secrets of the many historical figures that have passed through it over the centuries.
Riddle: Under the reign of which King of France was this gate built? The answer is right before your eyes, or rather above…
Did you know? During the French Revolution, the people, as a form of rebellion against the established power, destroyed the coat of arms of the monarchy originally engraved above the cornice of this door.
11 – The prisons
The time has come for you to enter the depths of the Palace of the Governors. Cross the drawbridge of this imposing fortress and let yourself be told the history of the city under Genoese domination but also its evolution over the centuries. Your journey now takes you into the bowels of the Palace.
The dungeons await you… It is in these inhospitable places that the condemned were once locked up. Poorly lit, they once had a configuration and atmosphere very different from those we know today.
A little further on, you will discover the old cisterns of the palace. At the time, they were used to collect rainwater in order to build up reserves in the event of a siege.
Riddle: In one of the two cisterns there is a very special curiosity. Can you identify it?
12 – The great outdoors!
The end of your adventure is approaching. You have now arrived at the final stage of your tour, strewn not with pitfalls but with treasures! To round off your Bastia odyssey, head to the roof of Bastia. Head for the Hanging Gardens (Jardins suspendus) of the Palais des Gouverneurs, where its cannons still defy the sea!
Welcome to an exceptional site offering one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the city. You will discover a flora composed of many endemic and exotic species, which gives this confidential and intimate place a very special atmosphere. After your efforts, you are rewarded! Take advantage of this timeless space to treat yourself to an invigorating break combining sea and floral scents. A real haven of greenery and tranquility, the ideal site to immortalize your adventure… so take your selfies!
Riddle: Which endemic plant, adorned with yellow flowers in summer, is used for the creation of cosmetics and perfumes? The answer is all around you.
Answers:
Riddle 1: The lyre
Riddle 3: An organ
Riddle 4: The statue of Madunnetta
Riddle 5: The fountain of the Jesuits
Riddle 6: The grotto of the Black Christ
Riddle 7: The powder magazine
Riddle 8: Money
Riddle 9: A Genoese tower
Riddle 10: Louis XVI
Riddle 11: A boat
Riddle 12: The immortelle