3 Best Sights in Corsica, France

The austere facade of the 13th-century Cathedral of John the Baptist is worth a visit to see its alabaster Renaissance baptismal font decorated with angel heads and rows of pews where the city's chaste upper-class women used to pray.

This Genoese citadel is perched on a rocky promontory at the tip of the bay. An inscription above the drawbridge—"Civitas calvi semper fidelis" (The citizens of Calvi are always faithful)—reflects the town's unswerving allegiance to Genoa. At the welcome center, just inside the gates, you can watch the video on the city's history, book an English-language guided tour, or follow the self-guided walking tour.

Built in 1495 between the citadel and the harbor entrance, the imposing stone Salt Tower and Caponier once served a dual purpose both as a defensive bastion and a salt store. Today the historic interior hosts temporary exhibitions.