Ajaccio Sights
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Port
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
Local Sightseeing,All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$64.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Ajaccio is the largest town in Corsica and the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. Begin your tour with a drive along the Route des Sanguinaires, passing a series of white sand beaches en route to Punta Della Parata. Take in the superb views of the Iles Sanguinaires -- the four red granite islets that dominate the entrance to the Golfe d'Ajaccio.
Heading back into town you will travel down the Cours Napoleon and pass the Place de Gaulle with its immense bronze monument to Napoleon and his brothers. Continue past the former English Quarter and the Assemblée Régionale to Place Austerlitz, where Bonaparte played as a child. The square is dominated by an immense monument to Napoleon, set atop a huge pedestal inscribed with the names of his battles.
Disembark here to explore the Old Town on a guided walk. Step inside the Venetian-style Baroque cathedral, which the locals refer to as A Madonuccia. Its interior includes the font where the future emperor was baptized, a marble altar dating from 1811, and Delacroix's painting, La Vierge au Sacre Coeur.
You will walk past the Casa Bonaparte, where the Little Emperor was born in 1769, and view the Roman-style statue of Napoleon as First Consul in the Place Foch. Pass the Town Hall, situated just behind the Market Square, and return to the ship on foot.
Notes:
Inside church visit(s) may not be possible if religious services are being held or if precluded by time constraints. You cannot leave any personal effects on the coach. Participants who do not wish to participate in the walk can ride back to pier by coach.