April 2013
The Tour de Seneque, situated atop a rocky point at 564m altitude, is named after a Roman philosopher who is said to have stayed there during his exile. The medieval tower was built for surveillance and defence purposes due to the panoramic views on all sides. On a clear day you can see the peaks of the French Alps.

May 2012
See a unique exhibition at the Bastia museum called "Bastia 43, the Italian Occupation viewed by children (1942 - 1943)". An insightful art teacher asked her students to portray their daily experiences under the occupation. The children's and the teacher's drawings provide us with a rare, touching insight into this dark time in Corsica's history (entry 5€, Musée de Bastia, Place du Donjon, Citadelle, tel: 04 9531 0912, closed Mondays).

April 2013
Be prepared for some great sounds at this year's Jazz Equinoxe festival, fronted by artists from the US, Italy and Corsica, including the extremely talented Melody Gardot (11-13 April, Théatre de Bastia, tel: 04 9534 9800).

January 2013
Enjoy some January sunshine by taking advantage of the island's scenic walking trails. St Florent is a good base to start from, and is just half an hour from Bastia. Take a picnic and head up the Sentier des Douaniers to Mortella Tower (two-and-a-half hours) or all the way to the famed Plage de Loto (another hour's walking).

October 2012
Forty-five minutes south of Bastia is arguably the world's largest chestnut forest, an area known as Castagniccia. Leave yourself several hours to explore the petite villages and forests in autumn bloom.