Place St-Nicolas Bastia

The 19th-century place St-Nicolas, an enormous paved square that sprawls from the ferry port towards the old harbour, is the focus of the everyday life of Bastia. Lined with plane trees, it’s named after the patron saint of sailors. There’s a string of attractive terrace cafes along its largely pedestrianised western edge, plus a statue of Napoléon Bonaparte, in the guise of a Roman god.