Corte was once the capital of Corsica, during the reign of the much fabled Pasquale Paoli, and the city does still hold quite a grandiose air about it - something only enhanced by the monumental mountain scenery that surrounds it. In recent years Corte could have been said to have been in something of a decline, but since the reopening of the city's university in the 1980s it has regained a thriving, cosmopolitan air, with hundreds of foreign students lured in by its growing academic reputation. Now you'll find the city a bustle of pavement cafés and bars, which are a great way to relax after a day exploring the mountains or wandering around the cragged beauty of the citadel.