La Montagne
★★★★★
THE OSPEDALE FOREST AND DAM
The Ospedale forest is ideal for nature lovers. You'll come across many species roaming freely, including mouflons, cows and pigs. This forest of pine and beech offers a multitude of activities: varied hiking trails, accrobranche courses, swimming in the waters of the artificial lake, canyoning in a waterfall, via ferrata on rock faces, horseback riding, mountain biking or quad biking. 1km from Lac de l'Ospédale you'll find the Cascade de Piscia di Ghjaddu "the pine waterfall", a spectacular waterfall with a 60-metre drop; a magnificent landscape not to be missed.
40 Min from the estate
L'UOMO DI CAGNA
A hike that takes you to a summit at an altitude of 1217 metres. At the end of your ascent, you'll see L'Uomo di Cagna, a balancing act of rocks. You'll have a magnificent view of the southern coastline.
4h30 hiking
L'ALTA ROCCA
The Alta Rocca, named "the land of the lords" in the Middle Ages, is a mid-mountain area bounded by the Bavella and Ospedale massifs and the Cuscionu plateau. L'alta rocca is home to several authentic, traditional Corsican villages, each more attractive than the last. Visit the village of LEVIE, home to the renowned Alta Rocca Museum, or ZONZA, home to the Resistance Museum, which tells the story of the 1939-1945 war. The Alta Rocca region also boasts a wealth of traditional skills, and you can visit the village of LEVIE and the Lotus cutlery factory, a must-see, as well as Stéphane Degilhene's woodcarving workshop. You can also taste olive oil straight from the mill in Sainte-Lucie de Tallano and Olmiccia. And last but not least, I invite you to visit the A Bedulla saddlery; true artisans Claire Jégou& Sébastien Leroy work leather with passion. The saddlery has been in existence since 2010, perpetuating year after year a style of leatherwork that combines respect for tradition and modernity.
1 Day trip
ORIU
To take in the sights, I invite you to go to the village of Canni (part of the commune of Sotta) to see L'Oriu de Canni: a surprising block of stone topped with a gigantic pointed cap. This ancient shepherd's hut is a local curiosity. The edifice was created naturally by erosion of the rock by rain and wind. The term "taffonisation" comes from the Corsican word "taffone" meaning hole. Prehistoric man used it as a shelter for himself and his animals, and sometimes even as a place to bury the dead. What we see today is the result of human development. In the 16th century, shepherds transformed the rock shelter to make it more habitable for transhumance. Closer to the sheepfolds, you can visit the Serraggia Oriu at Monacia d'Aullène. To get there: Pass the village of Serraghja, follow the track up the mountain, leaving the car at the last bend where there's space on the left for 2 cars. From here, a path leads up to Oriu di Serraggia in the rocks opposite, about 1/2 h after passing low stone walls.