The citadel in Bonifacio, Southern Corsica, France (© Marc Dozier/Getty Images)

Set at Corsica's southern tip, Bonifacio watches over the strait to Sardinia, its limestone cliffs rising dramatically above the sea. Once a coastal fortification guarding vital Mediterranean trade routes, the town has evolved into a charming harbour community. Its 9th-century citadel, with quiet passageways and cobbled streets, still echoes with history.