Castelsardo, like Bosa, is one of the most colorful and attractive towns in Sardinia (and a fellow member of I Borghi più Belli d’Italia). Its relatively isolated location on the northwestern coast did not lend itself to a planned visit in our original itinerary, but the cancellation of Corsica plans allowed us to visit Castelsardo instead. To our utmost delight, it should be said.
Here is what the village looks like on the approach via the coastal road from the east.
What appears to be the castle at the top is not just a castle – it is actually the historic core of the village that we will climb to. That is slightly better illustrated in this view from Piazza de Pianedda, the main public space in the “lower town”.
As you walk to the upper town, you’ll find various perspectives towards the edge areas of Castelsardo.
… as well as occasional eye-catching ensembles.
At the top, the compact historic center is surprisingly grid-like, with tiny streets running mostly east-to-west, connected via north-south staircases. There are plenty of picturesque corners and fun details all around.
The door in the last shot looked completely operational, even if the gap between the steps felt like an accident waiting to happen.
The main points of interest in Castelsardo are the castle, the smallish church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and the Cathedral of St Anthony Abbot. Here are a couple of views of the latter.
Seeing the cathedral interior is possible only on a ticket that needs to be procured elsewhere, which was too much effort for us in that moment. This one shot of the pulpit and the altar taken from the narthex suggests that I would probably enjoy exploring the church as I usually do.
And here are a few interior fragments of Santa Maria delle Grazie, accessible gratis.
I have no doubt we would enjoy our time in Corsica, but seeing Castelsardo in large measure compensated for the involuntary change of plans.