Where to Go in Nova Scotia

Halifax
The provincial capital is the commercial, administrative and maritime center for the whole of Atlantic Canada. Situated at the mouth of the Bedford Basin, it is the second-largest natural harbor in the world (after Sydney in Australia) and has a long and distinguished history as a naval and military base. Harbour tours and deep-sea fishing charters are available. Despite the city’s boom over the past 15 years, the historic Waterfront Area, comprising important 18th- and 19th-century buildings, has been kept intact. Excellent shopping, nightlife and restaurants are to be found in both the old and new sections of the city. Worth seeing are Province House, the birthplace of Canadian democracy in 1819; St Paul’s, the oldest Protestant church in Canada; the Museum of Natural History; the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (featuring Titanic exhibits) and the 17-acre Victorian Halifax Public Gardens. The 1km- (0.6 mile-) long Boardwalk is also worth a visit. Halifax itself is dominated by the Citadel, a star-shaped granite fortress built in 1749 and one of Canada’s most visited National Historic Sites. It is known for its kilted regiment and changing of the guard display. A good view of the city and harbor can be had from its ramparts.

Elsewhere
Touring Nova Scotia is easy. The 560km- (350 mile-) long peninsula features a series of interconnecting scenic routes, each one with a different view of a celebrated shore. The Cabot Trail, voted North America’s most spectacular ocean drive by the American Bus Association, is a ribbon of road around the northern highlands of the province which passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The Lighthouse Route travels the southern shore where seafaring traditions are especially strong. The Evangeline Trail is a rural road that goes through the beautiful Annapolis Valley, known for its orchards, forts and Victorian mansions. The Sunrise Trail follows the Northumberland Strait which features 35 sandy beaches and the warmest waters north of the Carolinas.
Dartmouth, across the mouth of the harbor from Halifax, is a vibrant and green community featuring many parks and walking trails and with easy access to the unspoiled coastal beauty of the Eastern Shore. West of Halifax, a coastal road skirts around the fishing villages set in the deep bays and inlets of the southern shore. En route to the port of Yarmouth are: Peggy’s Cove, known for its rugged and beautiful coastal scenery and as Canada’s most photographed lighthouse; Mahone Bay; and Lunenburg, a German settlement established in 1753 and now a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. North of Liverpool on this route is Kejimkujik National Park, which offers wilderness trails, canoeing and winter sports.
After Yarmouth, the coastal road runs northeast by French-speaking Acadian villages such as Metaghan and Church Point, which are dotted along the Bay of Fundy. Nearby, Port Royal and Fort Anne are the sites of some of the earliest French settlements in Canada. Grand Pré National Park commemorates the expulsion of 2000 Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755 and is the site of Longfellow’s Memorial. From Amherst, the gateway town to the province, a coastal road on the north shore leads to Cape Breton Island (see below) across a 1.6km- (1 mile-) long causeway. The north shore displays strong Scottish influences. Street signs in Pugwash are in English and Gaelic and highland games are held annually in Antigonish. Cape Breton Island attracts many nature lovers. Some of the island’s most spectacular scenery can be found at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. There is superb inland sailing in the Bras d’Or Lakes. Sydney, a center of shipping and industry, is the island’s main city. Southeast of this is the Fortress of Louisbourg, North America’s largest historical restoration. Baddeck on Cape Breton Island is home to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Bell (1847-1922) made Baddeck his home in the latter part of his life and his final resting place.


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