Lunenburg

No town captures the seafaring romance of Nova Scotia as much as Lunenburg. In the mid-1700s the British, eager for another loyal settlement, laid out a town plan for Lunenburg. They then offered the land to Protestant settlers from Germany. Although these were mainly farmers, they soon turned to shipbuilding and fishing. In 1996 the town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the best preserved planned settlements in the New World. Lunenburg is also the home port of Bluenose II, a replica of Canada’s most famous schooner.

The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic fills several buildings along the waterfront. Its docks are home to the Theresa E. Conner, the last of the Grand Banks Schooners, and the side-trawler, Cape Sable.

 

Attractions

Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic

Bluenose Dr.

(902) 634 4794.

Mahone Bay

The small seaside town of Mahone Bay has been called the “prettiest town in Canada.” Tucked into the shores of the bay that shares its name, the waterfront is lined with historic homes dating to the 1700s, and at the back of the harbor three stately churches cast their reflection into the still waters.

The town has attracted some of Canada’s finest artists and craftspeople, whose colorful shops line the main street.

The small Settlers Museum offers exhibits and artifacts relating the town’s settlement by foreign Protestants in 1754, and its prominence as a boatbuilding center. There is also a collection of 18th- and 19thcentury ceramics and antiques.

 

Attractions

Settlers Museum

578 Main St.

(902) 624 6263.

Parrsboro

Located on the north shore of the Minas Basin, Parrsboro is famous as the home of the world’s highest tides, which reach over 15 m (50 ft) in height.

Rockhounds are drawn to the Minas Basin whose beaches are scattered with semiprecious gems and fossils. The excellent displays at Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro feature superb examples of the amethysts found locally. There are also dinosaur footprints and bones.

 

Attractions

The Fundy Geological Museum

6 Two Islands Rd.

(902) 254 3814.